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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

4

Detroit
Jewish Chronicle
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.

President

JACOB H. SCHAKNE

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Second-class matter March 3, 1916, et the Post.
office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

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(he Detroit Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on sub-
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bility for an endorsement of views expressed by the writers.

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 12:1-17:27.
Prophetical portion—Is. 40:27-41:16.
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 18:1-22:24.
Prophetical portion—II Kings 4:1-37.

NOVEMBER 1, 1940

6

TISHRI 30, 5701

"Thanks, Landsman!"

A frail looking chap appeared for exam-
ination at a Detroit recruiting office last
week. The doctor on duty gave him a
thorough examination, had some doubt
for a time as to the fitness of his candi-
date, and finally said, "You'll pass."
Whereupon the candidate remarked,
"Thanks, landsman !"
It was one of numerous similar experi-
. ences in which Jewish phyiscians had the
chance of passing Jewish volunteers for
service. It was much more than that: it
was a demonstration of gratitude and
loyalty to a great land which is guaran-
teeing freedom to its inhabitants and
which is a beacon of hope to the unfor-
tunates overseas who believe that the
United States of America will in time
exert sufficient influence to restore sanity
in the world.
The "Thanks, Landsman" episode is the
only attitude conceivable in American
ranks today. This is a critical period in
history, and every person who enjoys the
benefits of American freedom is obligated
to stand ready to serve this nation in
whatever capacity he is called upon to
render.

Vote on Tuesday

Next Tuesday, Nov. 5, will be the most
important day on the world calendar.
The voters in this country will, on this
day, represent the great contrast to the
reaction current throughout the world.
Here, we are free to cast a secret ballot,
and are equally as free to shout our choice
for public office from the housetops.
Overseas, men and women act only on
the compulsion and at the point of a
bayonet.
It is a sacred duty, therefore, to make
use of our franchise, to vote for our choice,
to aspire to delegate responsibility to the
ablest and most dependable men and
women.
Vote on Tuesday ! Take pride in your
Americanism and make use of the freest
franchise on earth!

The Freedom of Learning

The complaint registered by the Ameri-
can Jewish Congress, in New York, against
pro-Nazi activities of an educator, is a
timely warning against the most danger-
ous of all un-American symptoms, namely,
the attempt to poison the minds of the
children against the democratic way of
life.
Educators recognize the need of pro-
tecting our school system and at the same
time defending democracy and are today
striving to keep the minds of our people
free by preventing the Nazi-Fascist venom
from gaining root in our system of schools.
The need for such defense of our edu-
cational system has also been recognized
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who
recently sounded a plea for "the free
play of the mind that comes from educa-
tion." In his significant statement, the
President said:
"Almost the first freedom to be de-
stroyed, as dictators take control, is the
freedom of learning. Tyranny hates and
fears no thing more than the free ex-

and the Legal Chronicle

change of ideas, the free play of the mind
that comes from education.
"In these schools of ours and in other
American schools the children of today
and of future generations will be taught,
without censorship or restriction, the facts
of current history and the whole context
of current knowledge. Their textbooks
will not be burned by a dictator who dis-
agrees with them ; their teachers will not
be banished by a ruler whom they have
offended; their schools will not be closed
if they teach unpalatable truths, and their
daily instruction will not be governed by
the decrees of any central bureau of
propaganda. They will get not all of the
story part of the time, or only part of the
story all of the time ; they will continue
to get all of the story all of the time."
To make this task, of building free
minds through democratic education, real,
is the duty of all Americans • who must
insist that "the free exchange of ideas"
should continue in this great land. Presi-
dent Roosevelt's view, as expressed in this
quotation, remains the most powerful fac-
tor in the movement for the defense of
democracy through education.

Against Loss of Liberty

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary
of the acquisition of freedom for the
Negro in America, Paul Robeson, brilliant
Negro singer and actor, wrote an interest-
ing article in Friday Magazine under the
heading "In What Direction Are We Go-
ing?" Emphasizing that "freedom meant
unfolding, growing, enriching," Mr. Robe-
son turns to the problems of the present
era and states:

"In the name of national defense, great con-
cessions—the sacrifice of civil and human rights
—are being demanded from the people of
America. In the name of Democracy, the drums
of war are beaten. Democracy cannot be de-
fe,nded through self-imposed death. It must be
defended by its own strengths and all steps
backward can add only to the forces of en-
slavement.

"Against this new, twentieth-century kind of
enslavement, the Negro people in America are a
living, powerful bulwark. Fascism, oppression—
or by whatever name reaction is called—would
lay a bitter bloody terror on the 12,000,000
Negroes in the United States. And the strength
of this 12,000,000 is one of America's defenses
against the loss of liberty for America's 130,-
000,000."

This is an important declaration. You
cannot enslave an entire people as long
as a powerful minority among that peo-
ple refuses to submit to degradation. But
such a bulwark must be united. A divided
minority merely permits the hammering
in of wedge after wedge into its fortresses
by the reactionary forces that seek to de-
stroy it.
It is an argument we have been using
in our plea for unity in Jewish ranks
against inroads by forces that aim at the
destruction of the rights of man. A strong
Jewish group that stands united in its
determination to prevent the rise of Fas-
cism can do much to defend America ;
a weak Jewish group merely permits the
enemies of freedom to win ground.
This country is made up of minorities
who must form one strong majority that
bases its principles on ideals embodied in
the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
As long as there is such unity, there is
nothing to fear from the menace of Euro-
pean tyranny.

November I, 1940

*STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL*

Tidbits from Everywhere

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

ABOUT ERSATZ

Jacob Richman has just com-
pleted a new volume of Jewish
stories . . . He is the well-
known Hebrew scholar and au-
thority on Jewish folk-lore whose
"Laughs from Jewish Lore" is
already in its sixth edition. Rich-
man sends us this priceless story,
as an advance Chanukah gift: A
middle-aged German, who thought
that he had had enough of this
miserable existence under the
Hitler regime, decided to commit
suicide. He went into a drug
store, purchased a large dose of
rat poison, and after swallowing
it law down in bed to await
death—sweet, welcome death that
would free him from suffering
and oppression. He waited an
hour, but no death came. He
waited two hours, three hours,
but there was no sign of it.
Obviously what he got was not
real poison but "Ersatz" (a sub-
stitute). He realized that he
would have to find some other
means wherewith to end his life
so he got out of bed, went to a
hardware store, bought a rope,
and returning home, hanged
himself. But the rope snapped
and he only injured himself
slightly. For it was not a real
rope, but "Ersatz". There seemed
to be no escape from this vale of
tears. But he was determined,
and he had an inspiration—he
would denounce Hitler. That, he
felt, would bring him swift and
sure death. With keen anticipa-
tion he darted from the house,
and rushing up to a Storm Troop-
er, yelled, "Down with Hitler."
The Storm Trooper looked at him
kindly, and putting a finger to
his lips, said: "Sh-sh-, not so
loud. If anybody should overhear
it, I'll be compelled to arrest
you and • those dirty dogs don't
deserve this service." Yes, sir,
the Storm Trooper, too, was not
genuine, but "Ersatz". Seeing
that all his attempts at suicide
were futile, the Aryan gave up
all thought of self-destruction.
And, since he was compelled to
live, he thought he might as well
try to enjoy life. So he walked
into a restaurant and ordered a
full course dinner. But that
killed him outright. What he got
was "Ersatz".

IS THAT SO?

The other day, at the home of
Meyer Weisgal, Jacob Fishman
was introduced to Do r o t h y
Thompson. Dorothy looked him
over and then smiled broadly.
"Aren't you the man who ad-
vised me about 19 years ago to
forget all about journalism and
get married?" America's first
lady of journalism had remem-
bered correctly. Nineteen years
ago when she was travelling to
Europe on the same boat with
the American delegation to the
World Zionist Congress, she
asked Mr. Fishman's advice on
how to break into newspaper
work. The editor of the Jewish

Morning Journal told her: "For-
get it and find yourself a good
husband." Dorothy proceeded to
London, sold herself to the In-
ternational News Service as an
expert on Zionism and got her
first newspaper job to cover the
London Zionist Congress of 1921.
She married Sinclair Lewis after
she had made for herself a repu-
tation as a foreign correspondent.

NASTY BUT TRUE

The Nazis refer to the New
Europe they are going to estab-
lish after the war as Neuropa.
The people living under Herr Hit-
ler's regime will be called Neu-
rotics, we presume.
We don't like the reports of
how Willkie campaign managers
are intimidating some prominent
Jews in small towns to vote for
the Republican candidate. These
high pressure gentlemen insist
that it is the duty of the leaders
of the Jewish communities to
come out publicly for Roosevelt's
opponent in order to demonstrate
that the Jews are not voting
en bloc for the President. That
kind of procedure smacks of
black-jack methods, and it really
creates a Jewish issue, which
does not exist. There are plenty
of Jews who will be voting Re-
publican in this campaign. They
are entitled to their views. But
they should not be sold the idea
that by voting for Willkie they
are saving the Jewish position
in this country.
Is it true that the editorial
board of the New Palestine is
due for a big shake-up?
There is a lot of gossip being
circulated about Franz Werfel,
German-Jewish novelist, a recent
refugee to this country. The nas-
ty talk is to the effect that Werfel
some years ago became convert-
ed to Catholicism. Some Yiddish
papers even published the story.
They should have checked. Wer-
fel is not only a full-fledged Jew
but a fervent believer in Zionism
and a Hebrew scholar of no mean
caliber.

POT-POURRI

Charlie Chaplin's final speech
in his film "The Great Dictator"
is being very much criticized by
the reviewers, who claim that it
is out of character with the rest
of the comedy. So Charlie told
us the other day: "If I had to
do it all over again, I'd end up
the picture the same way even
though every critic in the world
were opposed to it. I believe that
it was more important to make
the speech at the end than to
keep the little barber strictly in
character." That final speech is
the most sublime and strongest
indictment of the Nazi regime
ever put on the screen. We're
with you, Charlie.
You might be interested in the
fact that the house at 55 E.
77th St., New York, in which the
Nazi Consul lives, is owned by
Hamilton Fish, Sr., father of the
Congressman.

"Help Us to Help Ourselves!"

by Bressler

Obstacle: Lack of Relief Funds

On the eve of his departure to resume
relief work abroad, Morris C. Troper,
European chairman of the American Jew-
ish Joint Distribution Committee, warned
that the next six months will see unprece-
dented hardships for Jews and stated that
the chief obstacle in bringing effective re-
lief is lack of funds. Mr. Troper indicated
that only a third of the money needed is
now available.
Mr. Troper's warning is a challenge to
American Jewry, the only community that
can come to the aid of the unfortunates.
It is imperative that those who have
pledged to campaign funds should make
immediate payments, and that those in
position to provide additional help should
do so. American Jews must accept the
word of an expert in evaluating existing
conditions. Mr. Troper is the expert for
the J. D. C. His warnings and appeals
must not fall on deaf ears.

They All Lookto

YOU for H E LP

through the

Detroit Community Fund

