Jewish Agency Submits Memorandum on Palestine Issue to Soviet Delegation at San Francisco

For the first time since the Soviet Revolution, leaders of the world Zionist movement today directly communicated with high Moscow officials by submitting to the Soviet delegation at the United Nations Conference a memorandum dealing with protection of Jewish rights in Palestine.

The nine-page memorandum, in the Russian language, explained to members of the Soviet delegation the functions of the Jewish Agency as the internationally recognized representative Jewish body for Palestine and outlined the observations of the Agency on the drafts of the United States and British proposals regarding international trusteeship of mandated territories. The document was submitted to members of the Soviet delegation in the hope of securing Soviet support for recommendations contained herein.

Efforts by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise to meet with Foreign Commissar Molotov (##) to the latter’s departure from San Francisco were not successful, but Zionist representatives here are certain that the Soviet delegation will pay attention to the Jewish observations on the trusteeship issue and will take their memorandum back to Moscow. Thus, through San Francisco, Stalin may for the first time receive Jewish views in Palestine directly from leaders of the American and world Zionist movement.

SEEK RUSSIAN SUPPORT OF JEWISH DEMANDS AT PEACE TABLE

It has been known for some time that Jewish Agency leaders in London were seeking a means of presenting to Stalin the Zionist position on the Palestine problem in order to secure Russia’s support at the peace table for Jewish demands. It has also been known that President Eduard Benes of Czechoslovakia agreed to act as mediator and personally brought the Zionist views to Stalin’s attention. Stalin’s reaction was said to be that the U.S.S.R. will not oppose any decision which the United States and England may take regarding Palestine’s future.

Serious disagreement has developed at San Francisco between the United States and the British regarding the question of trusteeships, Jewish leaders interested in Palestine’s fate have seen fit, therefore, to present their observations on the United States and British trusteeship plans not only to the delegations of those countries, but also to the Soviet delegation which represents one of the powers spondering the security conference.

Details of the Agency memorandum are expected to be made public early next week. In bringing them to the attention of the Moscow delegation it was emphasized that the Jewish Agency, authorized to watch over Jewish interests in Palestine, cannot remain indifferent to any of the possible solutions of the question of international trusteeships, since this question will directly affect Palestine.