Zionists

At Washington, D. C., was held the 28th annual convention of the Zionist Organization of America. Some 1,500 delegates and alternates were present, making the assembly the largest ever held by the American Zionists.

The main purpose of the convention --aside from election of officers--was a movement to enlist the support of all Jews, Zionist and non-Zionist, for the construction of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The movement received practically unanimous endorsement and called upon the World Zionist Congress, which meets in Vienna in August, to accept non-Zionist aid.

Several friendly criticisms of British administration in Palestine were heard. It was alleged that Britain had not passed a nationality act, which left Jews in Palestine without citizenship privileges; that large tracts of undeveloped land, urgently needed for agricultural purposes, had not been turned over to the Jews.

J. Joyce Broderick, counselor of the British Embassy (representing absent Ambassador Sir Esme Howard), who received a stirring ovation from the congress, told the delegates that "the difficulties which naturally present themselves to the accomplishment of all you desire will be very quickly overcome, insofar as the British Government can accomplish that."

After elections, the congress concluded its session. Louis Lipsky* of Manhattan was chosen Chairman of the Executive Board for the fifth time. Other elections were expected to mend all differences--especially the elections of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise of Manhattan, Dr. Harry Friedenwald of Baltimore and Judge Julian W. Mack of Chicago, who caused a breach in the Zionist ranks at the Cleveland Congress of 1921 over the establishment of the Palestine Foundation Fund as the principal financial agency of the movement. The eleventh annual Hadassah (women's Zionist organization) convention also came to a close in Washington.

The convention reviewed its valuable social work in Palestine for the past year, decided upon the delegates who are to represent the organization at the Zionist Congress at Vienna.

* Louis Lipsky, one of the foremost leaders of U. S. Jews, has been interested in the Zionist movement since its inception in the U. S. some 25 years ago. Under him, the movement has grown amazingly, and its success can be attributed in no small part to Mr. Lipsky's wholehearted devotion, combined with the greatest ability. Mr. Lipsky is also a member of the Executive Committee of the World Zionist Organization and, in this capacity recently paid a five months' visit to London and Palestine where he made an exhaustive study of conditions. On his return to the U. S., he was greeted, at a formal reception by 3,000 Jews, among them Nathan Straus, Henrietta Szold, Schmarya Levin, Morris Rothenberg, David Yellin.