Details of the strife within the American Zionist Emergency Council which led to the resignation this week of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Dr. Stephen S. Wise from co-chairmanship of the Council were revealed in the Jewish press today.
The resignations are the result of differences of opinions with regard to Zionist tactics in Washington which have arisen between leaders of the Zionist Organization of America and Dr. Wise, on one hand, and Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, on the other. These differences sharpened in connection with the recent request by the State Department that the Palestine Resolution be shelved by Congress.
The opponents of Dr. Silver claim that he exceeded his authority in his efforts to secure passage of the Palestine Resolution by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the face of the request of the State Department. Dr. Silver claimed that the majority of the members of both houses of Congress were ready and eager to pass the resolution, and that the request of the State Department was the result of the work of only a small, but influential, group of Washington officials who seek to influence President Roosevelt and the Administration against the Zionist demand for a Jewish Palestine.
At a meeting of the American Zionist Emergency Council this Wednesday, which lasted until early morning, Dr. Silver gave a lengthy report on Zionist political activities in Washington. His report was followed by a motion, introduced by one of the Z.O.A. leaders, censuring Dr. Silver. The motion was rejected. Another motion recommending that all officers of the Council resign and that new elections be held was then introduced. The Zionist Laborites urged that the motion be tabled, but their suggestion was not accepted. Whereupon Dr. Silver submitted his resignation before the motion was taken to a vote. Dr. Wise, it is reported, prepared his resignation two weeks ago, as an expression of disagreement with Dr. Silver’s tactics.
The meeting of the Council was held in camera, but it has been learned that the representatives of the Z.O.A. and most of the representatives of Hadassah opposed Dr. Silver. The delegates of the Mizrachi and of the Zionist Laborites supported Dr. Silver, as did Louis Lipsky. The Council is yet to decide whether the resignations of Dr. Wise and Dr. Silver will be accepted. A meeting of the Council is scheduled for Wednesday.
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