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April 4, 1941

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

4

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

lublished Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
President
JACOB H. SCHAKNE

Entered as Seccnd-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post-
office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 6:1-8:36

Prophetical portion—Mal. 3:4-24; or
7:3-20

APRIL 4, 1941

II Kings

NISAN 7, 5701

"I Respectfully Differ"

In three words, Dr. Chaim Weizmann,
president of the World Zionist Organiza-
tion and the Jewish Agency for Palestine,
summarizezd the position of the Jewish
people in the present crisis. He was asked
whether he agreed with Lord Halifax's
opinion that most of the provisions of the
Balfour Declaration had been accom-
plished, and he replied : "I respectfully
differ."
Lord Halifax is not alone in believing
that the aspirations for "a Jewish Na-
tional Home" have been realized because
more than a half-million Jews have been
settled in Palestine. But the Jewish peo-
ple disagrees, and insists on the right to
disagree.
Therefore, Dr. Weizmann's brief reply
is significant and decisive. British states-
men may believe that they have fulfilled
the promise to Jewry; but the Jewish
people differs—and the Jewish people
insists on the right to differ. Dr. Weiz-
mann, as the spokesman for the Jewish
people, hands down the verdict in his
comment on Lord Halifax's statement.
The position taken in this important re-
mark "--"I respectfully differ" and in the
supplementary statement that "every Jew
has a right to go to Palestine," is the sum-
mation of Jewish policy. On this score
we differ with our more powerful factor
in the Palestinian venture—the British
government; and we do so with the full-
est confidence that the able men who now
form the British war cabinet will see eye
to eye with us when the time comes, at
the end of this war, to make it possible
for millions of Jews to find homes in a
Jewish commonwealth in Palestine.
•

-

—

Strategy of Nazism

Dr. Chaim Weizmann, eminent world
Jewish leader, opened his address at the
reception given him in New York City
with the following introductory state-
ment: "In these days of almost universal
suffering it may seem invidious—perhaps
even undignified—to stress the special
tragedy of the Jew. If we do pause upon
it, however, it is not only because it hap-
pens to be our special preoccupation; it
is also because in the poignancy of the
Jewish position there is a kind of index
of the world tragedy."
Briefly put, this is excellent apology.
Having come here with the full first-hand
knowledge of what is happening to all
peoples in Europe, it is understandable
why Dr. Weizmann should have spoken
as he did.
Fortunately, the informed Christian
leadership knows that there is valid rea-
son for being vitally concerned with the
problem of Jewish persecutions. For in-
stance, Luella E. Laudin, of the National
Council of Women of the United States,
in a recent statement, expressed herself
as follows:

"When you hear anti-Semitic s tatements,
remember that anti-Semitism is a political
weapon which has nothing whatever to do
with the religion itself. The device of using
a minority group as a scapegoat was first
employed in the old Roman empire, when
the early Christians were thrown to the lions
to make the masses forget they were hungry.
In the days of monarchist Russia, whenever
the people appeared to be on the verge of
revolt because of their suffering under the
cruel czars, pogroms were organized to divert
their attention from themselves, and thou-
sands of helpless Jews were slain.
"Hitler has employed the scapegoat device
far more effectively than any other dictator
in history. He has persuaded his followers
that all of the economic difficulties, all of
the hardships they must endure as victims of
a regimented State, are the fault of the
Jews. The basic strategy behind his contin-
uous attacks upon the Jews is neatly summed
up in the book "Footprints of the Trojan
Horse," published by the Citizenship Educa-
tional Service. The author describes it in
the form of an order from military headquar-
ters to the intelligence staff, and it reads: 'In
line with regular procecdure, stir up suspicion
in the population in order to set group
against group and destroy the internal unity
of the country. As a first step, sell the upper
classes on the idea that Jews are Communists
and we are a bulwark against Communism.
Sell the lower classes on the idea that Jews
control everything and are a menace to their
jobs. Under cover of this smoke screen we
can move in and follow out one plan for
economic and political conquest.' "

CONFIDENTIAL •
• STRICTLY
Tidbits from Everywhere

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

❑ War Echoes

❑ Weekly Giggle

The British garrison at St.
Helena isn't expecting a new in-
mate when Hitler finally falls
.. . They like their little island,
and think it's far too good for
Adolf . . . The consensus of opin-
ion among the troops there is that
Hitler deserves death, not mere
exile . . . It will probably be in
this country that the projected
"Free German" Government-in-
exile will have its headquarters,
and former Chancellor Bruening
may be its chief . . . Madga Lu-
pescu, if you're interested, lost
40 pounds during her stay in
Spain . . . All the credit goes to
the Gestapo, of course—and Mag-
da doesn't recommended the recipe
to her friends . . Despite the
war, the Hebrew University at
Jerusalem is continuing its
courses, and at the recent winter
graduation exercises conferred
master's and doctor's degrees on
35 students . . . Of these 35,
however, only four were Palestin-
ian-born . . . The rest came from
Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Czecho-
slovakia, England and Hungary.

To Nunnaly Johnson is credited
the story of the telephone con-
versation between Hitler and Mus-
solini . . . "What's this I hear
about the trouble you're having
in Albania?" needled Adolf . .
"I can't hear you," was Benito's
reply . . . "I said," repeated Hit-
ler, "I've been hearing about some
trouble you're having in Africa
and Albania" . . . Mussolini, his
diplomatic deafness continuing, in-
sisted: "I can't hear a word
you're saying" . . Hitler began
to get sore . . . "I'm told your
armies are having a lot of
trouble—" he started, but Musso-
lini interrupted him that time
. . . "Can't you get a better con-
nection?" appealed Il Duce, add-
ing: "Where are you p•ning
f rom, anyway,--London?"

Herein lies the best answer to the ques-
tion raised by Dr. Weizmann. If the world
ignores the problems of the Jews, it ig-
nores the scapegoat device which is mere-
ly a stepping-stone on the part of Nazi
strategy towards persecuting other peo-
ples. Put an end to anti-Semitic outbursts
Palestine Is Major Haven
Hundreds of Jews have come to Pal- and to the Jew-as-scapegoat mechanism,
estine in the past two weeks. One of the and you eliminate the beginning of the
most interesting groups to arrive in the worst reaction in the world.
land included 200 young people from
O
Rumania. An additional group of 40 in-
cluded Polish refugees who had found
A Survey on the War
temporary refuge in Lithuania upon the
acquisition of Poland by the Nazi-Com-
The Nation has rendered a distinct serv-
ice to the cause of democracy with its
munist combine.
These settlers boosted the total of new special supplement entitled "A Survey of
Jewish colonizers in Eretz Israel to more Two Worlds," in which outstanding think-
than 1,200 for a single month.
ers outline the effects upon the world of
At the same time, Palcor Agency re- the alternatives of a Hitler peace or a
ported that six Youth Aliyah members Hitler defeat.
from Hungary and 60 Bulgarian immi-
The warnings contained in these articles
grants left Istanbul on their last lap of are frank and conclusive. If the world
a roundabout journey to Palestine.
is to be free, there must be a Hitler de-
Thus, in spite of all obstacles, disregard- feat. If there is to be a Hitler peace—
ing difficulties of travel on land and sea, which God forbid—then there is no hope
Jews are flocking to Palestine. Had the for civilization.
road been clear, their numbers would
Most significant of all is the article by
have reached into the hundreds of thou- Walter Millis, on "Notes on the United
sands.
States, 1950". This imaginary article deals
The arrival of large groups of immi- with the possible effects on this country
grants in the past few weeks provides the of the repeal of the Lend-Lease Act. It
best indication of Palestine's major posi-
tion as a haven of refuge for persecuted implies that the slightest concession to
Jews as well as for those who seek a per- the appeasers would mean the collapse of
our democracy, the rise of a dictatorship,
manent free home in the Land of Israel.
A tragic note must be added to this the end of the American principles of
story of a great colonization effort. A justice and decency.
The entire contents of this special sec-
group of 800 immigrants who do not
possess immigration certificates are threat- tion are a valuable addition to the current
ened with deportation. But as a result of literature dealing with the present world
the intercession of Zionist leaders and problem. It is a collective warning to
especially of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Lord libertarians to be militant in their attitude
Halifax has transmitted an appeal to Lon- towards the totalitarians and to be firm
.don in behalf of these homeless people in their determination to fight to the end
and it is to be hoped that they will be that justice should be restored to the en-
permitted to remain in Palestine.
tire world.

❑ In the Air

We can't vouch for the verac-
ity of this story, but it's being
whispered about in various quar-
ters . . . It concerns Dr. Chaim
Weizmann and his work on a
most important new chemical in-
vention that would solve the diffi-
cult problem of gasoline supply.
. . . When Churchill heard of
this, it is said, he told Weiz-
mann: "If you succeed, Palestine
is yours" . . . Whereupon the
Zionist leader is supposed to have
retorted : "May I hope that you
make the deed less ambiguous than
last time?"

❑ About People

The Jewish Jim Jeffries—in
other words, Abe Simon, the
young man who has the temerity
to aspire to Joe Louis' heavy-
weight crown—has quite a list of
girl friends, as you no doubt
know if you heard his radio
greetings to them after his recent
tight with the Brown Bomber.
Benny Goodman, who, as you
may remember, is going in for
serious music with a vengeance,
will, together with Paul Robe-
son, head the American-Russian
Institute's concert at Carnegie
Hall late this month.
That George Gershwin movie is
definitely on its way now . .
Ira Gershwin will work on it, and
the part of George will probably
be played by John Garfield.
Back in New York is Leonard
Weisberg, the taxi driver who
was severely wounded by bandits
when he tried to save a police-
man in a gun-fight last winter . .
He was the guest of the Miami
Beach Grossinger's for a month
of recuperation.

❑ Hot Stuff

Band-leader Vincent Lopez, who
is making quite a name for him-
self as an amateur prognostica-
tor—among other things that he
prophesied last year were King
Carol's loss of his throne and
Italy's losses in battle—has given
Danton Walker another set of in-
teresting forecasts . . . He picks
May 11 as the date that will
mark the beginning of Hitler's
end, and insists that the most
decisive battles of this war will
be fought in or near Palestine,
with that region becoming the
site of Hitler's Waterloo . .
Which the Yishuv no doubt will
regard as poetic justice . . . If
you really want to read the au-
thorized edition of "Mein Kampf'
you can buy it without qualms of
conscience . . . It's true that the
royalties are sent to the author's
agent—but that agent is in Eng-
land, and the British government

confiscates the royalties as soon
as they arrive, and uses them

for relief work among the vic-
tims of Hitler's bombings . . . All
of which reminds us of Walter
Winchell's suggestion for the es-
tablishment of a National Gar-
bage Week, with slogan "Bundles
for Hitler."

❑ War Clouds

Prepare yourself for the battle
of laughs . . . S. Felix Mendel-
sohn's forthcoming book, "Let
Laughter Ring," may find itself
under fire—legal fire—by Jacob
Richman, author of "Laughs from
Jewish Lore," who has warned
the Jewish Publication Society of
America that if the book utilizes
his work to the same extent as
did Mendelsohn's early volume,
"The Jew Laughs," he will do
something about it . . . All of
which opens the very interesting
question as to whether there is
such a thing as proprietary rights
in a joke.

THIS "AXIS" GETS OUR OltA?

by BRESSLER

