Leaders of the Zionist Organization of America, conferring with British Ambassador Lord Lothian, yesterday disassociated themselves from the plan of Vladimir Jabotinsky, president of the New Zionist Organization, to create a Jewish army as part of the Allied forces.
Conferring with Lord Lothian were Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Dr. Solomon Goldman, Louis Lipsky and Eliezer Kaplan, treasurer, of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. After the interview, the Emergency Committee on Zionist Affairs issued the following statement on the delegation’s behalf:
“Immediately after the declaration of war by Great Britain, Dr. Chaim Weizmann pledged support of the Jewish Agency for Palestine to the cause of the Allies. Following that declaration, 136,000 Jews of Palestine registered for war service. As recently as May 10, 1940, the Jewish Agency reiterated its readiness to mobilize four divisions for the defense of Palestine, in the cause of the Allies.
“The Zionist organizations of America have given their unqualified support to those proposals. It is understood, of course, that such support could be conditioned by the laws of the United States.
“It is unnecessary for us to state that American Zionist organizations are not associated with Mr. V. Jabotinsky’s activities in any way.”
Rabbi Isadore Breslau, of the American Zionist Bureau, added that American neutrality laws forbade enlistment of recruits for foreign armies in this country, and that American Jews would fight only when called upon to do so by their own country.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
