Washington Notes By Our Washington Correspondent
The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing yesterday regarding Chairman Porter’s resolution for the participation by the United States in an international conference on the question of calendar reform. The hearing will be continued today.
Although the question before the Committee was restricted to the advisability of participating in the proposed conference, several witnesses including George E. Roberts, vice-president of the National City Bank, and Mr. Dugan, representing the New York Central, specifically expressed themselves in favor of a thirteen months calendar, in addition to endorsing America’s participation in the conference.
Congressman Sol Bloom, member of the Committee, while not opposed to American participation in the conference, has declared his intention of opposing any change which will affect the Jewish Sabbath. He cross-examined various witnesses in an effort to show that the thirteen months plan will upset the Jewish calendar.
Rabbi Abram Simon, former president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Rabbi Louis Schweifel, both of this city, attended the hearings but did not testify. Congressman Bloom stated he does not expect any Jews to testify at the hearings, because the question of reform of the calendar is not before the committee, but merely the resolution that the United States participate in the conference. The Jews cannot consistently oppose this, although they will certainly oppose any changes proposed at the conference which will adversely affect the Jewish calendar, he stated.
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