Wailing Wall Agitation Stirs Congress Political Committee

While no proceedings of the plenary session of the Sixteenth Zionist Congress were held on Wednesday, the eleven committees, appointed to grapple with the problems of finance, budget, policy, immigration, labor, colonization and the extension of the Jewish Agency, were at work all day.

A number of American delegates were appointed on the important committees. Morris Rothenberg, New York lawyer and vice-president of the Zionist Organization of America, was appointed chairman of the Committee on the Jewish Agency. He declined the post, however, and was succeeded by Dr. Georg Halperin of London. Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver of The Temple, Cleveland, Ohio, is a member of this committee. Other American members are Miss Kussy of Newark and Elihu D. Stone of Boston, members of the Committee on Policy; Bernard A. Rosenblatt and Mr. Katz of New York, members of the Finance Committee; Morris Weinberg and Joseph Weiss of New York, members of the Budget Committee; Dr. S. Margoshes of New York and Benjamin Rabalsky, Committee on Education; Mrs. Archibald Silverman of Providence, R. I., and Mr. Hurvitch, Committee on Agriculture; Louis Topkis of Wilmington. Del., and Mrs. Rose Halperin of New York, Committee on Urban Colonization; Miss Lillian Franklin, Mrs. Edward Jacobs of New York, and Mesdames Lampert and Safer, Committee on Immigration.

At the first session of the Political Committee held Wednesday afternoon, priority was given to the question of the new agitation in Palestine over the Wailing Wall, due to disturbing reports received from Jerusalem describ-

(Continued on Page 7)

(Continued from Page 1)

ing great agitation among the Jewish population on account of the government’s decision to allow the Moslems to carry on building operations on top and near the remnant of the Temple.

Col. Frederick H. Kisch reported that the High Commissioner, Sir John Chancellor, before leaving Palestine for his vacation, declared his determination to solve the difficulty. He appealed to the members of the Political Committee to exert their influence in Palestine circles to restrain Palestine Jews from hasty action.

Vladimir Jabotinsky demanded that the Zionist Congress postpone all questions in favor of immediate action on the Wailing Wall controversy.

Palestinians belonging to the General Zionist group were elected to the following committees: M. M. Ussishkin, Political Committee; Dr. M. Glicksohn, editor of the “Ha’ Aretz,” Jewish Agency Committee; M. Kalvarisky, Organization Committee; M. Dizengoff, Mayor of Tel Aviv, Budget Committee; Ben Ami, Agricultural Committee; Mr. Suprasky, Finance Committee; Madam Susan Persitz, Health Committee.

The Resolutions Committee was not yet composed. The Committee on Committees decided to grant representation on the committees to each group having not less than fifteen members at the Congress. The committees are free to elect their own chairmen.

At a meeting of the agricultural committee held Wednesday afternoon, Harra Sacher, of the Jerusalem Zionist Executive, reported on the agricultural problems. He recommended that preference in the colonization work be given to watered areas. The colonization projects in the Emek are practical for the time being.

Engineer Soskin reported on the results of his studies in California, asserting that the results bore out his intensive colonization system. The Organization Committee considered questions pertaining to the various Zionist federations.

Various reports are current about the composition of the new Executive. While it is reported that Mr. Sacher definitely declined to serve on a coalition Executive, it is stated that Dr. Weizmann is anxious to secure Mr. Sacher’s cooperation, even if a coalition Executive is formed. He would be given the post of political representative in Jerusalem to succeed Col. Frederick H. Kisch, who will very likely take over the London political department. Dr. Weizmann is negotiating with the Right and Left wings, particularly with the Laborites, to waive their opposition to Sacher in the new post. The efforts look promising. Dr. Arthur Ruppin stated privately that he will not accept any offer to serve on the Executive.

Canadians who were elected to committees are: Max Heppner, Agency Committee; Rabbi J. L. Zlotnick, Pol-

(Continued on Page 8)

(Continued from Page 7)

itical Committee; Mr. Lester, Cultural Committee; Mrs. Dorothy Freeman, Finance Committee and Mr. Gelber of Toronto on the Resolutions Committee.

At a meeting of the Jewish Agency Committee held Wednesday afternoon, Felix Rosenblueth reported on the plans of procedure at the Jewish Agency constitution meeting. A special ceremony of the signing of the Jewish Agency pact is contemplated.

The finance committee again took under consideration the question of a Zionist loan.

An interesting incident occurred at the Tuesday evening session when Dr. Ben Zion Mossensohn, director of the Hebrew High School, Herzliah, of Tel Aviv, reported in behalf of the Committee on Committees, referred to in Congress terminology as the Permanenzausschuss. The speaker referred to his committee by the German name, although he was speaking in Hebrew Several of the delegates interrupted him to ask what was the Hebrew equivalent for Permanenzausschuss. To this question he was at a loss for a reply.

The Committee on Committees membership was divided along party lines as follows; 18 General Zionists, 5 Mizrachists, 5 Poale Zionists, 4 Hitachduth, 2 Revisionists, and 1 Radical Zionist.

The American members of the Committee are Gedaliah Bublick, Abraham Goldberg and Jacob Fishman, New York; Max Schulman, Chicago; Archibald Freiman, Ottawa, and H. Volofsky, Montreal, as alternate.