Evening star., 1938-10-24
PRESIDENT URGED
TO AID CAUSE OF
PALESTINE JEWS
Telegram With Signature
of 1000 Is Sent to the
White House.
RALLY HERE ATTENDED
BY MORE THAN 1000
Senator Radcliffe, Representative
Fish and C. S. Russell Are
Among Speakers.

While Arabs continued to terrorize
the Holy Land, more than 1000 Wash
ingtonians met last night at Consti-
tuition Hall to petition President
Roosevelt to use the good Offices Of
the Government in behalf of Palestine
Jews.
A telegram bearing more than 1000
signatures was sent to the White House
in answer to the reported intention Of
the British government to close Pales-
tine to further Jewish colonization. It
read as follows:
I'VE. the undersigned. respectfully
petition you, Mr. President, to give
public expression to the American
Governments sympathy with the Jew
ish national home policy under the
Palestine mandate and to intercede
with the British government to the
end of keeping open the gates of the
Holy Land for a large-scale Jewish
immigration and as a haven for the
refugees"
Rabbi Isadore Breslau, chairman,
opened the meeting after the sing
ing Of the national anthem by
stating its objectives, first to show
concern" for Palestine and secondly
by unity of effort to create unity
Of feeling" and "by the expression of
common fellowship to help defeat the
enemies OF democracy"
Senator Radcliffe Speaks.
Senator George L. Radcliffe Of
Maryland was the first speaker. He
extolled the strength and sincerity
through the ages of the desire by the
Jewish people for national home.
! Quoting from Isaiah he described Pal
estine as a wilderness" which has
blossomed again like the rose" In
closing he pointed out the deep inter-
est of the President in the plight Of
the Jews.
Senator Radcliffe was followed by
Dr. Abram Simon of the Washington
Hebrew Congregation, who expressed
the gratitude Of the Jewish people for
the good will shown toward them by
the Christian people of the United
States" He also stated his belief that
the future of religion is tied up with
the glory of democracy"
| Representative Hamilton Fish, Re.
publican, of New York spoke next
mot as Jew but as a confirmed
Zionist, loathing bigotry, persecution
and injustice"
He read from letter written In
1880 by George Washington in reply
to Jewish warden of Newport, r. l.,
in which the first President expressed
the hope that the Jews of America
would continue to merit and enjoy
the good will of their neighbors" Rep
| resentative Fish went on to describe
the meeting as democracy in action"
and promised that the grave out
pourings" of the speakers would have
effect on Congress and the Executive"
| In conclusion, as the audience rose
applauding, he eXhorted them to show
that we Americans still believe We
have the best form of government
| in the world"
Bishops Letter Read.
A lady in the audience interrupted
the meeting for moment to suggest
that the homeless Jews of Central
Europe be allowed to enter this coun-
| try. Rabbi Breslau then read letter
| from the Right Rev. Jane. E. Free
man, Bishop of Washington: In the
present grave situation the least that
we Of America can do is to raise our
voice and to exercise such influence Of
which We are capable to ease the con-
ditions that are imperiling the very
existence of Hebrew peoples through
out the world"
At the conclusion of the reading the
| petition to the President was circu-
lated and the veterans representatives
present on the stage were introduced.
They were DR.. W. C. Hess of the Dis
abled American Veterans, Philip Belt
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
James T. Brady, department com.
mander of the American Legion;
John N. Farmer. United Spanish
| American War Veterans; John N.
Kline, Grand Army of the Republic;
Maj. Lee Cohen, Military Order Of
the Purple Heart; Ralph Werner,
Army and Navy Union, and Michael
Casey, Irish War Veterans, and ma
tional senior vice commander of the
Sons of the G. A. r.
Among others seated with the
speakers on the stage were Senator
William H. King of Utah, Joseph E.
Tumulty and the Rev. Anson Phelps
Stokes, canon of the Washington Ca
thedral.
Not Palestine Problem.
Charles Edward Russell, president
of the Pro-Palestine Federation, spoke
of the Palestine problem not as Jew
ish problem but as the worlds prob
lem," one involving the sanctity Of
treaties. Mr.. Russell cited the con-
vention of December 3, 1924 between
the United States and Great Britain,
in which, he explained, Great Britain
guaranteed not to modify the Pales-
tine mandate without the consent Of
the United States. ''The United States
has the inalienable right" Mr.. Russell
declared, Ito stop the proceeding
(Great Britain's modifying the man
date) before 1t goes another inch"
DR.. Peter Marshall of the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church, former
British subject exhorted the people of
America to defend now the principle
Of liberty and human rights in order
that the door opened by the great
heart of England may not be closed by
the hand of force"
The last speaker was Henry I.
Quinn, member of the Board of Edu-
cation. He prefaced his remarks by
saying that he had felt it his duty as
Christian and member of the Catho-
lie Church Ito protest against the OPP
preston of the Jews. He besought
all present Ito be thankful for a
country where people in office are our