year and a half there is in existence the Joint Distribution Committee, on which there are delegates from the existing national relief organizations and this Joint Distribution Committee distributes all the relief money that is collectea in the United States. This J. D. C. has been giving money for Palestine. Whether it has been giving adequately or not is another question; but the fact is that at the present time they are making allowances of $30,000 per month for relief in Palestine. The situation is that some time ago a fight was taken up against the Zionist Organization because they had made demands for ıo per cent. portion of all money that was collected, and I think the Zionist Organization was very much hurt by the step it took at that time. That was abandoned, and later the Zionist Organization made a request to the Joint Distribution Committee for more funds, and more funds were granted. I will admit, knowing the facts, that the J. D. C. has not been particularly liberal in its distributions for Palestine, and that it has been a difhicult matter to get proper appropriations for Palestine; but at no time has the Federation of American Zionists or the Provisional Committee taken a definite stand with respect to the amount necessary for Palestine.. They have never come officially, to my knowledge, to the ]J. D. C. and said, this is how much we need, and you have to give it to us. Here we come, at the last day of the Convention, with a great deal of business to discuss, with a serious matter before us. I do not think that is a fair proposition. I am such a good Zionist, that if the Provisional Committee or the Federation would say, we have decided that Zionists must engage only in the collection of funds to support Palestine, and they must give their entire energy to Palestine, I would withdraw from other relief work. Until we have taken a secure position with the J. D. C. and said to them, we need, say, $50,000 a month, or $100,000, it is not fair to lay down an edict to the Zionists of America that they should take a part of the money and send it to Palestine. It is not fair for you to decide this question until you know the facts. I suggest that before we decide this question we should have a conference of the best minds in the Zionist Movement with respect to this question; and I say rather than hurry it here on the floor, I suggest that the Executive Committee be instructed to take steps to call a joint meeting of the Executive Committee and the Provisional Committee for the purpose of going through this matter, and whatever they decide jointly, and after considering the facts, Iam sure the Zionists of America will obey any order that is given.
oI America Wwlll OVEY ally VIULE Wien IM BET“ Mr. Lewin-Epstein: I would like to relieve the mind of Mr. Rothenberg, and to relieve the minds of those delegates who do not know what was done up to now. Mr. Rothenberg was made a member of the Joint Distribution Committee last October. I was a member of the J. D. C. since December, 1914, when it was organized. We had difhculties with the J. D. C. to get the first amounts of money for Palestine. They did not want to be unfair to us; I do not charge them with that. They did not know conditions in Palestine, and whenever money was necessary for Palestine, we had always to explain at length why is it and what is it for, etc. At last we got the ]J. D. C. to send $15,000 for relief in Palestine; but they insisted that when the Zionists send money to Palestine they should be notified, and they would deduct it from the $15,000. We also claimed that $15,000 was not sufficient to cover the needs. What we are supplementing as Zionists is not sufficient either. We were successful at last, through Zionist members of the J. D. C., in persuading them to give at least $30,000. When Ambassador Morgenthau came to the ]. D. C. asking them to forward that amount, he was asked by the J. D. C. to cable to Palestine and find out from the consuls what is the real need of Palestine for relief only, and he came with the information that $54,000 were needed. He said $50,000, but the cable has wired francs, which amount to $54,000. But the J. D. C. could not give more than $30,000. What they are giving to other countries, the $30,000 is more than in proportion; but they understand very well that the $30,000 does not cover the needs of Palestine, and they agreed that whatever the Zionists send for constructive relief in Palestine is only supplementing their work. We had many conferences between the Provisional Committee, Federation of American Zionists and I. D. C.. and they agreed that we collect separate money