867N.01/1096
Memorandum of the Press Conference, June 17, 1938
At the press conference this afternoon, a correspondent said that a delegation of the Pro-Palestine Federation of America who came to see the Secretary this morning had stated that he had given them hearty endorsement of their program for removing the restrictions on the immigration of Jews into Palestine. Asked whether he could confirm this, the Secretary replied that he had not read the material which the delegation had left with him. He said that these people had come in as had several other delegations on one phase or another of foreign affairs and without knowing exactly what the delegation [Page 929] had told the correspondents he could not undertake to make any comment. He said that of course the correspondents were familiar with the habit of delegations, not unnaturally, to give out releases when they came to the Department on official business. Asked whether he had given hearty endorsement of their program, the Secretary repeated that he had not read their statement but added that the Government tries to give every attention to every phase of our foreign affairs, including this one.