William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, today joined in demanding abrogation of the British White Paper of 1939, which would bar all new Jewish immigration into Palestine after March 31, 1944. “It is difficult to understand why there should be any hesitation on the part of Great Britain to open wide the door of Palestine to Jewish immigrants,” Mr. Green declared, in a message to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, chairman of the executive committee of the American Zionist Emergency Council.
He added: “The exigencies of the situation, if nothing else, call for definite and speedy action. Technicalities, red tape and imaginative difficulties ought to be thrust aside. The only question at stake is the saving of human lives. Delay and procrastination may mean the death or a large number. I join in protesting against the threatened implementation of the White Paper which would shut off Jewish immigration into Palestine.” Mr. Green pointed out that at the recent convention of the American Federation of Labor a resolution favoring an “open door” for Jews in Palestine was unanimously adopted.
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