Rothenberg Scores Szold Convention Review As Example of Intransigent Attitude

Morris Rothenberg, president of the Zionist Organization of America, issued the following statement yesterday to the Jewish Daily Bulletin in reply to views expressed by Robert Szold, noted Zionist, in the Bulletin last Sunday:

“I feel it to be my duty to correct what every fair-minded delegate present at the Chicago Zionist Convention must regard as an inaccurate and misleading statement made by Mr. Robert Szold in your issue of last Sunday.

“Aside from the discourtesy which the statement offers to so distinguished a visitor as Dr. Weizmann, who has rendered historic service to the Jewish people, and who has come to the United States at great personal inconvenience in order to render further aid to Palestine, there is no justification in the facts for the inference in Mr. Szold’s statement that the Administration of the Zionist Organization of America made an unsuccessful campaign in support of Dr. Weizmann’s candidacy for re-election to the Presidency of the World Zionist Organization. Dr. Weizmann came to this country on the suggestion of the committee sponsoring Jewish Day, which hoped thereby to center national attention on their activities and promote the success of their project. Dr. Weizmann agreed to come in the hope tha his visit might result in the transmission to the Jewish Agency of a substantial sum of money which it badly needed to carry forward its labors in Palestine.

LEADERSHIP DISCUSSION INEVITABLE

“Whether Dr. Weizmann had come to this country or not, it was quite obvious that in view of the imminence of the World Zionist Congress, a discussion of World Zionist leadership at the American Zionist Congress was inevitable. In advance of Dr. Weizmann’s arrival the Administrative Committee of the Zionist Organization of America discussed at length the problems to come before the Congress, including the question of leadership. Its deliberations resulted in the adoption of a resolution which reflected the majority view of the Administrative Committee, that the present critical and unprecedented condition in Jewish life required a union of all constructive forces within a coalition Executive to be elected at the forthcoming Congress. During the course of the discussion at the Administrative Committee meetings, the hope was repeatedly and emphatically expressed that Dr. Weizmann might take his place in such leadership.

“At the Chicago Zionist Convention frequent expression was given to the admiration and affection in which Dr. Weizmann is held by the vast majority of American Zionists. The dissenters, as the Convention unmistakably showed, consisted of but a small group of which Mr. Szold was one. Had the Administration desired to place the Convention behind Dr. Weizmann’s candidacy for reelection to the Presidency of the World Zionist Organization, it would have done so, and it was clear that it would not have had the slightest difficulty in obtaining an overwhelming vote therefore. The Administration did not do so because it had already taken a position on the matter of leadership which was reflected in the adoption of a resolution favoring a coalition Executive. The Resolutions Committee of the Convention, following the lead of the Administration, placed before the Convention a resolution calling for a coalition Executive which was to include Dr. Weizmann. That resolution was adopted by the Convention with great enthusiasm and without a dissenting vote.

SILVERMAN MOVED RESOLUTION

“It was only at the closing session of the Convention, and some time after the coalition resolution had been adopted, that Mr. Robert Silverman, a delegate from New England, of his own volition, and with-