News Brief

The sessions of the (Continued on Page 4)

Sixteenth Zionist Biennial Congress were continued beyond the ten days scheduled because of the great amount of unfinished business and the still obtaining difficulties in the election of a new Executive.

Adjourning its session late Friday afternoon in deference to the Sabbath, another session was convoked for Saturday night with no assurance of the proceedings coming to an end then, although the Jewish Agency conference, which is to meet in the Zurich Musik Halle, where the Congress sessions were transferred, is to open Sunday. As the intense activities abated for the Sabbath, following the big days of the Jewish Agency vote, the possibility that the sessions of the Congress may be interrupted for the three-day Agency constitution meeting and continued afterward, loomed large.

The principal item of business transacted at the Friday afternoon session was the adoption of the budget calling for the raising and expenditure of the amount of £750,000 during the coming year. An additional amount of £250,000, proposed by the Zionist Executive as an extra possible fund to be raised for the benefit of the Jewish National Fund was stricken from the budget because of the contention of M. M. Ussishkin, president of the Fund, that its inclusion in the budget, being illusory, will harm the National Fund collections.

The budget included an item of £10,000 for acquiring shares in the Palestine Labor Bank, an appropriation for assistance to the Artisans’ Bank and £2,750 for the teachers’ seminaries.

The Executive was also directed to make efforts for freeing the Zionist investments in the American Zion Commonwealth, which is in the neighborhood of half a million dollars. An item of £23,000 was included for agricultural settlements.

The passage of the budget was not effected without a bitter struggle as the Palestine delegations, including all groups, fought for preference. M. Dizengoff, Mayor of Tel Aviv, reported the budget in behalf of the committee, in which the members of the Mizrachi and of the labor groups controlled the majority.

When the report was first submitted, Harry Sacher, on behalf of the Executive, declared that the proposal was unacceptable, because the committee failed to take into consideration the principles of consolidation and economy urged by the Executive. “No matter what new Executive is elected, economy will still be needed,” he said. He directed himself in particular against the decision of the committee to increase the subsidy for the Mizrachi schools and to subvention the Palestine Hebrew theatres, Habimah and the Ha’Ohel. “These subventions are not permissible even if the Executive had a surplus of money. The Executive declines responsibility for this budget.” he said.

Engineer S. Kaplan retorted by saying that the Habimah subvention was included on the demand of the American Zionists. Moritz Bileski of Germany and other delegates representing the General Zionists demanded an increase in the budget for agricultural colonization.

CONGRESS INSISTS ON PRIVILEGE TO DETERMINE COLONIZATION POLICY

The request of Dr. Chaim Weizmann submitted to the Committee on Committees that the consideration of the resolutions on the colonization policy be referred to the incoming Zionist General Council, which is a smaller body and where a calmer atmosphere than that at the Congress prevails, became a source of conflict between the Executive and the Congress praesidium. Jealous of its rights, the Congress declined to refer the matter to the General Council and it appeared likely that the matter will come up for discussion and decision at the Saturday night session. The only concession made to the Executive was the decision to refer the question of the Shekel revaluation to the incoming General Council.

As the Sabbath hour approached the delegates, exhausted from the long and arduous work, following the Mizrachi’s lead, hastened out of the assembly hall.

Among the guests attending the Friday afternoon session was already a number of the non-Zionist delegates who arrived to attend the Sunday Agency constitution conference. Among them were noticed Sholom Asch, famous Yiddish novelist, Dr. William Filderman, president of the United Roumanian Jews of Bucharest, Oscar Gruzenberg, well-known Russian Jewish leader, representing the non-Zionists of Latvia, and others.

BARON EDMUND ACCEPTS HONORARY PRESIDENCY OF AGENCY COUNCIL

Baron Edmund de Rothschild of Paris, famous aged Jewish philanthropist and father of the early Palestine colonies, has accepted the invitation extended to him by Dr. Chaim Weizmann to serve as honorary president of the Jewish Agency Council. He informed Dr. Weizmann to this effect by telegram.

CONGRESS URGES PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL FUND $5,000,000 CAMPAIGN

The outstanding unanimous vote of the Sixteenth Zionist Congress was that accorded the resolution sponsored by the Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund which imposed an obligation on all Zionists throughout the world to fully participate in the various campaigns of the Jewish National Fund with $5,000,000 as a goal. The campaign is to be launched in the month of Tishri, at the beginning of the Jewish new year. The proceeds of the campaign are to be expended for the completion of Jewish National Fund land purchases during the year.

KING GEORGE THANKS ZIONIST ASSEMBLY

A message from His Majesty King George V was read to the Zionist Congress by Nahum Sokolow at the Thursday afternoon session. The King expressed thanks for a message wishing his speedy recovery despatched by the Congress when it assembled.

HERZL’S REMAINS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO PALESTINE

At the same session Mr. Sokolow reported that the Zionist Executive decided to transfer in the near future the remains of Dr. Theodor Herzl to Palestine. All legal and other difficulties have been removed. Simultaneously the Executive decided to erect a memorial tablet at the Vienna Jewish cemetery and at the house in Budapest where Dr. Herzl was born. The Executive will carry out this decision in cooperation with the late Zionist leader’s relative, Mr. Reichfeld.

URGE SPEED IN WORK FOR ZIONIST LOAN

In adopting the resolutions of the finance committee outlining the financial policies of the Zionist Organization, the Congress laid emphasis on the need of speeding up the work of inquiring into the possibilities of an international Zionist loan. The Executive was urged to appoint a member, charged with the responsibility of taking up this task. The Congress also enacted the establishment of the office of Comptroller. Leon Lewite, president of the Zionist Federation in Poland, urged the extension of the powers of the Comptroller’s office to include the financial transactions of the various federations. However, no action was taken on this. A resolution was adopted urging the Zionist representatives on the Jewish Agency Council to seek an increase in the capital of the Palestine Land Development Company. Another resolution directed the Executive to permit the Jewish National Fund to purchase additional land for labor settlements, a measure which Harry Sacher vetoed some time ago.