1940

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

September 20, 1940

Purely Commentary

The Ford Statement on Willkie

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Henry Ford's laudatory statement endorsing
Wendell L. Willkie for President of the United
States was based primarily on the Republican
candidate's condemnation of race and class dis-
c rimination.
It is interesting in this connection to refer to
a series of advertisements placed in Sunday news-
papers by the Ford Motor Co. on April 7 and 14,
in w hich appears the following statement: "The
Ford Motor Co. employs men without regard to
race, creed or color." This declaration was re-
peated in a statement issued by Henry Ford and
Edsel Ford, and reprinted in a pamphlet under
the title "The Ford Way of Doing Business."
An investigation of the Ford Motor Co. person-
nel will show that this statement is correct. Hun-
dreds Of Jews are employed there, and many of
the suppliers of materials for Ford cars are Jews.
A recent attack on Henry Ford in a New York
daily newspaper erred in charging that anti-
Semitic signs are posted in all Ford plants, A
thorough check on the plants showed that this
would be impossible in plants which make no pro-
visions whatever for bulletin boards.
The charges against the Ford Motor Co. are
confused with justified complaints in other fields,
For instance, anti-Semitic groups continue to cir-
culate the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and to
quote Henry Ford, without indicating that the
Ford statements regarding the Protocols were
made in 1922 and were repudiated by the multi-
millionaire automobile manufacturer in 1927. Also,
the Anglo-Saxon Federation, once headed by W.
J. Cameron, is still one of the major offenders in
the distribution of the forged and discredited
Protocols. Father Charles E. Coughlin was among
those who committed the unpardonable act of
quoting Henry Ford and his statements on the
Protocols, without informing the readers of his
Social Justice that Mr. Ford had apologized for
these statements.
This is how confusion is created over the spread
of un-American and anti-Semitic propaganda. If
only those who have been charged with respon-
sibility would undertake to prosecute those who
quote them and who thereby justify the charges
that the conditions of 1920 to 1927 still exist in
Dearborn, Mich.!
•

Wendell L. Willkie and Leon Blum

In his speech of acceptance, and again in an
address in Chicago, the Republican Presidential
nominee, Wendell L. Willkie, compared the Nov
Deal government with the Chamberlain and Blum
governments.
There is a great difference of opinion with re-
gard to the wisdom of the Leon Blum adminis-
tration in sponsoring social legislation that is
comparable with the New Deal policies, and in
promoting preparedness. The leading foreign cor-
respondents appear to be vindicating the Blum re-
gime. On the other hand, Leon Blum has been
a target for the very groups whom Mr. Willkie
has repudiated—including. the Nazi-Fascist ele-
ments, the Bund and Father Charles E. Coughlin.
Having repeated his references to the Blum
government more than once, Mr. Willkie could
not have "misspoken", as he did in the instance
of his charges against President Roosevelt when
he said that the latter "telephoned Hitler and
Mussolini and urged them to sell Czechoslovakia
down the river at Munich." (Mr. Willkie's press
secretary, Lem Jones, later declared that Mr.
Willkie had "misspoken".)
What we plead for is against rash charges
which drag in unnecessary issues. M. Blum is
today one of the scapegoats as Vichy. Ile is pay-
ing a heavy price for having rejected a sell-out
to Hitler. To make him the goat today is not
too gracious an act.
•

Anti-Semites Hold a Meeting

An immense audience of 15 people turned out
at a meeting of the National Workers League,
whose anti-Semitic activities have been known for
some time. And the Detroit Free Press fell vic-
tim to the call of this group and had one of its
reporters write a story—a derogatory one, in
truth—which was dignified with a two-column
head.
This anti-Semitic group has been circulating
vicious circulars attacking the Jews, the present
National Administration, the President and others.
It has been charged that this society of anti-
Semites is being financed by a prominent indus-
trialist. But we have known of the limited in-
fluence of the group and have consistently ig-
nored it. The Free Press, however, apparently was
so anxious to ridicule the group that it dignified
it unnecessarily. To play up a meeting of 15
bigots under a two column head can hardly be
called good newspaper judgment.

•

Postcript to Thorkelsoniana

S

and the Legal Chronicle

Jewish National Fund Income

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

£39,900 In August

during the first eleven months
of current year 5700 now totals
552,000 pounds. This includes
309,000 pounds from the United
States and 114,000 pounds from
the British Empire. During the
similar period last year income
reached 503,000 pounds.

JERUSALEM (Palcor Agen-
cy) — Income of the Jewish Na-
tional Fund during the month of
August rose to 39,000 pounds, a
Many people are disturbed because the flash- three-year record. The income
ing of President Roosevelt's picture on screens in
theaters frequently evokes hissing and jeering.
The idea of showing disrespect to the President
of the United States repels us. We hate to think
that disagreement with the President must carry
with it vulgar display of temper.
But those who are so disturbed can take heart
in historic precedents. Our Chief Executives of
TAYLOR at WOODROW WILSON
the past have met with abuse. During the ad-
ministration of President Hoover millions of co-
announces that the sale of seats for the forthcoming
pies of a newspaper were circulated throughout
the land abusing him in the vilest terms, but the
U. S. Postal facilities were not closed to the dis-
tributors of that sheet.
There is an even more impressive bit of evi-
dence in a piece we borrow from a recent issue of
PM, the new New York daily newspaper, which
A committee will be present at the synagogue daily from 8 a. m.
calls attention to the following "Immortal Ameri-
can Words:"
to 8 p. m. Please come early so that you may secure the most
desirable seats. Prices are ranged within everyone's reach.
Baron von Humboldt, the great naturalist

The President Is Hissed—Because We
Retain Our Freedom in America

I-

CONG. BETH TEFILO EMANUEL

HIGH HOLY DAYS

and for all the year 5701 are now on sale

and traveler, was a frequent visitor of
Thomas Jefferson at the White House. One
day as he sat waiting for the third President,
Mrs. Samuel Smith writes in her "First 40
Years of Washington Society," he noticed
that one paper Jefferson read was filled with
the most virulent attacks against the Presi-
dent composed of offensive personal and po-
litical calumnies.

accompanied by a large and well-trained choir, will
conduct the Slichoth Services at Midnight, Sept. 28, and

"Why are these libels allowed?" asked. the
Baron taking up the paper. "Why is not this
libelous journal suppressed or its editor at
least fined and imprisoned?"

, omge.ernter
LI I
Rabbi wax
MaxJ. W

Mr. Jefferson smiled, saying: "Put that
paper in your pocket, Baron, and should you
hear the reality of our liberty, the freedom
of our press, questioned, show this paper and
tell where you found it."

The experiences of Thomas Jefferson now be-
come the experiences of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The fact that the abuse is permitted is merely a
symbol of the retention of our freedom. It is as
symbolic as the fact that anti-Semites and spokes-
men for subversive groups are permitted to run
for office; and it is typical of the American spirit
that the People know how to repudiate those
whom they suspect of plotting to destroy the very
freedom without which they would be unable to
disseminate their propaganda.
The spirit of America is stronger than the jeers
of the abusers of those they disagree with; else
there would be no jeering of those disliked, and
by the same token no cheering of those we ap-
prove of. As long as this condition remains,
there is no chance for the Hitler idea on this con-
tinent.
Remember this also when you read and hear
charges that there is a dictator in the White
House. Thank God, there is freedom' here. Else,
the very people—even the candidates for the
Presidency, would be prevented from saying some
of the things they say. Even when we disagree
with them, we are grateful that we live in a great
democracy under whose banner there is freedom
of thought and speech.

•

THE FAMOUS SYNAGOGUE SINGER

Cantor Hyman Schulsinger

will preach in English and Yiddish

Special Membership Drive: The payment of an annual
dues of $15 will admit you to membership in
Detroit's largest Orthodox Synagogue, and entitle
you to Holy Days seats free.

1 1

ilk

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courteous service, our modest prices. An assortment of

delicatessen and dairy dishes always on hand.

DERMER'S KOSHER RESTAURANT

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KADIMAH HEBREW SCHOOLS

ONE OF THE MOST MODERN IN THE STATE

NEW PUPILS NOW BEING ENROLLED
at 11812 Linwood Ave., corner Tuxedo, upstairs

SIMON RICHARDSON, Principal

The Mormons and Pioneering

"Brigham Young," the magnificent screen in-
terpretation of the rise of the Mormon commu-
nity in Utah and of the pioneering spirit of the
Mormons, could easily be transformed into a
Zionist film. There are the elements of persecu-
tion, of wanderings, of a desire to build, of a
pioneering ideal. The community idea promul-
gated by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young is the
same Biblical aspiration which motivated the
founding of the Jewish National Fund and the
retention of land in perpetuity as the possession
of the entire Jewish people. The determination to
defend life and property against attacks by hood-
lums also has its counterpart in the Palestine
Haganah, the Jewish self-defense corps.
Films like "Brigham Young" should go a long
way in teaching tolerance for the views of the
other fellow and in encouraging respect for the
work of true pioneers.

•
How Many Jewish Voters in Detroit?

An interesting question is posed: how many
Jewish voters are there in Detroit?
Some estimate as low a figure as 12,000; others
go up as high as 50,000.
We believe that the figure of 35,000 to 40,000
is closer to being a correct estimate.
The way to figure it out is by computing the
figures on the basis of the percentage of Jews
in the total population. There were approximately
650,000 registered voters out of a total popula-
tion of 1,700,000. At that rate, there should be
at least 35,000 qualified voters among the 85,000
Detroit Jews, since statistics usually tally for all
groups in the population. At the same time, it is
possible that the Jewish percentage is higher be-
cause we believe that there is a larger percentage
of naturalized citizens among Jews than there are
among the Poles or Italians or Hungarians, etc.

Last week we called attention to a single issue
of the Congressional Record into which Rep. J.
Thorkelson of Montana managed to insert 28
columns of trash. A follow-up to that issue was
the edition of the Congressional Record of Tues-
day, Sept. 10, which carried 21 columns of ma-
terial reflecting the visions from which Mr. Thor-
kelson suffers. The issue of the Record of Wed-
nesday, Sept. 11, carried 19 columns of Mr.
Second Volume of New Encyclopedia
Thorkelson's extensions of remarks. •
Fortunately, members of Congress are getting
The second volume of the Universal Jewish En-
w is e to this fellow. Rep. John J. Cochran of
cyclopedia is at hand. It is an improvement over
Missouri, chairman of the Congressional commit-
the first volume, and that should encourage sub-
tee on appropriations, has informed the Montana
scribers in the knowledge that as time goes on
Congressman that he will not stand for the waste
they will receive an ever-improving product.
of funds created by the printing of the Thorkel-
This volume has some excellent parts, one of
son nonsense.
the best covered being on the Bible and allied
It is about time that Congressmen called a halt
to the foolishness of publishing the silly propa- subject.
Detroiters mentioned in this volume are the
Banda disseminated by Thorkelson. There is a
limit to wasting public funds and to misusing Butzels—Fred and Judge Henry—and A. Edward
Barit, head of the Hudson Motor Co.
printer's ink.

•

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•

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