Evening star., 1940-01-07

Pleas Tor Victims OF
European Horrors
Support Of Palestine
Program Asked os
Conference Opens
The National Conference Of the
United Palestine Appeal opened last
night at the Mayflower Hotel, with
$500 Jewish leaders attending to
hear pleas for aid to the victims Of
the European horrors which have
made "the whole household of Israel
one vast hostlery of pain"
Support Of Palestine by contri-
button of millions of dollars by
American Jews was asked at the
opening session as one leader after
another appeared to describe the
plight Of Jews in other parts of
the world.
Today speeches are scheduled by
Attorney General Frank Murphy,
whose appointment to the Supreme
Court was announced last week; the
French Ambassador to the United
States, Count Rene de Saint-Quen-
tin; Alfred Duff Cooper, former
British lord Of the admiralty, and
Senator William H. King, Democrat,
of Utah.
Picture Not Cheerful One.
The picture painted at last nights
session of the plight of Jews. beset
by war and persecution in Europe,
was not cheerful one. The speak
ers included Morris Simon, DR..
Georg Landauer, Louis Lipsky, DR..
Israel Goldstein and Or. Abba Hillel
Silver.
DR.. Silver sounded the keynote of
the conference. declaring that al
though an almost universal black
out" has come for mankind and for
the Jewish people. the quest for
freedom and the right to live will
go on.
He pointed to two lights in the
darkness: The Jewish spirit un-
cowed and unbeaten and the found
ing by Jews in Palestine of home
land" which has brought renewal
and resurrection for spirits and
bodies broken in the havoc of sys-
tematic oppression"
Needed as Refuge.
Gov Herbert Lehman of New
York addressed a message to the
conference. declaring that Palestine
Is more needed than ever as a
haven Of refuge for thousands of
helpless, harried human beings who
are hopeless and without means of
sustenance.
The economic situation in Pale
stine and the need for additional
funds was discussed by DR.. Landa-
uer, who is member of the Jewish
National Council of Palestine.
He said that S20,0O0, 600 must be
raised for Palestine. 80 per cent of
which American Jews are asked to
contribute.
He reported that $4,000 Jews had
been admitted to Palestine in the
II months ending September 30
from the trouble spots of Europe
and that the flow of immigrants
was continuing. Doors to other
countries have been closed, he
pointed out, but making it more
necessary that the flow of refugees
to Palestine not be stopped.
In describing the contributions
made by German Jewish refugees
toward the progress Of Palestine,
Dr. Landauer declared that Jewish
industry in Palestine had doubled its
output recently and that these ref
ugees have been active in creating
new social and cultural institutions
Immigrants Given Training.
A maximum of the immigrants
received training before they en-
tered Palestine, he said, and ar
rangements have been made for
many to bring capital from the
countries they leave.
The money is needed to further
the agricultural and industrial pro-
gram in Palestine, he stated. as we'll
as to equip the small armed force
for defense of the area.
DR.. Goldstein, who is president
of the Jewish National Fund, paid
tribute to the Firms, and contrasted
their battle for freedom with the
role forced on Jews in the invasion
of Poland.
He said that Polish Jews had been
ground to dust and deprived not
only of the opportunities of self de
fense, but even of heroic death. Had
these same Jews lived in Palestine
and been faced by an invasion, he
said, their fate-under the most ad-
verse circumstances - would have
been different.
The progress in land purchase
and development in Palestine was
reviewed by the speaker. He report
ed that in 1899, the Jewish National
Fund had purchased larger
amount of land than in any pre-
vious year in the past three decades.
Had No Part in Tragedies.
Mr.. Lipsky, American member of
the World Zionist Executive, spoke
of the tragedies which are sweep
ing the world:
That mad world we Jews did not
make, nor did we aid in its creation.
1t is a world that has never ad-
mitted us into its councils as an
equal; it is a world that has al
ways rejected us and given us place
only at the table reserved for serv-
ants; it is a world that has disre-
garded our law and fouted it; it is a