American Jewish Committee Joins in Sponsoring Mass Meeting in Behalf of Hungarian Jews

The American Jewish Committee will join with the American Jewish Conference and other Jewish groups in the sponsorship of a “unity mass meeting” in behalf of the Hungarian Jews to be held in New York, within the next week or ten days, it was announced today Dr. John Slawson, executive vice-president of the American Jewish Committee.

“The urgency of the plight of the Hungarian Jews and the pressing need for unified action in their behalf,” said Dr. Slawson, “makes it imperative that all Jewish organizations should collaborate in this great mass demonstration and coordinate their activities in behalf of the Hungarian Jews who are being threatened with complete annihilation by the Nazi Government.

“We hope,” continued Dr. Slawson, “that this step in collaboration in behalf of the Hungarian Jews will be a forerunner of a unified program by Jewish organizations joined together on the highest humanitarian grounds. The work of the individual Jewish organizations, valuable as it has been, must now be reinforced by joint effort.

The Committee also made a public announcement of its recent efforts in behalf of the Hungarian Jews:

1) Three days after the German occupation of Hungary on March 20, the Committee asked Secretary of State Hull to initiate steps for a joint statement by the governments of Great Britain, Russia and the United States to reaffirm earlier pledges of full punishment for all those guilty of initiating or participating in inhuman treatment of civilians. The following day, President Roosevelt issued such a warning.

2) On March 24, Lord Halifax, British Ambassador to the United States, was asked to convey the same request to his government. Following acknowledgment from Lord Halifax that the forwarded the request to Anthony Eden, British Foreign Minister, Mr. Eden, speaking before the House of Commons, on March 30th, associated the British Government with President Roosevelt’s earlier warning.

3) On June 1, representatives of the Committee had an audience with Audrei A. Aromyko, Soviet Ambassador to the United States, at which time he was requested to transmit to Marshal Stalin the hope, that with the Soviet troops nearing Hungary’s order, he would warn the Hungarian people of the certain retribution that would follow harm done to the Jews of Hungary.

4) Following a conference betwenn Judge Joseph M. Proskauer, president of the American Jewish Committee, and Myron Taylor, special United States representative to the Vatican, it was arranged that Mr. Taylor would use his good offices with the hope in behalf of the Jews of Hungary. The Pope shortly thereafter addressed a personal appeal to Admiral Horthy, Regent of Hungary, asking him to do everything with his power to aid all those persecuted on account of either race or religion.

5) During this entire period, the Committee worked closely with officials of the War Refugee Board making available valuable background information and arranging several conferences between the officers of the War Refugee Board and individuals who could be helpful in focussing public opinion in behalf of the Hungarian Jews. The committee cooperated with former Governor Alfred E. Smith, who secured seventy-four prominent signatures from outstanding American non-Jews to a statement condemning the Hungarian Government and asking the United Nations to repeat their warning to the Nazis and their satellites against participating in crimes against the Jews.

With Judge Proskauer out of New York, the American Jewish Committee, said Slawson, will be represented on the planning and program committee of the mass geting by David Sher, a member of its administrative committee.