you that I am in sympathy with legislation now pending in Congress for that purpose, and shall do what I can toward its favorable passage. HON. EUGENE WORLEY, REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS As Woodrow Wilson said, "Our support of this movement twenty-five years ago was an act of faith and of elementary justice." While the present tragedies of war have prevented full culmination of this movement, it is one which is entitled to and should receive the most careful and helpful attention of the responsible officials at the earliest practicable time. HON. ORVILLE ZIMMERMAN, REPRESENTATIVE FROM MISSOURI The restoration of Palestine to the Jewish people as a National Home is an accomplishment devoutly to be wished for by all right-thinking people. I sincerely hope to see Palestine reconstructed into a free, democratic Jewish Commonwealth as soon as the exigencies of this war will permit, and you may be assured of my earnest cooperation in this effort. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES The attitude of the American Government in favor of the Zionist cause has been demonstrated by the statements of our Chief Executives. Every President since 1918 has expressed his approval of the Jewish National Homeland in Palestine. PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON October 29, 1918: "I have watched with deep and sincere interest the reconstructive work which the Weizmann Commission has done in Palestine at the instance of the British Government, and I welcome an opportunity to express the satisfaction I have felt in the progress of the Zionist Movement in the United States and in the Allied countries since the declaration of Mr. Balfour on behalf of the British Government of Great Britain's approval of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and his promise that the British Government would use its best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of that object, with the understanding that nothing would be done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of non-Jewish people in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by the Jews in other countries. "I think that all America will be deeply moved by the report that even in this time of stress the Weizmann Commission has been able to lay the foundations of the Hebrew University at Jerusalem with the promise that bears of spiritual rebirth." PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING June 1, 1921: "It is impossible for one who has studied at all the services of the Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to their historic national home and there enter on a new and yet greater phase of their contribution to the advance of humanity." May 11, 1922: "I am very glad to express my approval and hearty sympathy for the effort of the Palestine Foundation Fund in behalf of the restoration of Palestine as a homeland for the Jewish people. I have always viewed with an interest, which I think is quite as much practical as sentimental, the proposal for the rehabilitation of Palestine, and I hope the effort now being carried on in this and other countries in this behalf may meet with the fullest measure of success." PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE June 13, 1924: "I have so many times reiterated my interest in this great movement that anything which I might add would be a repetition of former statements, but I am nevertheless glad to have this opportunity to express again my sympathy with the deep and intense longing which finds such fine expression in the Jewish National Homeland in Palestine." PRESIDENT HERBERT HOOVER September 21, 1928: "I have watched with genuine admiration the steady and unmistakable progress made in the rehabilitation of Palestine which, desolate for centuries, is now renewing its youth and vitality through the enthusiasm, hard work, and self-sacrifice of the Jewish pioneers who toil there in a spirit of peace and social justice. It is very gratifying to note that many American Jews, Zionists as well as non-Zionists, have rendered such splendid service to this cause which merits the sympathy and moral encouragement of everyone." PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 22 July 2, 1938: "It gives me great pleasure to reiterate all the friendly sentiments which I have expressed to the Zionist Organization of America. I have watched the rehabilitation of the Jewish homeland with deep interest through many years and trust that the forthcoming convention of your organization will be fruitful of wise counsels and constructive action towards the realization of a noble ideal." October 28, 1932: "As you know, I have on prior occasions expressed my fullest sympathy with the purpose of the Balfour Declaration. Out of the World War came a matter of great spiritual significance the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people, recognized as such by the public law of the world. In the realization of this aim, the United States played a leading role. I know how close it was to the wish of President Wilson. The formal terms of its expression during the war, the so-called Balfour Declaration, had his personal approval, and he did much to have it written into the peace treaty. The subsequent unanimous endorsement of the Balfour Declaration by both Houses of the United States Congress gave further proof of the deep interest of the American people in the purpose of the Declaration and in the fulfilment of the moral obligation which it involved. "Jewish achievement in Palestine since the Balfour Declaration vindicates the high hope which lay behind the sponsorship of the Homeland. The Jewish development in Palestine since the Balfour Declaration is not only a tribute to the creative powers of the Jewish people, but by bringing great advancement into the sacred land, has promoted the well-being of all the inhabitants thereof. "I shall personally watch with deep sympathy the progress of Palestine. I extend to your organization my sincerest wishes for continued success and achievement." March 9, 1944 (statement issued through Rabbis Abba Hillel Silver and Stephen S. Wise): "The President authorized us to say that the American Government has never given its approval to the White Paper of 1939. The President is happy the doors of Palestine are today open to Jewish refugees, and that when future decisions are reached, full justice will be done to those who seek a Jewish National Home, for which our Government and the American people have always had the deepest sympathy, and today more than ever, in view of the tragic plight of hundreds of thousands of homeless Jewish refugees." THE STATES Resolutions strongly endorsing the Jewish National Home in Palestine have been adopted by the Legislative bodies of nineteen States as follows: The population of these States constitutes more than sixty percent of the total population of Continental United States. 22 President Roosevelt's last statement on Palestine, published October 15, 1944, appears elsewhere in this publication. In addition to action by State Legislatures, statements strongly endorsing the Jewish National Home in Palestine have been issued by the following Governors: Governor Raymond E. Baldwin, of Connecticut Governor Prentice Cooper, of Tennessee Governor Thomas E. Dewey, of New York Governor Harry F. Kelly of Michigan. Governor J. Howard McGrath of Rhode Island. Governor Leverett Saltonstall of Massachusetts. To these may be added the names of the following Governors who have either expressed their sympathies for the Jewish National Movement or are members of the American Palestine Committee: Governor Homer M. Adkins of Arkansas. Governor John W, Bricker of Ohio. Governor Dwight H. Green of Illinois. Governor Bourke B. Hickenlooper of Iowa. Governor Sam Huston Jones of Louisiana. Governor Herbert M. Maw of Utah. Governor John Moses of North Dakota. Governor William H. Wellis of Vermont. THE MUNICIPALITIES Palestine Resolutions have been adopted by the Assemblies, Councils, and Boards of a great many Municipalities all over the United States. These included large cities and small towns. Their full number is difficult to ascertain. Among them are the following: INDEX Statements by- Page Allen, Hon. Leo E., Representative from Illinois. III, 70 Bridges, Hon. Styles, United States Senator from New Hampshire__ Brown, Hon. Clarence J., Representative from Ohio___. Brown, Hon. Paul, Representative from Georgia. Brumbaugh, Hon. D. Emmert, Representative from Pennsylvania. Bushfield, Hon. Harlan J., United States Senator from South Dakota__ I |