16

PUBLISH FACTS
ON JEWISH LIFE

Institute on Jewish
Affairs Studies
Conditions

The Institute of Jewish Af-
fairs, of which Dr. Jacob Rob-
inson is director, announces the
publication of a monthly bulle-
tin, entitled "Jewish Affairs," to
be devoted to discussions of Jew-
ish aspects of current issues.
The Institute of Jewish Af-
fairs, recently established in New
York City and sponsored by the
American Jewish Congress and
the World Jewish Congress, is
a research body engaged in in-
vestigating Jewish life in the
past twenty-five years, with a
view to establishing the facts of
the present situation, determin-
ing its direct and indirect causes,
and suggesting lines on which
Jewish life may be claimed at the
end of the present war.
The first issue of Jewish Af-
fairs has just made its appear-
ance and is devoted to a dis-
cussion of Jews under Soviet
rule. The second issue, which will
shortly appear, is to be devoted
to the presentation of the posi-
tion of Jews in present-day
France.
"Jews Under Soviet Rule" is
the first study of Jews in the
Soviet domain, including the ter-
ritories annexed by the Soviet
Union during the present war.
`'The discussion deals with the
situation of what is estiniated
to be 5,250,000 Jews, or one-
third of the world Jewish popu-
lation. The study deals with their
economic, religious and cultural
situation and the readaptations
of Jewish communities, in the
first instance, after the Bolshe-
vik revolution, and in the sec-
ond instance, after the annexa-
tion by the Union of Soviet Re-
publics.
According to "Jewish Affairs,"
the Jewish population in the
Soviet Republics, prior to the
annexation, was 3,330,000. The
Jews in the annexed territories
total 1,950,000. Of these, 1,270,-
000 came from Poland (Eastern
Galicia, Volynhia and Western
White Russia) ; 330,000 came
from Rumania (Bessarabia and
Northern Bukovina) ; 250,000
came from Lithuania (including
the Vilna district; 95,000 came
from Latvia, and 5,000 c a me
from Estonia.
Jews in the Soviet Union
possess equal rights with other
citizens but they receive no recog-
nition as a national unit in the
Council of Nationalities.

Discusses Minorities

Dr. Robinson was the princi-
pal speaker before the Institute
on World Organization in Wash-
ington on the subject of minori-
ties. Dr. Robinson, one of the
foremost authorities on the mi-
norities, was invited by the In-
stitute to discuss this subject
in a special paper which was
read recently and which was
followed in the evening by a
round table conference on the
same subject, which Dr. Robin-
son also led.
The occasion was the first
session of the Institute on World
Organization, which opened a
four-day session concluding on
Sept. 13. The purpose of the
session is to review the experi-
ments in world organization
which followde upon the con-
clusion of the World War with
a view to reaching conclusions
as to the new reorganization of
the world at the end of this
war.
In addition to the question of
minorities and their protection
from the time of the Versailles
Treaty until the outbreak of the
present war, the session will re-
view such subjects as the World
Court, the International Labor
Organization, ma n d a t e s, the
League of Nations, economic and
finance questions, health, arma-
ments, nutrition, housing, Intel-
lectual cooperation, narcoticsand
drugs, Danzig, the Saar, revision
of the covenant of the League
of Nations. Papers on these vari-
ous subjects are beingpresented
by outstanding authorities. These
include Carl J. II ambro, Pitt-
man B. Porter, Arthur Sweet-
ser, Sara Wambaugh, Mrs. Laura
Puffer Morgan, John Hostie and
Hans Kelsen.
The Institute of Jewish Af-
fairs, of which Dr. Robinson
the director, is in the midst of
preparing a special volume on
the subject of minorities, with
particular reference to how the
Jewish minorities fared under the
minorities provisions of the past

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

treaties and the reasons why this
protection proved to be inade-
quate.
In his paper before the Insti-
tute on World Organization, Dr.
Robinson emphasized that one of
the most important innovations
of the Versailles system was the
international protection of mi-
norities by the League of Na-
tions, which offered protection
to some twenty to twenty-five
million .persons different from
the majority in race, religion,
or language. This protection was
needed badly, he asserted.
Examining the reasons for the
alleged "failure" of the minori-
ties rights treaties, Dr. Robin-
son stated that these treaties
gave fair and adequate protec-
to the miminal rights of minori-
ties, and although far from ideal,
if the material provisions of the
treaties had been rigorously car-
ried out, both the minorities and
the majorities of Europe would
have reaped benefit therefrom.
He asserted, however, that in
numerous cases, the ratification
of the treaties was sabotaged and

that the courts to whom cases of
infringement were brought with
one exception, namely Austria,
"if ever asked to express an opin-
ion usually refused to admit the
force of the treaties in local leg-
islation, just as they also denied
to individuals the right to in-
voke them against local legisla-
tion and administrative meas-
ures."
Dr. Robinson also placed some
responsibility for the failure of
these treaties on the minorities
themselves. In this connection, he
said, "The minorities criticized
the procedure and although satis-
fied with the material provisions,
constantly asked for more, and
moreover, lent themselves to ex-
ploitation by foreign powers."
The conclusions presented by Dr.
Robinson were that "by and large
minorities treaties were a fair
instrument for the preservation
of peace, both external and in-
ternal, if carried out. However,
in order to make for the smooth
operation of these treaties, it
would have been necessary:
1. To secure greater coopera-

tion between signatory states, to
be reached by the extension of
the system and the limitations
of sovereignty in all states.
2. Emphasis would have to be
shifted from the League of Na-
tions to the permanent Court
of Internal Justice, and individ-
uals enabled to appeal in local
courts by invoking the treaties
and by disassociating these in-
dividuals from foreign influence.
"The permanent Court of In-
ternational Justice," he said,
"should be credited with a fair
and completely unbiased inter-
pretation of the treaties. On the
other hand, the Court did not
enjoy a sufficiently extensive
competence in the matter of ad-
vising opinions."

Hurrah ! Just when we were
afraid there was nothing left
to blame us for, the Nazi radio's
"Paul Revere" laid the gasoline
and oil shortage here to the
Jews. Say, Lapidus, make if
stop raining.

September 19, 19,1

Feuchtwanger Was Released, and
Did Not Escape, Maugharo
Declares

NEW YORK (JPS) —
Feuchtwanger, German - Jewish
novelist who amazed the United
States with the phenomenal sto ry
of his escape from a French
centration camp last year, (1; i
not escape at all but was reins,. i
by the French, declared Somers,
Maugham in his new bon;..,
"Strictly Personal."
Maugham v according to his 011';
story, had a hand in the releas ;
He persuaded Jean Giraudoui,
Frecnh novelist and head of it.
French Ministry of Informatin,,
to free Feuchtwanger because
the "potential danger" that one
he was free he would &seri 1,,
what he had experienced.

For age is opportunity, no less
Than youth itself, though in an-
other dress;
And as the evening twilight fade,
away
The sky is filled with stars in-
visible by day.—Longfellow.

OUT OF THE ASHES .. .

Two monuments surviving from
ancient times proclaim the destruction
of Judaism . . . two tyrants, who had
subdued the world, boasted that the
religion of Israel and its people had
been destroyed . . . that the teachings
of the Prophets had been consumed in
flames.

Once more brute force is extending
its sway . . . once more the thrill cry
of destruction echoes the length and
breadth of a continent . . . the power of
evil throws its shadow over what was
once peaceful villages and farms . . .
once more churches and synagogues are
put to the torch and a people scattered
in the vain hope of breaking their spirit.

The presence of Jews in the world
today makes mockery of those boasts.
Out of the ashes rose a new determina-
tion to survive . . . a new determination
to keep alive the dreams and hopes of
mankind . . . a new determination to
proclaim by act and deed that faith
cannot be destroyed by tyrant's edict.

Today's tyrants, like those of yester-
year, will soon learn there are some
things beyond the power of the sword
. . . beyond the reach of the torch. Out
of the ashes, still aglow with their new-
ness, will arise once more the eternal
dream of mankind, a world of liberty,
freedom and justice.

Rosh Hashonah Greetings

and may the Nett Year bring you in abundance,
health, happiness and prosperity—and to your
household a wealth of good cheer.

am's Cut Rate,

Incorporated

RANDOLPH at MONROE

CAMPUS MARTIUS at WOODWARD

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