(Special to the Courier from a staff correspondent) Pittsburgh, June 26: The convention of the Zionist Organization of America finally came to an agreement today with regard to the much-debated District Plan. Chairman Koven of the constitution committee brought in a new report. The difference between the new report and yesterday's report is that in the former, the right of the existing societies to be directly represented at the conventions is taken away.

As was true before, the members of the Zionist Organization of America will be able to organize for special and important work, various types of organizations--social, economic, religious, educational, professional, insurance, and community organizations. And when they receive a charter from the Zionist Organization of America, they will be considered as registered societies of the district in which they are located. Today's report approves the continuation of the existing societies.

2

Individual members of the Zionist Organization will be grouped according to districts; each district will have an organization which will be subordinated to the national administration.

All municipalities where the registered membership is not less than fifty, and not more than two thousand, will be considered as separate districts. When any of the districts will have more than two thousand members, it will be divided into several districts, with the consent of its members. The consent of the national organization, however, will be necessary.

In municipalities where the Jewish population is too small to organize a district of fifty or more registered members, the members will be considered as members-at-large; they will have the right to organize a society, with the consent of the national office, and they will have the right to send a delegate to the convention.

3

Delegates to the annual conventions will be elected on the basis of one delegate for every one hundred registered members in the district. Every district, even the small ones with less than one hundred members, will be entitled to at least one delegate.

Delegates to the convention of the Zionist Organization will hold that office until new delegates are elected for the following annual convention. This provision makes it possible to call a special convention without holding new elections.

Morris Ruttenberg, who disagreed yesterday with the report of the constitution committee, added the following points to today's report: 1) Every society that was mentioned above, should have a representative in the executive committee of the district organization; 2) [this section of the original is torn out]; 3) every candidate for election as delegate to the annual convention must be a member in good standing for the full year preceding the election.

4

Mr. Jacob Ish Kashur presented the following minority report: "The members of the Zionist Organization of America may organize [and join] social, religious, and other societies for the purpose of special work. These societies should be chartered by the central office, and should be considered as registered societies in the districts in which they are located. And those societies which are now in existence and which are chartered by the present administration, should continue in their respective districts and should have the right to choose their own delegates as they have done heretofore." The purpose of this particular report was to save the autonomy of all Zionist societies.

In the discussion that followed, many members participated. When it was taken to a vote, the majority report was passed by a vote of 296 to 59. The minority leaders then moved that the majority report be accepted unanimously, and the motion was carried.

The dark cloud which has been hanging over the convention since its opening, 5finally disappeared. All the delegates promised to help put the District Plan into effect. The session was concluded with the singing of "Hatikvah" [The Hope--Jewish national anthem].

Pam, Chairman of Resolutions Committee

At the session yesterday afternoon, Judge Hugo Pam, of Chicago, chairman of the resolutions committee, introduced a series of resolutions: The first was to create a Palestine homestead fund, with which to help poor families to settle in Palestine. Every share should cost....[this part is torn off]. The second was that in the home of every Zionist, there should be a [Jewish] National Fund box. The third was to combine all existing Zionist funds into one general fund. This last resolution aroused a great deal of dissatisfaction among the delegates, and it was sent to the executive committee [for reconsideration]. The first resolution was proposed through the recommendation of Captain Alahala of the Serbian Embassy in America, who is an ardent Zionist and is attending the convention. The fourth resolution was to aid the Histadruth Ivrith [The Hebrew 6Culture Organization], of which Reuben Brainin is president. This resolution was unanimously accepted. The fifth resolution was to send greetings to the Jewish Legionnaires. This one was also unanimously accepted. Reuben Brainin and Idmar Ben Abi took this opportunity, at the request of the delegates, to speak on the significance of the Jewish Legion.

Second Session of Provisional Committee

Last night, the second session of the Zionist Provisional Committee was held. Many attended. The chairman was Dr. Stephen Wise. Bernard Rosenblatt's proposal dealing with cultural Zionism was accepted with great enthusiasm.

Speeches were delivered by Mrs. Joseph Felz, Rabbi Meyer Berlin, Dr. M. Schenkin, Dr. N. Sirkin, Professor David Blonheim, Dr. Israel Friedlander, Dr. Shmarya Levin, and others. Nearly all of them spoke about the university which is to be built in Palestine. Mr. DeHaas announced that the Provisional Committee has already received the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars toward the 7university fund. He also read the following cablegram from Mr. E. V. Levi-Epstein, who is now in London:

"In this time of war, it is impossible to increase the number of shares of the Anglo-Palestine Company, for certain technical reasons. The Jewish Colonial Trust obtained the permission of the English Government to issue one hundred thousand one-pound shares two and a half months from now. The stipulation is that only thirty thousand of these shares shall be sold in England, and that a like sum shall be held in reserve in London until after the war. The balance of the shares is to be sold in the Allied and neutral countries. The income from the sale of shares should be immediately given over to the Anglo-Palestine Company for work in Palestine.

"Since the Jews in Russia cannot, at the present time, buy shares, the American Jews will now have the opportunity to do their duty, as they have wished to do for a long time." [The rest is torn out.]

8

Jewish Liberty Bonds

Immediately after the cablegram was read, Dr. Stephen Wise began to sell shares, which he called the Jewish Liberty bonds. Mrs. Felz, the widow of the renowned millionaire and single-tax advocate, was the first to buy 2,500 shares. A secret donor (who was thought to be none other than Justice Brandeis) bought a similar number of shares. Saul Rosenbaum bought 2,000 shares. Then Mr. DeHaas announced that Mr. Peter Schweitzer, of New York, had purchased 18,000 shares. This announcement aroused tremendous enthusiasm among the delegates. Mr. Schweitzer is an elderly gentleman. Those present saw him approach DeHaas to ask him to announce the amount [that Mr. Schweitzer had pledged to buy]. When the latter returned to his seat, his wife embraced him and kissed him for his generosity. The 18,000 shares amount to $90,000. The sum total of shares sold was 35,000, which amounts to $200,000.

9

A Huge Crowd at the Mass Meeting

The mass meeting at the Syrian Mosque tonight was a tremendous success. Over four thousand people were present, and the enthusiasm was beyond description. The speakers were Captain Alahala, of the Serbian Embassy, who spoke in English, Bishop Whither, of Pittsburg, Nathan Strauss, Jacob De Haas, Mayor Broman White, Dr. F. Emmett of the British Embassy, Revered Maslansky, Dr. Shmarya Levin, and Dr. Ben Zion Mosenson.