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Detroit Jewish Chronicle
THE LEGAL CHRONCLE
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Sabbath Readinrs of tbo Law
Pentateuch-al p, ...rlon.—Genesis 12:1-17:27.
Prophetical v,rtion—Dalah 40:27-41:1g.
OCTOBER 23. 1942
HESHVAN 12, 57:3
Toward World Unity
The abandonment of extraterritoriality
in China by the United States and Britain
should meet with the approval of all who
believe that the present global conflict is
being fought to preserve freedom and
equality and to extend these blessings
everywhere.
Although Britain and the United States
are unable to exercise the prerogatives of
extraterritoriality at present, for the areas
where they exercised this privilege are
now in the hands of the Japanese, yet the
important fact is that they have renounced
a privilege that frequently caused us t.,
wonder if our practice would ever square
with our professions of belief in political
equality.
It is reported that the Chinese are de-
lighted by the renunciation. It strengthens
those who have reposed their faith and
confidence in both America and Britain.
Had America and Britain not taken
this step the pro Nazi elements in China
could have used it to their advantage in
view of the fact that the Indian British
impasse is far from a solution.
It is regrettable that the Indian dispute
cannot be satisfactorily arbitrated. Cer-
tainly all believers in liberty and equality
are for Indian independence. Britain guar-
antees independence after the war. The
question now is unity and how it can be
achieved without leaving too many scars.
Surely, there must be men among the
leaders of the United Nations who have
a plan whereby the apparently irrecon-
ciable Congress Party and Britain can be
reconciled. All lovers of freedom must be
saddened when they learn that the
speeches of President Roosevelt cannot be
broadcast in India.
Now that the day of Asiatic tutelage
and Colonialism is passing, may we not
hope that when the war is over that po-
litical discrimination in our own land will
come to an end and that Asiatics will be
accorded the same rights, immunities and
privileges now enjoyed by European na-
tionals who have helped. mold America.
are to them as he is to all other Ameri-
cans who believe that an equalitarian
civil regime is best suited to our way of
life.
In view of the action taken by Mr. Bid-
dle we may now feel reasonably certain
hat any bills now before the Congress that
would suppress foreign language periodi-
cals; and disband foreign language organ-
izations; and forbid the teaching of for
eign languages in the schools. will be
overwhelmingly defeated should they ever
get out of committee.
We do not place the guilt for the war
upon the Italian people. A people whr.
never wanted war; who are wearied no
end and who have endured many priva-
tions and hunger must react against the
Nazis and for the United Nations.
There is another aspect of this declara-
tion that merits consideration. It was made
after a careful study and a painstaking.
thorough investigation of the 600.000 Ital-
ian nationals in our midst. It was dis
covered that one-twentieth of one per
cent could be classed as disloyal, and
that after we had been at war for more
than 10 months. This is proof that halo-
Americans and Italian nationals appre-
ciate the freedom and equality of Amer-
ica to an extent. not surpassed by any
group in our country.
The record up till now shows that the
subversive agents in America are those
lunatic fringers. racketeers, professional
haters and spreaders of discord, who write
and speak in English.
Again we congratulate Attorney Gen-
eral Biddle for his sound judgment and
forthrightness.
Inter-Group Relations
PLAIN TALK
by AL SEGAL
•
“Man in Lore"
VP.OM A JEWISH SOLDIER IN
L one of tre camps I have a
letter about a matter of love. It
.4. to
- •j_, do with his having fallen
a. love wan a non-Jewish girl
in tne Southern town near which
• e s encamped.
Several times he has been on
the point of proposing marriage,
Put each time tne traditional in-
nibitions came up and admon-
ished him. She is no ordinary
girl. he says. Not just one of
those girls a lonely soldier may
pick up.
She is rarely intelligent, a
graduate of ,a Southern college.
Sne attends her church—Baptist
--reglar:y. She is a very good
Christian. indeed since she judges
LH people by their own faults
and virtues.. not by race or reli-
gion.
"What, Mr. Segal, would you
do in my place?" the soldier asks.
A
A
A
Goodness me, this is horribly
sudden ever, though it is some 30
years late! The idea of Mr. Segal
even imagining himself falling
head over heels in love so late in
his life! If such a question had
been put to him in the last wat
i.e could have taken it in his
stride.
Yes, the question would not
have been so cruelly out of time
and place then. Mr. Segal was a
fine figure of a youth then; he
was adept in the gymnasium; he
could run a mile around the
track with no effort at all. There
would have been nothing incon-
gruous in the imagining himself
tailing in love with a beautiful
young girl and being loved in
I urn.
But now Mr. Segal has become
a total stranger among lovely
young girls. It's a new world of
girls. Girls in slacks! Girls with
cigarettes! Girls with lipsticks!
Yet it is flattering to think
about: Mr. Segal falling in love
with a beauteous girl. Mr. Segal
young again! Mr. Segal young
inough to be a soldier. Mr. Segal
a lonely young soldier in a South-
ern camp and rejoicnng to have
made the acquaintance of lovely
young Agatha Witherspoon!
He met her the evening the
Baptist church had the social for
all the soldier boys, no matter
what religion they belong to. To
lonely Private Segal the bright
iights in the assembly hall of the
Baptist church looked like gleams
of brotherhood.
In these auspices he could nt
feel he was a stranger; the less so
because of Miss Witherspoon. Her
friendly interest in him; her quiet
beauty; her bright intelligence.
She asked him whether he be-
longed to any church. Private
Segal replied yes, he belonged to
a synagogue in his town.
each other on account of religicr.
. . . "Don't you feel that wa
about it. Mr. Segal"
This was exactly in line
Private Segal's own ideas. H.
could regard Miss Witherspoon
spiritual kin.
kin. Hi: was soon ad-
dressing her as Agatha. She
no stranger to be addressed co: :-
ly, distantly as Miss Witherspo„
A A A
Private Segal was frankly in
love. He became conscious of
one bright moonlight evening in
the fragrance of gardenias on r.
quiet lane in which he and
Witherspoon were strolling. fle
took her hand.
"Agatha . . . " he began ten-
tatively.
But no! The ghost of the an-
cient ancestral shammos (he has
been frequently mentioned in this
column, was plucking at his coat
sleeve . . . "Alfred, what are you
about to do? Alfred! Stop and
think! You are about to propose
marriage! Think of your ancient
inheritance! The faith for which
many of us died! Alfred! You
mustn't put aside your ancient
inheritance for the moment's pas-
sion. Think!"
Segal's heart replied that he
was deeply in love and that Aga-
tha was the finest of girls, and
what could the ghost of an an-
cient shammos know about love,
and, especially, about Agatha?
The ghost of an ancient shammos
should stick to his duties in the
synagogue on high.
"But, Alfred, think! This in-
heritance that all your people
have carried so faithfully even
unto you. You are about to break
the chain of our faith. Don't."
"Agath," Segal continue d,
"isn't this a beautiful evening?"
Wayne University has established two
fellowships for the study of Jewish-Negro
relations in Detroit. Mrs. Eleanor Paperno
Wolf and Alvin D. Loving are the recipi-
ents. The Jewish Community Council and
the Detroit Branch of the National Associ-
ation for the Advancement of Colored
A A A
People are jointly furnishing the funds
RIVATE SEGAL REMAINED
for the work.
in love, though the old sham-
Detroit and Wayne County are excellent
mos kept plucking at his sleeve
every evening he called on Aga-
laboratories for the study of inter-group
tha. He could envy other soldiers
relations. The findings should help all in-
who had been falling in love all
terested agencies that are working among
over town. They didn't have to
wrestle with their consciences,
the Negro and the Jewish populations to
suffered no spiritual pangs at all,
formulate plans for satisfactory group re-
weren't haunted by old, old ghosts
when they went calling on their
lations in this polyglot metropolis.
girls.
Detroit has had its share of racial con-
There's always a Jewish prob-
lem coming up young Segal
flicts. The influx of hundreds of thousands
thought almost resentfully . . .
of workers from other states is not cal-
"Why can't I, too. fall in love
without any ideological strings
culated to lessen antagonisms. If the fel-
being tied to me?" . .. It seems
lows are able to ascertain the causes of
so hard for a young mind like
Segal's to understand what to our
conflicts and antagonism they will have
older wisdoms is perfectly clear.
done a splendid piece of work.
I fear that Private Segal was
giving too much of his strength
We should like to see fellowships es-
in wrestling with the :ghost cf
tablished for the study of Italo-Negro,
the shammos at a time when he
Polish-Negro group relations.
should have been giving every-
thing he had to get ready for
While this research work is being done.
A A A
Hitler.
it is our fervent hope that more and better
The whole matter was definitely
work opportunities are afforded the Ne-
HE SAID SHE WAS ALWAYS put off when Segal's division sud-
gro workers of our communities. If the
glad to hear of a young man denly was ordered to pack and
Negro has been less enthusiastic about belonging to some church no mat- be off to the embarkation center.
our way of life than the more fortunate ter which. She thought it was Ile had time only to call up Miss
See SEGAL—Page 13
among us, it is because he has too often simply awful the way people hate
felt, and with good reason. that he is
discriminated against in the matter of em-
The Duce Must Be Flabbergasted
ployment more than in any other rela-
Attorney General Francis Biddle has tionship.
rendered a great service to the cause of
the United Nations when he changed the
status of Italian nationals from that of
Ichud Repudiated
alien enemies to that of friendly aliens.
The concurrent conventions of the Zion-
We do not know whether he expected
ist
Organization of America and the
favorable repercussions in Italy but it is
reasonable to expect that there will be Hadassah repudiated the Ichud program
repercussions in Italy that should help and necessarily, by their unanimous vote,
the United Nations' cause immeasurably. repudiated Dr. Judah Magnes and Henri-
A definite act of this kind is of greater etta Szold. This action does not mean
weight and effectiveness than any num- that there will be any break in Jewish-
ber of promises that are to take effect Arab relations or that there will be any
want of friendliness and cooperation, ac-
if and when peace comes.
cording to those who oppose a hi-national
Even though we are at war with Fas-
cist Italy, we say in effect, to the Italian state in Palestine. It means that every
people, we are not at war with you, but effort will be made to facilitate the un-
with your irresponsible, strutting, Duce restricted immigration of Jews to Pales-
and his henchmen. All the sputterings of tine with the objective of becoming the
the propaganda bureau in Rome cannot majority group.
Should Dr. Magnes and Miss Szold want
alter the fact that they have become in-
tegrated with the fabric that is America, to continue their work for a bi-national
despite the fact that they may read and state, it is obvious, after the decisions of
speak Italian they are not tainted with the conventions, that they cannot do so
fifth column or Fascist ideology. Musso- within the framework of the Zionist
lini is as much a boasting, ridiculous fig- movement.
© The National Jewish Monthly. B'nai
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