Jewish Editors at White House Briefing Urged to Support Continuation of Broadcasts to Ussr, Communis

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Richard Davies urged Jewish editors visiting the White House today to support the administration’s efforts to keep alive broadcasts by Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty because it is in the interests of Soviet Jews. Davies was one of a number of administration officials and Presidential aides who briefed a group of 89 American Jewish editors and publishers invited to the White House today to hear and question administration officials on matters of interest to the American Jewish community.

Davies characterized Soviet policy toward Jewish emigration as carrot-and-stick–the carrot of emigration and the stick of intimidation but said that 40,000 Soviet Jews were expected to go to Israel in 1972. Asked whether President Nixon would take up the issue of Soviet Jews when he visits Moscow in May, White House Director of Communications Herbert Klein said the agenda would not be disclosed in advance of the summit meeting.

Klein supported Davies’ plea for support of the two radio services whose programs are beamed to the Soviet Union and to East European Communist bloc countries. Davies said he understood Congress would accept a compromise to continue the broadcasts until June 30, 1972, but predicted a “tough fight” to extend their life for another year. “We will appreciate all the help we can get on this subject,” he said.

NON-VIOLENT PRESSURE ON MOSCOW URGED

Davies urged the Jewish visitors that in putting pressure on the Soviet government, violence be avoided. “It is very important not to turn this humanitarian issue into a cold war confrontation,” he said, adding that the pressure of public opinion, without violence, “is the most affective means to get this done.” The State Department official said the government would do its part “privately.” He disclosed that more than half of the 300 US immigration documents issued to Soviet citizens in 1971 went to Jews.

POVERTY FUND GUIDELINES QUESTIONED

At another briefing session Herbert Stein, chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, was asked what the Federal government will do to change the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) guidelines to provide Federal anti-poverty funds for Jews who are not now eligible because they do not live in federally designated poverty areas. Stein replied that the poverty program does not break down in terms of minority and ethnic lines and maintained that poverty funds were available to all who are in need.

Asked again if the Federal government is willing to respond to Jewish poverty as it has to Black and other minority demands, Stein said he didn’t have available the statistics of the studies made. The Jewish editors were also briefed by Joseph J. Sisco, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs who reviewed the Middle East situation and the American peace initiative there.

The gathering of Jewish journalists, representing Yiddish dailies, Anglo-Jewish weeklies and periodicals, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Seven Arts-World-Wide News Service, was described by Milton Firestone, editor of the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle as “undoubtedly the largest and most representative gathering of the American Jewish press in the country’s history.”

Philip Slomovitz, editor of the Detroit Jewish News, said, however, that today’s visit was at least the third visit of representative Jewish editors to the White House. He recalled that in 1949, when he was president of the American Jewish Press Association, he led a group of Jewish editors to a meeting with President Truman and that a similar visit was made in 1964 during the administration of President Johnson.