17 окт 1917 г. - LETTER: Louis Brandies to Jacob deHaas October 17, 1917, Washington, D.C. ·Cable to British War Mission: President approved, public declaration inadvisable. ·Further Action on Weizmann's Cable: (a) Don't change Weizmann's phraseology. (b) P.C. should endorse; unclear about non-Zionists. ·Meeting Coordination: Coordinate with Mack immediately. Elisha Friedman got letters from Frankfurter. ·Fix P.C. Meeting: Hold meeting without involving me. ·Elkus' Assistance: Elkus desires to help privately.

Описание:

To Jacob deHaas
October 17, 1917, Washington, D.C.

DEH:

1. I have sent to the British War Mission (Arthur Willert, 2339 Massachusetts Ave.) a cable for Weizmann as follows:
"Your cable tenth received. The President has sent London a message of approval but believes public declaration by him would be injudicious. Will answer later on the other matter in your cable."²

2. As to what should be done about further action on Weizmann's cable, I am in considerable doubt.

(a) My disposition would be not to attempt to change the phraseology. Weizmann is probably doing the best he can, and the difference does not seem to me very important. But Wise, Levin, Lewin-Epstein, and you will be better able to judge after full consideration than I should be.³

(b) As to giving endorsement: of course, our P.C. can vote vehemently in approval. As to getting non-Zionists of distinction, I am not clear. Mack returned to New York last night and will be dividing his time largely between New York and Washington. It would be well for Dr. Wise and you to get in touch with him at once, especially in view of a talk Schiff had with him on Sunday, of which he will tell you.

Elisha Friedman had further letters from Frankfurter. I will ask Frankfurter to see you and Dr. Wise when he is next in New York.

3. Fix your P.C. meeting without reference to me. I see no chance of getting to New York in the near future and must, so far as possible, refrain from Zionist interruptions, which have been serious since Court began. Besides Peyser and Strasburger,⁴ Mack, Sam Rosensohn (who is now here temporarily), and Elisha Friedman (now in Washington) can help here. I must not be called on unless it becomes absolutely necessary.
The enclosed indicates Elkus' further desire to work with us. Use should be found for his services without his public declaration for Zionism.⁶

I have Dr. Wise's response regarding Congress: very satisfactory.⁶

Sub note:
1. Sir Arthur Willert (b. 1882), a journalist, editor, and foreign correspondent, was serving as secretary to the British War Mission in Washington, D.C.
2. When Wise and deHaas went to see Colonel House about the Weizmann cable (see LDB to Wise, 14 October 1917) on the afternoon of 16 October, House glanced at the document, explained that he had seen it already, and said that President Wilson had asked him to cable approval, which he had done. The message which came to Sir Eric Drummond on 16 October read: "Colonel House put formula before President who approves of it but asks that no mention of his approval shall be made when His Majesty's Government makes formula public, as he has arranged that American Jews shall then ask him for his approval which he will give publicly here" (see Stein, Balfour Declaration, ch. 35).
3. The Americans made two suggestions in the wording. LDB suggested that "Jewish people" be substituted for "Jewish race." And Wise, Levin, and Lewin-Epstein, in New York, also indicated a desired change. They wrote to LDB: "The third sentence could well be amended. It reads: 'Or the rights and political status enjoyed in any other country by such Jews who are fully contented with their existing nationality and citizenship'. We would favor the following: 'Or the rights and civil political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.' While we appreciate the reason that guides the formulation, we think that the issue is met by our form, whereas the form suggested from England places Zionism on a principle of discontent, which is most undesirable." Both changes were finally incorporated into the version announced by the British on 2 November. For the history of the various wordings of the Balfour Declaration, see the parallel columns in Stein, Balfour Declaration, 664
4. Probably Milton Strasburger (18761955), a Washington lawyer, a judge of the Municipal Court, and a Zionist.
5. See LDB to Stephen S. Wise, 6 October 1917.
6. Wise had reported on the successful effort to persuade the executive committee of the American Jewish Congress to vote for a postponement. See LDB to deHaas, 29 September 1917, n. 2.

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