America Yetvish Periodical Cotter

No\ o rnber 20, 1942

CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, 01110

3

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

The Hand Upon the Door

By Milton Geiger

Then
Hull: Suppose I am.
Down me, either. I climbed to the high Editor's Note—This is the first
Music: Introductory:
. . . .
Abbe: They will say accord- what?
sill . . . looked down once more
of a series of three unusual
behind—
Hull (with strong feeling): . . . and then the door flew open!
ing to their fashion 'Have you
radio playets which were writ-
Man: You recently registered
You must listen to me! (Recon-
Sound: Door kicked open.
seen the Jewish Dog around, for a visa to South America?
ten especially for the United
s ide rs). No! Do not just listen
Gendarme (Off; Alarmed): No,
Jewish Appeal, by the well-
Monsieur L'Abbe: And I will our visa has just come through
. but try to live the things I Monsieur! You must not! No! I
known radio playwright, Mil-
truthfully answer 'No.' Good and a steamship booking has been
live; feel the human bloodhounds am your friend!
ton Geiger. These playlets
night, Monsieur . . . and little made for you for a boat leaving
always at your heels; feel the
Hull: Keep away!
dramatize sonic of the human
one. All this will pass . . .
Lisbon next week.
wet earth under your back for a
problems which the three
Gendarme (On) : Listen . . .
Music:In gently; then down be-
Music: Single tremolo
note
bed, night after night; learn to believe me; I am not for this sort
agencies represented in the
hind . .
and fade.
swallow your heart when that of thing. I am a Frenchman.
United Jewish. Appeal—the
Hull: Marseille is 534 miles
Ilull: My visa .. . next week
dreadful hammering comes at the When the Gestapo guards accom-
Joint Distribution Committee,
from Paris. Sick, haggard, we
door . . . meaning but one thing pany me . . . I must do as they
the United Palestine Appeal
arrived in Marseille. We went . . . say it once more.
in the conquered Nazi countries. order. Now . . . now I am by
aml the National Refugee
Man: I represent the Mar-
at once to the Jewish committee
For I have died a thousand un- myseif. And 1 say Go!
Service — are called upon. to
there; they gave us food, cloth- seille office of the American Jew-
natural deaths—that I might live
meet in these crucial war
Bull
(Puzzled; suspicious) :
ing and some money. Day after ish Joint Distribution Committee.
to tell this story.
days. The following dramati-
What?
day I walked the streets of Mar- I got your address from the re-
Music: Swells somberly: down
zation
is
devoted
to
the
J.
Gendarme: Get out of here.
seille — looking for a way to lief organization which has been
behind to mood.
I).
C.
escape. I tried everything. Then supplying you with money. Most
How unthinkable that Go the back way. Quickly now!
. . . Music strikes in ominously). of their funds come from America
these things should ever happen Hurry!
Music: Strongly,
and
into the water. For him . . . we One day I came home . .. walk- through our Committee . . . I was
in Paris, the City of Light!—of
Freedom and the untrammeled 'hurrying' tremolo, background were not there. The way was ed up the dark stairs to our door here earlier; the boy . . . refused
'pursuit.'
open! And as we passed we . . . and it was locked! Something to tell me anything . .. I think
spirit Yet it did happen .
. . . we may arrange for him,
Hull: I fled through the dark- heard him whistle softly . . .
was wrong!
Music: Quick, short swirl—
too.
ness
Music: Out sharply.
Sound: Telegraph key—
Music: First four notes of
Music: In softly, in back-
Nazi (Off) : Halt or I shoot! 'victory theme' very softly . . .
Sound: Knocks rapidly on
Voice (Staccato) : Cablegram:
ground.
Lisbon, July 17, 1942. This Ilalt!
repeated once. Takes up refrain door.
Hull: It .. . can't be . .. it
Emile, open!
echoing. for bridge. (Hints of `Marseil-
Sound: Rifle,
off,
Hull: Emile!
morning at 5:30 a. in. Paris po-
lice under Gestapo orders seized Thrum of passing bullet.
laise') into short ecclesiastical (Long pause). Emile! (Rattles can't.
Man: Happily . . . it is. There
Hull: I should have died right theme .. .
knob). No answer. I thought I
thousands of Jews; 3600 sent East
heard someone inside. Then . . . are people in America who make
—destination unknown. Total ar- there . . . If I had not stumbled
Hull:
In
a
little
village
in
un-
Door no easy peace with their own
rests now 16,000; still continuing. over something on the ground occupied France, we rested at the
Sound: Key in lock.
consciences . . . who tut doing
and fallen flat.
State of terror existing.
creaks open.
Abbe's
home
.
.
.
while
he
gave
their utmost through our Com-
Emile (six; frightened) : Please,
Music: Swells over fade; down
'Hull: Emile! What is it?
us
food
and
found
some
clothes
low): mittee to relieve the agonies of
don't hurt me any more; please
(Frightened
:
behind.
Emile
Terror came to . . . please . . . don't hurt me for us.
people here . . . and in every
Hull: Yes!
Abbe: I will tell you some- Close . . . close the door.
Paris on that dawn! All day the . . . any . . . more . . (Sobs
land where the hand of human
Sound:
Door
closes
quickly.
thing else; what I am doing is
hunted huddled in their homes bitterly).
fellowship can reach ... in South
Emile: Lock it! Lock it!
. guarded. (Pause). All day
•
Hull (Against boy's sobbing): outlawed. We priests have been
America . . . thousands upon
Sound: Key in lock.
warned
by
the
Nazis
to
tell
our
I waited in Toy room . . . waited This . . . was one of the count-
Hull: Now tell me. What hap- thousands are being helped —
congregations
to
give
up
fugitives,
. • . while the Nazi authority less little children, who wandered
kept alive . . . rescued for free-
pened? Who . . . came?
came closer . . . closer .. .
France that day and night, home- like you.
Emile: A policeman. And an- dom . . . For men and women
Heavy less and parentless . . . Peace,
(Well off) :
Sound
Hull: Yes.
other man. They wanted you. like you—and especially in the
knocking on door.
little one; weep no more . . .
Abbe: The Nazis say they will (Sobs)'
young ones like Emile here —
Nazi (Well off): Open! Open hush . . . hush . . . Come with do what they please about the
Hull: Yes, yes, yes . . . don't rests much of our hope for re-
in the name of the Fuehrer!
Jews. So we do as we please. worry. Don't be afraid . . . Hush. building a free and decent world
me.
All day the S. S. men
Music: Comes up over child's Here . . . this sweater is old I will tell you. Pack your things. after the nightmare has passed . .
marched arrogantly in the streets
Hull (Softly) : It will pass!
hysterical sobbing. Into pursuit but it will keep the little boy I will see tbout getting together
. . . taking away their quarry
warm.
a little food. Then we will go He said that too . . . the good
theme again.
. . . destination unknown . . at
Sound: Heavy knocking on . . . eh? We will travel a lit- Abbe. 'All this will pass!' And
Hull: Across France we fled,
night, the horror grew Search-
tle? Eh, Emile? We will have it will! It will because it was
door. off a bit.
the
two
of
us,
like
those
thou-
lights played maddeningly upon
Music : Strikes in ominously a look into Spain, eh, little one? not meant by God that a people
the rows of houses . . that no sands of others . . . sleeping on with first notes of 'Horst Wessel' Burry, now .. .
should suffer so, just as it was
one might escape! Women and the ground . . . being followed song. Holds very faintly. Fade
Sound: Knocking on door meant by Him that men should
.
.
hounded
.
.
.
starving
and
children were packed into the
live in brotherhood and good will;
again.
after two speeches.
sports arena — the Velodrome— shivering. The farmers helped
Hull (Exhales in hoplessness): and the hand of terror that
Hull: There is was again!
when
they
could—risking
their
and many died there.
The knocking on the door! The It is no use. The knocking will knocks on doors in the dead of
Sound: Knocking on door, on, safety and ours; many times the Abbe put his finger to his lips only stop when the knocking of night, shall grow weak and life-
now. Music: Strikes ominous police knocked . . . always and . . . nodded to the back door.
my own heart is stilled forever. less; and the helping hand of
forever that knocking at the door
chord and holds.
Un- righteous men grows stronger .. .
Sound: Walks to door.
Abbe: It is dark. They really
Hull: That was for me! At . . . while we fled through the do not expect to find you here. locks it. Door open creakily.
stronger all the time. Yes . . .
other
door
.
.
.
or
hid.
(Pause)
last. My turn.
Man: Mansieur Charles Bern- as the Lord liveth . . . all this
Go . . . and God speed.
At
the
boundary
of
unoccupied
Gendarme (Off): Open! Open
will pass. All this . . . will
Hull: What will you do? Will stein, of Paris?
France . . . the French guard
I say! Open!
. . . pass!
Hull: What of it?
they hurt you? What will you
saw
us
coming;
and
as
we
ap-
Hull: I went to the window.
Music: Up beautifully and
Monsieur
are
Man: You
proached, weary and hungry and tell them?
I looked down. Four stories.
finish.
Charles
Bernstein
of
Paris,
are
Abbe:
The
truth.
Sound: Pounding at door. Off. hoping for nothing . . . he turn-
THE END
Hull: But, Monsieur L'Abbe you not?
Hull: They would not take ed . . . and gazed steadily into

BOY AMERICA RESCUED
JOINS U. S. ARMY

MORE

Smoking Pleasure
flavorful

010 Got()

SHOWN FIRST IN IMPARTIAL READER'S DIGEST TESTS .. .

Nazi Germany's "Expendables"—
the thousands of Jewish men, wo-
men and children ruthlessly cast
out of their homelands—are taking
their place among Uncle Sam's
"Indfspensables" in the global strug-
gle against fascism.
The elderly, and others excused
from military service, are busy on

been brought to the United States
since 1934 and who have been
placed in carefully supervised fos-
ter homes by the German-Jewish

democracy's arsenals — jobs for
Which they are being trained and
placed by the National Refugee
Servioe.
The younger men, such as the
one pictured above saying goodbye
at NRS, are joining the armed
forces in increasing numbers. The
significance of the above photo lies
in the fact that the soldier-to-be Is
one of t1, 1100 child refugees from
all European countries who have

A few weeks ago he was called for

a child rescue
agency administered by the Nation-
al Refugee Service.
As soon as he became of age,

Children's Aid,

this young refugee registered with

IS

T IN THROAT-IRRIMTING
TARS AND RESINS
IN NICOTINE

or

the production lines replenishing his local Selective Service board.

Induction.
"Tomorrow I will be inducted in-
to the Army," he said proudly—
happy in the chance to repay in
part his debt to the country which
Is now his home.

The National Refugee Service,
together with the Joint Distribu-
tion Committee and the United Pal-
estine Appeal, receives Its funds
from the United Jewish Appeal.

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