Promise of further American aid to Israel was held out in the keynote address to the 35th annual convention of the Hadassah here today by newly-appointed Secretary of the Interior Oscar L. Chapman. Secretary Chapman also read a message from President Truman to the 3,500 delegates and guests assembled in the San Francisco Opera House in the first Hadassah convention held on the West Coast. The President’s message stated in part:
“It is reassuring to know that in addition to fulfilling their responsibilities as citizens, members of Hadassah are carrying forward the ideals of American democracy through the institutions they built and are supporting. I hope it will not be long before the international problems which confront the state of Israel in which they are so deeply interested will be solved peacefully and satisfactorally for all parties interested. I hope too that the internal problems which inevitably confront a new born nation will also be solved quickly and amicably.
“I am also hopeful that our country may be able to extend constructive assistance to the peoples of Israel and neighboring lands through the effectuation of our program on behalf of the peoples of the underdeveloped areas. Hadassah is taking the leadership in this field and making a great contribution to the welfare of people, not alone in Israel but in the Middle East, I wish them continued strength in their work.”
Mr. Chapman declared that Israel’s progress was so great that it was spreading to the adjoining Arab communities. He singled out for praise the gains of the new state in infant welfare, housing, health, sanitation, and the development and application of technical skills.” He warned, however, that development of Israel’s underdeveloped areas could be stalemated without “Point-Four” assistance from the U.S.
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.
