World’s Fair President Robert Moses rejected last night a resolution by directors of the Fair to investigate the controversial anti-Israel mural at the Jordan Pavilion and shut off efforts by a State Senator to continue debate on the issue. His ruling was backed by a majority of the World’s Fair board.
The brief discussion on the mural issue at the Fair’s board of directors meeting began with an announcement by Charles Preusse, Fair counsel, that the mural was the subject of two Supreme Court actions and that there should be no discussion by the directors until decisions were handed down. Suits have been filed for show-cause orders for removal of the mural before two Supreme Court justices.
Alex Rose, a director, objected, asserting that the mural contained “a war slogan” and that for the board to refrain from action on it was “a basic mistake.” He proposed a committee to re-examine the Fair’s stand. Mr. Moses, who has consistently refused to act against the mural, ruled that such a resolution could neither be brought up nor discussed.
Senator Jacob Javits, New York Republican, asked for a vote on appeal from that decision. The directors sustained Mr. Moses by a vote of 59 to 24. State Sen. Joseph Zaretzki took a floor microphone to introduce an anti-mural resolution and was ruled out of order by Moses.
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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.
