A merica Yewish Periodical eater
1 940
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle
p urely Commentary
An Outrageous and Un-American Act
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August 9, 1940
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One of the most outrageous demonstrations of
anti-Semitism was evidenced in the Congressional
Record of Aug. 1.
Congressman Jacob Thorkelson, who was re-
pudiated two weeks ago by his constituents who
refused to renominate him on the Republican
ticket, inserted three articles in this issue, under
to extend his remarks, for a total
the privilege
of 17 columns. Two of the articles are distortions
of facts relative to the position of the Jews of
America, the Thorkelson aspersions being based on
an insignificant effort on the part of Otmar Hef-
ter of the Nai Juda organization to encourage
colonization of Jews in Alaska and to train Jews
for defense. But the third article is not only out•
rageous and un-American but represents a most
dastardly attempt to introduce in the Congres-
sional Record race hatred of the lowest sort.
This third article is the reproduction of a
' peed' delivered in the House of Assembly of
South Africa on Feb. 24, 1939, by Mr. Louw,
who unleashed a vicious attack upon the Jews in
ourse of his discussion of the immigration
the c
bill that was pending before the Assembly at
that time. Mr. Louw was answered by responsible
leaders in South Africa, and the press of the
country repudiated him. But the speech—like the
venomous addresses (or "extension of remarks")
of Rep. Thorkelson, remained as part of the rec-
ord and is being utilized by the anti-Semites
throughout the world for their destructive pur-
poses of maligning the Jews and making them
the s capegoats and targets in all tragedies.
The speech by Eric H. Louw was first reprinted
in this country a few weeks ago by a notorious
a nti-Semite, N. W. Rogers of Tompkins Corners,
N. Y., and is being widely distributed in a 32-
page pamphlet. But Dr. Thorkelson has gotten
Uncle Sam to be his financier and the address
has been published at the expense of the citizens
of the United States who have now become the
distributors of anti-Smitic propaganda under a
ruse for which the repudiated gentleman from
Montana is responsible. It is difficult to believe
that American money will be used to print and
distribute anti-Semitic propaganda; but it is a
fact, and it is proved in the 12-column article
printed in five-point type containing the vicious
address by Louw under the imprint of Rep. Jacob
Thorkelson, M. D., who still represents Montana
in the House of Representatives, but whom his
constituents have chosen to keep at home during
the next two years.
Can such anti-Semitism, which stands in danger
of becoming "official Jew-baiting" because it is
printed by our government, be checked? We place
the blame for its dissemination at the doorsteps
of our national organizations. Two weeks ago
this Commentator had a copy of the reprint of
the Louw address' as released by anti-Semite Rog-
ers of Tompkins Corners, N. Y. Surely, our na-
tional organizations must also have had it. Why
didn't they see fit to notify members of Congress
of this outrage so that they could be on guard
against it when some one of the ilk of Thorkel-
son or Rogers or their like might ask for the
"privilege" to reprint such trash at government
expense? Now, this "privilege" has been abused—
and because of it two things are evident: 1. Our
Government unwittingly becomes a party to anti-
Semitism; 2. an effort to check such abuse of
privilege may lead to some form of censorship—
even if it begins with censoring libels and the
spread of venomous hatred—which must affect
the right of freedom of assembly, speech and the
press.
This is how the Thorkelsons undermine democ-
racy. That is the method of the Nazis—of divid-
ing the population on an issue of racial and reli-
gious freedom and then striking at the root of
decency and freedom by creating a house divided
against itself and, what is worse, a house con-
fused on issues involving truth and true Ameri-
canism as opposed to the lying propaganda of
Nazis and vicious tools of fascim and reaction.
Some one had better wake up to the existing
problems and to the gravity of the present situa-
tion befor e it is too late. And our national or-
ganizations had better stop fiddling while fires
of hatred are beginning to approach our homes.
Forthright presentation of facts to the people in
key positions may check the conflagration. But
slumber may catch us in a deadly trap.
•
Some Fan Mail—On Lawn Question
This Commentator acknowledges some bouquets
—and brickbats—on the issue we started relative
to taking pride in our homes and taking good care
of our lawns. Here are a few excerpts:
"Dear P. S.: My neighbor must have thought
you meant him when you wrote about keeping the
lawns in good condition. The day after your
article in Purely Commentary he actually cut his
lawn and watered his grass. Thanks for a good
deed.—S.
"Dear Purely Commentary: Why limit yourself
to the lawn? Why not encourage Jews to plant
their own gardens? Anyway, you are on the right
track.—J. L."
"Dear Sir: Since you are so anxious to see
Jews take good care of their lawns, why don't
you get a good taste of landscaping and come
over to our lawn and see what a job it is to pull
we(ds?—P. W. and D. W."
The first quotation made us feel good; the
second one was a belated challenge since we have
been eating onions and carrots of our own plant-
ing: but the third calls for a bet: we'll wager our
correspondents that we have twice as many feet
of lawn to watch then they have and that our
weeds are three times as tough as theirs. How
about this little bet on weed-pulling, P. W. and
D. W.? Your Commentator is so sure of winning
that he'll stake a weed-pulling contest for the
balance of the summer.
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Order your Quilts NOW at Summer Prices
For Fall Delivery
Bradner's Voice Is Stilled
The death of C. C. Bradner, Detroit's most
popular news commentator, brings up recollections
of our early collaboration with him. This Com-
mentator frequently contributed to C. C. B.'s
"Afterthoughts" column in the Detroit News 22
years ago, when we took on our first metropoli
tan newspaper job. Then, as always thereafter,
Brad was a square shooter, fair-minded, had no
prejudices, fought for fair play. He proved his
passion for good American sportsmanship on many
occasions. His death is a loss for Detroit. It espe-
cially saddens this Commentator who held him in
high esteem.
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•
The Agunah—One of Tragedies of War
Tragedy stalks everywhere in time of war. The
devastation of property is insignificant, however,
compared with the untold human miseries that
accompany conflicts between nations.
One of the worst elements affecting Jewish
women in previous wars has been the creation of
a large group of Agunoth—women whose hus-
bands cannot be located and who can not re-
marry because they are unable to establish their
widowhood. Attention to the tragedy of the agunah
is attracted by a "Notice to Married Men Joining
Military Service" which appeared in the Zionist
Record of Johannesburg, South Africa. This no-
tice reads:
NOTICE TO MARRIED MEN JOINING
MILITARY FORCES
The Jewish Ecclesiastical Court (Beth Din)
wishes to draw the attention of all men in
Military Service to the fact that it is their
duty to secure their wives against the pos-
sibility of remaining "agunoth".
This can be attained by a simple procedure.
All that is required of the men is to appear
alone before the Ecclesiastical Court, and to
sign a Declaration which will enable the
Ecclesiastical Court later to grant a divorce
to the wives of the men who do not return,
or from whom no information is received for
the period of one year as from the date of
the termination of the war.
The Jewish Ecclesiastical Court has pre -
pared such forms of Declaration, and all
men who are interested are advised to call
at the offices of the Jewish Ecclesiastical
Court, Hebrew High School (opposite the
Wolmarans Street Synagogue), daily from
12 noon till 1 p. m., in order to sign the
necessary documents.
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Transportation furnished for children who live at •
distance from the school.
For information call TOwnsend 6.1698
Will Their Standard of
Living Endure?
All too often, the unexpected death of the
breadwinner means that the standard of living
to which he has accustomed his family and
dependents will have to be radically revised.
Most families under the circumstances would
have to come down too suddenly to a lower
standard of living. To guard against this dan-
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practical readjustment income plan. Let me give
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Telephone — Randolph 0446
Congressman John D. Dingell
A Good Hitler Story
From "Hamabit" in the South African Zionist
Record we take the following good story:
Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin were discussing
their conquest of the world. Said Stalin: "Af-
ter we conquer the world we'll make Mos-
cow the capital of the world." "Oh, no," said
Mussolini. "Rome is the right choice for our
capital. Why, the Lord Himself called Rome
the Holy City." Hitler wheeled about. "When
did I say that?" he demanded.
But Mussolini and Stalin are not a bit bashful
themselves when it comes to messianic aspirations .
HARRY DERMER, Prop.
KADIMAH HEBREW SCHOOLS
Picture the despair of men going through the
procedure of signing such documents!
And yet, today people who are by nature
pacifists and who have been abused for their
views by militarists are now compelled to favor
a fight to a finish with the one man and the
one party in a single nation responsible for
plunging an entire world in a mad rush for self-
defense and military preparedness. And in the
course of fighting such a war it becomes neces-
sary to accept the inevitable and to think of the
most gruesome after effects for the sake of pro-
tecting homes and families. European Jewish
communities are thinking ahead when they plan
to protect the status of women who are in dan-
ger of becoming agunoth.
•
Among the candidates to be remembered in the
forthcoming Primaries is our good friend Con-
gressman John D. Dingell.
Rep. Dingell is a true liberal, a friend of the
underdog, an earnest Democrat. He calls a spade
a spade, goes to bat for friends, makes no dis-
tinction between religious or racial groups and
can be depended upon to do the right thing in
Congress. We have no doubt that the Democrats
in his district will know how to evaluate his serv-
ices by retaining him as their candidate in the
November elections, and that his district will
honor him sufficiently by returning him to Con-
gress by an overwhelming majority.
We deem it an obligation to give Mr. Dingell
credit for his services at this time, when he must
remain in Washington in view of the interna-
tional crisis, and thus to call the attention of
voters to the fact that he will not be in position
to campaign for his own re-election. His constitu-
ents will have to do the campaigning for him.
Incidentally, Dr. George Hermann Derry, one
of the candidates for the Republican nomination
in Dingell's 15th Congressional District, belongs
to that group of "financial wizards" who are pre-
pared to make Jews the goats for everything that
happens in this world. Some of the things he said
(luring the past few years, and a controversy in
which he was involved, would justify his being
branded an anti-Semite.
Another man who would be a menace to liberal-
ism is Louis B. Ward, candidate for the U. S.
Senate on the Democratic ticket. Ward was until
recently the director of Social Justice. He was
the authorized biographer of Father Coughlin.
There are precedents for men like Derry and
Ward. One of them was established a few days
ago in Montana, where former Congreswoman
Jeanette Rankin defeated the anti-Semite Jacob
Thorkelson for the Republican nomination to
Congress. Americans, when they learn of bigotry,
are quick to reject it. It is inconceivable that
Michigan voters may act differently.
•
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