American Jewish Conference Votes to Admit Group Opposed by Labor Committee

The American Jewish Conference today voted to admit the delegates of the Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order, over the objections of the Jewish Labor Committee, which charged that the former organization was Communist-dominate. The issue was placed before the entire conference after a favorable recommendation had been made by the general committee, which yesterday heard the delegates of the Jewish Labor Committee.

Immediately after the vote, the delegation of the Jewish Labor Committee, which came here to present the group’s argument against admission of the Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order, left for New York. Members of the delegation told the press that the Labor Committee will not participate in the present session of the conference and that a further statement will be issued in New York.

Today’s session was devoted chiefly to addresses by the delegates on the question of rescue. Addresses were also delivered by several guest speakers including Dr. Ignacy Schwartzbart, a member of the National Council of the Polish Government-in-Exile; Dr. Bernard Joseph, legal adviser of the Jewish Agency; and Alex L. Easterman, a leader of the British section of the World Jewish Congress.

Addressing a plenary session of the conference last night, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, co-chairman of the American Zionist Emergency Council, and a member of the Conference’s interim committee, dealt with the situation of the Jews in Europe, and the efforts to secure a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine. “Our enemies are still very active and unscrupulous,” Dr. Silver said. Jews, he added, must move rapidly on the long road toward a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine.

Commenting on the report of the Rescue Commission of the Conference, Dr. Silver said that we have been unable to rescue “one fraction of a fraction.” He warned the delegates against raising their hopes too high, pointing out that “we are going into a decade of tensions, strains and adjustments for Jews, perhaps not only in Europe, but elsewhere.”