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Page 5 The Southern Israelite ___ Should IVeizmann Resign? o A Fearless Editor Speaks on the Zionist Situation By HENRY MONTOR HE MacDonald Letter of Interpretation of Lord fO Passfield's White Paper still is in the spotlight. Discussion of whether or not Weizmann should have expressed himself favorably on the receipt of this important political document runs rife in Jewish circles. It is no secret that the American Zionist leadership is divided on this question and is not agreed on whether Doctor Weizmann s latest political move is to be acclaimed or deprecated. From this exclusive interview with one of the dominant figures of American Zionism you will learn much of the present quandary — or, at least, of one side of it. Mr. Fishman, editor of the Jewish Morning Journal of New York, being a severe critic of the present administration of the Zionist Organization of America.—The EDITOR. “ Weizmann should resign as a mat ter of practical politics, llis main ambition in the past year and a half lias been to restore amity between Britain and us. He has accomplished that. Let him step aside. He cannot possibly continue at this time, when every effort, covert and overt, is ex erted to undermine his authority. This continuous barrage of attacks has made it impossible for him to carry on. His withdrawel would, of course, be a tremendous loss — but it may make some of his opponents realize how essential he is to the movement. I believe that Weizmann has no in tention of obtruding himself on the situation any further. That is why he is going to Palestine and then coming to the United States. Now that a spirit of friendliness is re stored he feels it unnecessary for him to continue for the second part ot the negotiations between the Jew- i'h Agency and the British Govern ment. Of course he will be there, to -i'e his advice from the outside, so to say. But he will let the others, "ho have vaunted their political sa gacity, carry on for a while. 1 have no hesitancy in saying, however, that "e shall very shortly have to recall eizniann, even though he should not be elected President at the Congress this year.” Thus Jacob Fishman answered my luestion: “Should Weizmann resign cause of the onslaught of criticism ‘de upon him by various factions the Zionist movement 1” I he public knows where he stands Zionist questions. On occasions his Vs are unpopular, but Time almost ays corroborates their accuracy. iere is, at present, a clash of views American Zionism in regard to the acDonald Letter explaining the Passfield White Paper. On the one side are ranged the intransigennts, who in public life are known as mem bers of the Zionist Organization. But actually they are devotees of the Re visionist faith. With these Fishman has no patience, and he says so with such stinging brilliance that collars begin to wilt and eyes to glitter. Was Weizmann justified in issuing a statement upon receipt of the Pre mier’s lengthy epistle? The Zionist leader’s statement said that it offered “a basis for cooperation”, and a number of American Zionists, accord ing to reports in the Yiddish press, condemned his act as unwarranted and harmful to Zionist interests. “It sounds very well to say that the Zionists should not at this time express acquiescence to the explana tion. But MacDonald's letter is not, by any means, a unilateral document. It does not represent the unrequested, undesired opinion of the government. It is a document whose terms were arrived at after negotiations with the Jewish representatives. Everyone knows that innumerable cables were exchanged between this country and London, suggesting changes, elisions, additions. The mere fact that it was published indicates a measure of agreement on the part of the nego tiators. “There is no occasion either for the acceptance or the rejection of the MacDonald Letter. To try to force the issue into that character is to indulge in chicanery. What the Mac Donald document has done is to re store amicable relations between the Jews and the British Government. For that achievement Weizmann deserves unstinted credit. He succeeded in clearing up the bitterness of relation ship. It restores us to the status quo ante and makes it possible to deal with friendliness and good-will with people with whom we must have daily contacts. The continuation of the state of suspicion and hostility was only undermining our own best in terests. “As Zionists we can say that we are satisfied with the tone of the document and are content to use it as a basis for further discussion, for the formulation of the actual details of cooperation. Nothing more is in volved.” Yet Fishman, who believes that Weizmann has scored a great political victory in obtaining the MacDonald Letter to mark the progress of the first part of the negotiations, is just as unequivocal in expressing his opin ion that Weizmann should step down from his leadership. The blunt ed itor, who is a friend of Weizmann’s, churns with wrath when brought to the subject of hostility to Weizmann from certain quarters. “The question of Weizmann’s con tinuation in leadership is but a sym bol of the age-old struggle between moderation in Jewish politics as against extremism. Until the Twen tieth Century, shtadlonuth was the only instrument for the bolstering of the Jewish position. A resume of the past doesn’t indicate that that method of approach was so bad. But in recent years, particularly as the result of the grant of a charter, so to speak, for the Jewish National Home, some Zionists have begun to feel that shtadlonuth should be en tirely abolished. The demand is partly right, partly wrong. But it is clear to every unprejudiced ob server that nothing has occurred to our national status yet that would enable us to follow the aggressive, militant tactics of an Italy. The twelve years that Ilerzl led the move ment were a continuous adventure in shtadlonullt. The situation which con fronted him still obtains in many re spects. Our relations are only with a disembodied symbol—the League of Nations. We must maintain contacts with a great many of the fifty-two nations comprising the league, includ ing Great Britain. And what if we should break off relations with these (Continued on Page 13) They Exchanged Letters DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN President of Jewish Agency J. RAMSAY MacDONALD Premier of Great Britain Victory or Defeat? American and European Jewry are still speculating on the effect which the latest statement of the British Government on its Palestine policy will have on the future of Palestine and Zionism. Jewish Agency leaders in this country are satisfied that the MacDonald letter and the Weizmann answer provide the basis for a renewal of extensive Jewish economic activities in Palestine. I he Zionist- Revisionists and individual members of the American Zionist Organization insist that the ill effects of the Passfield White Paper have not been removed by this exchange of letters which closes the first part of the negotiations between Jewish and British spokesmen. Will the MacDonald letter be recorded in the annals of Zionism as a defeat or a victory for Weizmann? The future will tell.