ference without giving any notice or warning to the American Jewish Committee.
After the American Jewish Committee at its annual meeting of November 14th, had accepted the principle of a Jewish Congress and while we were negotiating with that body as to matters relating to the convening of a Congress, leading members of the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Committee continued to make public statements and wrote letters stating their unchanged and unequivocal opposition to the Congress at any time and under any circumstances.
At the meeting of May 14th, the American Jewish Committee decided to convene a conference of its own with the co-operation of the National Workmen’s Committee and several other bodies. We received an invitation to attend this conference, but under the decision of the Philadelphia Conference, we naturally could not enter a conference which was to consider again the questions upon which we had already adopted a definite program and by which program we were bound. We decided, however, to send a Committee to present our views to this Conference. Our Committee consists of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, Judge Hugo Pam and Mr. Leon Sanders and they will duly apear at the conference which has been called for July ı6th.
The chairman introduced Mr. Rubin, secretary of the National Fund Bureau for America, who rendered his report on behalf of the Jewish National Fund.
Mr. Rubin: As it was to be expected, the every-day work for the National Fund has slackened down considerably during the past year. The Emergency Fund, the War Relief Fund and the intense propaganda and organization activties have taxed the energy of our workers and the means of our sympathizers to a hitherto unknown extent. That we can after all report an increase in the income of our Burcau is due solelv to Flower Day and Flag Day.
The income for the year ending May 31st, 1916, was $55,-321.41.
Thus the increase in income over that of the preceding year, in actual cash received, is $5,321.26. If we add to this, the Flower Day funds outstanding at the closing of our books and deduct the Flower Day balance of 1914-15, $ı,- 580.55, we find the increase in funds collected in 1915-16 over the collections of 1914-15, when similarly adjusted, to be over $9,000.
The Flower and Flag Day collections show the largest increase—$8,884.82. It is interesting to note the rapid growth of these collections, which indicates the growing popularity of these two days with the N. F. workers as well as with the public:
The printed propaganda matter distributed by our Bureau during the year in leaflets and folders, reached a total of over 338,000, most of which were used in connection with Flag Day, Flower Day, Tisha b’Ab, Herzl Memorial Day and N. F. Boxes. In addition, over 7,600 circular letters were sent out by the Burcau to Zionist and fraternal organizations, congregations and individuals on various phases of National Fund activity.
Our Bureau is now engaged in publishing, for the Head Office of the National Fund, a series of books and brochures on the aims and activities of the National Fund. The first brochure on the Herzl Grove has just appeared in Yiddish. An English edition of the same is coming out in London. This will soon be followed by a comprehensive work on the Jewish National Fund by Adolf Boehm, in English and Yiddish, and by other brochures. We expect all our workers to assist energetically in the spreading of our literature. At the same time our Bureau has defrayed the cost of printing the Brandeis prize essay on “The Work and Problems of the Jewish National Fund,” just published by the Federation of American Zionists.
Our thanks go, in conclusion, to our numerous workers and volunteers and the numberless donors. They should feel proud, one and all, of having attained for the Jewish National Fund in America a new record in this year of great burdens. We must, however, couple our thanks with a word of warning. The great work of relief will have to continue for a long time after the war will be over. If we continue to depend on Flower and Flag Days alone, neglecting all other established sources of income until the war relief col- ections are out of the way, we will thereby gradually :strange a large number of sympathizers from the National Fund and thus undo to a great extent the work of years ınd years of propaganda. In a movement like ours the per- ;onal touch with the donors, the spark of love for and faith n our ideal that we enkindle in them, in short, the mis- iionary work, counts for much. This we can achieve best »y continually pursuing those means of N. F. collections vhich necessarily require personal man-to-man propaganda. No matter what the effort may cost us, we have to strive o uphold and even advance the income of the National und from its old sources .rerardless of all obstacles.
The Chairman: During the past year the National Fund Bureau has had the co-operation and valuable services of Dr. B. Epstein who was sent here by the Central office in Cologne in the interest of propaganda for the National Fund.
Dr. Epstein (in Yiddish): On behalf of the National Fund he extended greetings to the 19th Convention and gave an account of the work of the National Fund.
“Before this convention,” he said in part “I have visited ‚bout three-quarters of the United States and I have noticed vith what energy and enthusiasm the Zionists have iven the time which belonged to their business to ionism. It is said that the Zionists do nothing or relief, but I have constantly watched them and have ound that they are doing all the relief work. In spite of his, they have found time to give to Zionism and they have aised $10,000 for the cause.” Dr. Epstein laid stress especi- lly on the good work of Zionists in the belligerent lands. \ustria especially had done much for the cause. He urged hat everybody give to the Emergency Fund to maintain rork in Palestine and to the Natiofial-Fundftorbuy land there.