Culminating as it began, on a note of vehement protest against threatened partition of Palestine, the fortieth annual convention of the Zionist Organization of America ended tonight with a mass meeting at Carnegie Hall where Mayor LaGuardia and United States Senator Wagner were scheduled speakers.
The convention had already backed its stand against partition by pledging to raise a $40,000 special fund to be used by Dr. Stephen S. Wise at his discretion “for the highest Zionist purposes.” One use for the money, Dr. Wise indicated, will be to establish a Washington Bureau of the Z.O.A. The convention had previously appealed to the United States Government to intervene in the Palestine situation.
An unexpected appeal for this sum, to be raised as a “fortieth anniversary fund” was made by Dr. Wise in his address of acceptance after he had been re-elected president of the ZOA by acclamation last night. Pledges totalling over $10,000 were made from the floor.
Dr. Wise sprang another surprise today when he declared his intention of leaving in two weeks for the World Zionist Congress in Zurich with several American Zionist leaders, stopping off in London on the way to consult with Dr. Chaim Weizmann and other world Zionist chiefs. Previously Dr. Wise had indicated that he intended to remain here until the time for the Congress, despite a cabled invitation from Dr. Weizmann and David Ben Gurion to come immediately after the convention.
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, of Cleveland, in an address before the convention assailed Great Britain for an “incredible record of failure” culminating in the partition proposal, which he called “a desperate effort” to solve a problem created by Britain’s “own blundering.”
Dr. Silver announced he would sail Wednesday on the Normandic and would visit Palestine, remaining abroad for the Congress, to which he was elected a delegate.
Other ZOA delegates elected to the Congress included Judge Julian W. Mack, Louis Lipsky, Morris Rothenberg, and Ab Goldberg, of New York; Professor Gustavo Klausner, St. Louis; Rabbi Solomon Goldman and Max Shulman, Chicago; Rabbi Barnett R. Bricknor, Cleveland; and Rabbi Edward L. Israel, Baltimore.
Mr. Rothenberg, chairman of the ZOA administrative committee was re-elected, like Dr. Wise, by acclamation. The number of vice-presidents was reduced from eight to six, and the following were elected: Judge William M. Lewis, Dr. Silver, Elihu D. Stone, Nathan Straus, Dr. Israel Goldstein and Joseph Kraomer. The vice-presidents, it was decided will not be members of the executive committee. Morris Weinberg of Brooklyn and Harry P. Fiorst of Mt. Vernon were elected co-treasurers.
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.
