Committee on Periodicals.
Mr. Max Shulman, of Chicago, reported for the Committee on Periodicals:
1. That every society undertake to have its members subscribe to Dos Yiddishe Folk and The Maccabaean.
Julius Meyer, of Boston: In our city this method has been adopted so that each member of the Association receives a copy of The Maccabaean and the organization raises its dues accordingly. It should give each member either a Yiddishe Folk or Maccabaean so that we may know how many subscribers we have.
Mr. Marcus, of New York: We have adopted the above resolution last year and it brought no results. I would suggest that each organization raise the sums to cover subscriptions and distribute either periodical among its members.
Resolution one adopted.
Mr. Shulman: 2. Resolved that reports of the Federation or affiliated societies be printed in Yiddish and in English.
A motion was made, seconded and carried to accept the same.
Mr. Shulman: 3. Resolved, that our periodicals be asked to print biographic sketches of Zionist leaders.
Mr. Fromenson, of Philadelphia: I think that resolution a reflection on the editorial management of the publications. The publications have not been deficient in publishing sketches of leaders. There is no reason for instructing them to perform a duty they have already been performing.
Mr. Rabalsky, of Boston: I am against this resolution because we have our publications and they belong to the Zionist Movement in America. There is no need for us to instruct our periodicals. We know all about our leaders now.
Mr. Alpher, of Washington: I move that this resolution be referred to the respective editors. The motion was carried.
Mr. Shulman: 4. That Zionist matters dealing with statistics are accurate and to date. You might consider this as a criticism but we thought it advisable to introduce one general resolution calling attention to the fact that any statement issued by the Federation ought to be up to date and accurate.
The Chairman: I understand from the chairman of that committee that a member of the committee had criticisms to make against the Zionist Manual on the ground that facts relating to the Jewish colonies were based on information up to ıgıı and he wanted that information about the Jewish colonies be carried to date. That was obviously an unfair criticism as there was no information at hand since the war.
A motion was made, seconded and carried that this matter be tabled.
Mr. Shulman: 5. Resolved, that we have a board of three trustees to supervise the management and policy of Dos Yiddishe Folk.
Mr. Neuman, of New York: We do not want to make any arrangement in regard to Dos Yiddishe Folk unless we know how other periodicals are managed.
- The Chairman: Dos Yiddishe Folk has been without directors all last year. About seven or eight New York Zionists wished to become members of a committee. Of this committee two or three were interested in doing something for Dos Yiddishe Folk; one of them, Mr. Bogen, attended to the advertisements; Harry Kahn attended to the circulation, and Mr. Kesselman systematized the accounts of Dos Yiddishe Folk. In addition the chairman of the executive committee acted as supervisor of the committee in relation to other matters connected with Dos Yiddishe Folk. But there was no committee actually in charge. The Maccabaean is now conducted by the chairman, managing editor, editor and clerks. But there is no committee actually in charge. The Young Judacan has a very competent and efficient committce in charge of its affairs. The proposition now is that the executive committe be directed to elect three men or women to take charge of the work of the Yiddishe Folk.
Dr. Wolf, of St. Louis: I want a definition of the word policy.
The Chairman: Policy means here the manner of running the business and editorial affairs of the paper.
Dr. Wolf: We can decide only business matters in this connection. Exclude the word policy from this resolution.
Mr. Rosen, of Jersey City: The word policy is in place. The Federation has a policy. You must see that policy carried out. That is why the Federation is here.
The Chairman: This committee is to be elected by the' executive committee and to be responsible to the executive committee for whatever it does. Practically, we are merely asking the executive committee to select three persons to be entrusted with the business of Dos Yiddishe Folk.
Miss Kussy, of Newark, N. J.: I object to the amendment because I believe the word policy is the most important word in the whole resolution. I object to having any one man a director or stand for what seems to be the policy of the Zionist Movement. Since the Yiddishe Folk is one of the organs of the Zionist Movement, whatever it expresses, the Zionists have a right to regard as the policy of the Zionist Movement. Its policy is of great importance to the Zionist Movement and its pclicy is too important to be left to one person.
Mr. Barondess, of New York: I am in favor of adopting the resolution without the amendment, providing you will say that the chairman of the Federation be added to the committee in the capacity of an ex-oficio. No matter what you decide to-day the editor will always have in his hands the shaping of the policy of the paper and he will be responsible to the Zionist organization for the policy of the paper. But it is wise that in addition to the editor that this committee should act in an advisory capacity, having consultations with the editor, advising him what to do. The editor always has the right to accept or reject their advice. If the committee feels that the editor does not meet with their approval, they can appeal to the executive committee. It is necessary that some committee have charge of Dos Yiddishe Folk.
Motion: That a board of trustees, to be composed of three members to be selected by the Executive Committee of the Federation, together with the Chairman of the Executive Committee and the Editor of Dos Yiddishe Folk, shall supervise and control the policy, business management and editorial department of Dos Yiddish Folk. Carried.
Miss Sarah Kussy, of Newark: Is there any committee appointed to supervise or to read the editorials of The Maccabaean before they go into print? I would move that a committee of three be appointed by the executive committee to read and revise in a supervisory capacity the editorials before they go into print in The Maccabaean. Personally, I have felt during the last season: that some of the editorials in The Maccabaean were unduly aggressive, by which I mean to say that while I approve in substance of what was contained, I thought it would be a greater aid to our cause if that substance were expressed in language less aggressive and less filled with unpleasant references to individuals. I felt that we could express our views without expressing them in the language in which they were couched. I feel also that it is very unfair for the Organization, realizing this and having this feeling, to put the entire responsibility for the expression of our policy on one person, on the editor. This motion is not in any spirit unfriendly to the editor, and not in the slightest way showing lack of appreciation of his work and self-sacrificine devotion to the Cause.
Benjamin Levinson, of New Haven: I believe it would be first of all impractical to establish a supervisory board. In the second place, it would be impolitic. It is not the custom to use the journalistic system such as is used in Russia and other countries. I believe we have a board elected and place a certain amount of confidence in them, and it would be a sign of distrust and rebuke to establish a board of censorship for this board of editors.
The Chairman: The responsibility for the editorials of The Maccabaean is upon two men: one, the Chairman of the Executive Committee; and the other, the Editor of The Maccabaean. The Editor acts as censor of all the editorials but he is not directly responsible for them. The Chairman of the Executive Committee has been responsible for them for a number of months. There has been disagreement as to the manner of attacking the opponents of the Zionist Movement. But in every instance there has been no majority of opinion in the executive committee against the policy of The Maccabaean. The majority opinion could have secured a new editor and new editorial policy, and the entire matter could have been revised at any time by the Executive Committee.