I .4 P"--- Lk:camber 11, 1942

1

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

Major Eliot Overlooks Facts and Implications

1

-or

the weapon which sustained the
vide the basis of staff officer
Our fighting men are doing
Chinese Eighth Route Army and
which appears to present
their share. llere at home later the Greeks and the Russians.
so formidable a problem. If Ma-
Ma-
By NATHAN GEORGE HORWITT
the
least
we
can
do
is
put
10%
Armed with this "imponderable"
jor Eliot really wants some first-
of our Income In War Bonds the Yugoslav irregulars are mak-
The article by Major George Greece, Syria and Egypt, the hand information on the training
for our share in America.
Fielding Eliot, opposing the "certain" units are purely con- of Palestinian Jews and the num-
ing life bitter for the German
formation of a Jewish army, struction and labor battalions, ber of "effectives" however un-
marauders of that little country.
which appeared in the New York The implication is not made here trained in our most advanced
11.,..id - Tribune recently, re- that construction and labor bat- weapons, let him ask his col- Palestirlian colonist, observed tho As for Major Eliot's observa-
quires and will no doubt get taliona are not useful in the con- league in military strategy, Wil- scope of his works, felt his mus- tion that a Jewish army would
quires
spirited response. The response duct of war. The alternative of ham B. Ziff. Mr. Ziff knows—he cle, looked into his eye, fath- require a staff of officers pres-
ently unavailable to the Allied
mould be forthcoming especially labor battalions or no service iit has been in Palestine.
omed his spirit—tested that one
from such authorities in military all is another thing. Specifically,
This brings us down to the vital factor which Major Eliot's Nations, one is tempted to ask
and economimc fields as Don a ld it is the Nazi "Herrenfolk" con- final point—the practical difficul-
how does this problem differ
Nelson, Robert Nathan, Admirals cept, here carried out by the ty of equipping a Palestinian article overlooks but which is from the one we face right here
more potent than any weapon
Sterling and Yarnell, Lord Stra- British Colonial Office to its un- army. Here Major Eliot makes and which no responsible military in America. If the question is
not to be construed as frivolous
bolgi, William B. Ziff and Fletch- democratic extreme. How many the observation that all evad-
er Pratt, allproponents wh o volunteers does Major Eliot sup- able shipping is now occupied in observer today can afford to and, knowing Major Eliot as I
overlook—the factor of morale. do, I am convinced this isn't so—
appear to be discredited by Ma- pose we could get in this country transporting equipment and ma-
Here is a weapon with which then it is not frivolous to sug-
jor Eliot when he says he doubts if we restricted volunteers to the terial over 12,000 seaborne miles
the proponents of this plan have service of ditch digging and to the Allied troops. Since, how- every Palestinian and stateless gest that wherever it is required
any clear idea of the magnitude latrine patrol?
ever, the distance to the Near Jew is stoutly armed in any fight to raise an army, officers can be
of the task, etc.
TOT there is the contention East remains the same whether against Hitler and in a fight for found for it. Present the prob-
In the course of his article, that the British have announced equipment alone or equipment the defense of Palestine—come lem to General Dc Gaulle and
plus men are transported and Lease-Lend or no. Armed with offer him along with it so large
Major Eliot makes four major a Palestinian regiment to be bom-
c
points against the formation of Posed of equal battalions of Jews since the hazards are obviously this weapon and with little else, and potent at fighting force as
starved Loyalist soldiers the 200,000 Palestinian and
a Jewish Army. These are: (1) and Arabs. This is so patently greater when we transport troops, the
stood off the powerful coalition
that opportunity exists now for a diplomatic "joker", a legalis- it is a fair question to ask Major that Franco threw against them stateless Jews and see how
Palestinian and stateless Jews to tic out, designed by the British Eliot what he thinks the ship- for nearly three years. This was quickly and enthusiastically he
can dispose of it.
enter the ranks of "certain units" Colonial
lal Office to cover its (1 ,.. tonnage proportion is for trans-
of the British Army; (2) that termined position against the porting one as against the other.
ti
British government has an- Jewish Army, that one is forced How,
ow, for example, does the ex-
flounced the formation of a Pal- to wonder how so seasoned a tent of shipping equipment to a
estinian regiment to be composed military observer as Major Eliot Jewish army, now on the Near
of Jewish battalions and Arab could have been taken in by it. East battlefront, compare with
battalions; (3) that Palestinian Surely the British government the recent requirements for con-
and stateless Jews are untrained knows and Major Eliot cannot be tinuous shuttling back and forth
Best Wishes for a Joyous Iloliday
and therefore present an acute ignorant of the fact that the of Australian and New Zealand
problem of protracted training, Arabs show no inclination at all armies.
join
"The very purpose of Lease-
and (4) that all available ship- to oin
the Allied army. They are
ping, being inadequate for ores- openly indifferent to the Allied Lend," said Robert Nathan, plan
eat need, precludes the possi- cause, when not downright pro- director of the WPB, in a recent
bility of providing additional Axis. There is no such thing as address, "is to get the necessary
. be Arab
contra-British.
Iraq
re- weapons, as quickly as possible,
equipment for such an army, as- a Free
movement,
unless
suming the plan were otherwise it to the men already on the scene
mains completely neutral as does of battle, thus gaining precious
acceptable.
The statement that certain Egypt. The Grand Mufti is in time to prepare our own army
is no reason for the difficult job ahead. One
British army units are open to Berlin . and there is
to . believe for
that
followers,
the his
moment,
are cannot accept the principle of
his
Palestinian and stateless Jews, quiescent
Lease-Lend without appreciating
while correct as it is worded,
does not present the facts un- n o. t in complete . sympathy . with that the presence of a potential
is inevitable
less the word "certain" is clari- him. The conclusion is
Jewish
Army
in Suez,
Palestine,
only
miles
from
is fortui-
fled. With the exception of some that , the expressed purpose of the 100
3,000 Palestinian Jews previously 00-.,)(1 battalion was to keep Pal-
So much for the categorical
enlisted in the British army, who estiman Jews out of the British'
points in Major Eliot's article.
have served heroically in Crete, army. while appearing to raise tous."
no discriminatory restrictions.
When he digresses, however
Apart from this point, how- briefly, to the moral and politi-
ever, reference to a regiment cal issues he is really on shaky
when. conservative estimates set
Sincere Season's Greetings
he paraphrases
the I un-
the potential Jewish volunteers at sure,
ground.
Unconsciously,
am
1 50,000
.
men (sonic 8 to 10 di-
policy of
the
British Colonial
visions) is in itself the key to announced
but
frequently
avowed
BUY MORE
British colonial policy in the Office. For instance, "such a pro-
matter of the Jewish Army. gram" says the Major, "if carried
VICTORY BONDS
What reason exists for refusing out must be on the basis whim
so sizeable an offer of fighting makes it clear that the Jewish
manpower, at a time when we army is not ultimately employed
in America are stripping our as an instrument to further Zion-
factories and farms in the search ist political ambitions." Is any
for adequate combat troops, is question asked of the Free
not easy to fathom. It is precise- French, or the Free Dutch, or the
ly in this ratio between the num- Free Danes about the postwar
ber of combat troops admitted- itae of their armies? Or are they
ly available and the scant num- aaccepted with great welcome as
416 E. WOODBRIDGE
ber pronounced admissable to a so many 'recruits in the swelling
labor regiment that the "joker" tide of Axis enemies—as so many
RA ndolph 2780
Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday
becomes apparent. indispensable reinforcements to
Accepting as he does the figure every mother's son who is fight-
of 130,000 to 200,000 available ing for the preservation of free-
among Palestinian and stateless dom? Does the British govern-
Jews, Major Eliot gives the clear ment, conscripting its greatest
implication that this reservoir of army in a heroic war upon Hitler,
A Joyous Chanukah to All
men is completely untrained and waive the right to use its army
so presents the difficult problem ultimately for continuing its go-
3 SHOPS
of bringing them up to combat litical status or ambitions?
effectiveness. Skipping for the What, then, is Major Eliot try-
1051 WOODWARD AVE.
the plausible observa- ing to prove? Is he recommend-
GREGORY, MAYER & moment
13963
WOODWARD AVE.
Lion that this is true of our own ing that now with Rommel in
selectees as well — those just flight all danger is past and we
10721 GRAND RIVER AVE.
THOM CO.
inducted and the millions to fol- have reached the point where we
low—it is necessary. to correct have all the manpower required
Major Eliot on the facts. The for the titanic job of beating
Palestinian base army, existent Hitler and his partners? Is he
OFFICE OUTFITTERS
for approximately a decade, is recommending appeasement of
at least as well trained and al- the Arabs as the policy at a
Best Wishes for a Joyous Iloliday
most as well-armed as were the time when the term "appease-
41-45 CADILLAC SQUARE
Spanish Loyalists, as well train- ment" is disavowed by all re-
ed and almost as well armed as spectable statesmen as a shameful
CAdillac 9330
the Chinese Eighth Route Army relic of a shameless past? Does
was some five years ago--and it h. e suggest that the young Jew-
is to be recalled that these two ish farmers who have been heat-
combat groups have to date riv- ing the tar out of the Grand
en a better account of themselves Mufti's brigands and have been
than the Major's favorite British trained for 10 years ofrelent-
mountain troops and the defend- less reprisal warfare are inferior
MEDICAL — SURGICAL
combat material' to the se-
Honoring 70th birthday of ers of Burma and Singapore. as
lectees
from
our
own
(farms
and
Comparison could be made here,,„, .
• MATERNITY
the celebrated writer
also, to the I. R. A. of twenty °me"
Does
he
suggest
by
.
some
d
Li-
years back, the irregulars of
DAVID PINSKI
General Mihailowicz and the un- bious equation that it is more
3900 TRUMBULL AVE.
TE. 1-5115
Arranged by the
trained Nicaraguans under San- feasible to transport fully equip-
ped Polish troops across miles of
(lino.
As to the stateless Jews. or hazardous waters to the Near
at least those among the war East than to transport equip-
refugees within the service are ment alone to the waiting thou-
-these are emigrees from Po- sands of Jews—or that free
OF DETROIT
land, Rumania. Germany. Hun- Norwegians will fight better on
vary, Holland, Denmark and tropical Palestinian soil than will
Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday
France, for the most part a the acclimated and desperate
hardy crew who survived cease- Jewish inhamitants of that soil?
less holindhig by the gendarmie Does he suggest that an all but
of all Europe, men who escaped decimated world minerity which
and their ensemble of artists on small, unseaworthy boats • via has felt the scourge of the Nazis
will present Pinski's famous play the Aegian or the Black Sea, or in the days when Chamberlain
hiked across the difficult moun- was still doing business with
Yankel Der Shtnied tam pathe of the Carpathians Hitler be denied the right to
and the more difficult paths fight for its preservation, except
(Yankel the Blacksmith)
through the Caucasus. All came in Jim Crow battalions—and
FRED C. KRAFT, Pres.
from countries whereconscrip- then, only upon the pledge that
Prominent speakers will
tion
is
normal
peacetime
prac-
it
later
disband
the
one
force
participate in the program
ARTHUR F. TOTZ, Sec.-Treas.
flee and where training was es- likely to protect it, as Britain
Tickets may be obtained at the necially intensive before the ores- never could, from its murderous
ent outbreak of war. The facts neighbors?
office of the Theater Guild
I believe it is fair to ask Ma-
are that a great many of these
9124 LINWOOD
•ere officers in armies once con- jor Eliot when, within the n•st
6631 THEODORE ST.
PLAZA 6617
s4lered the best in Eurone by ten years, he has visited Pal-
TYLER 5-4684
Major Eliot and could well pro- estine. Has he seen the young

Detroit
Underpinning
Co., Inc.

ENGINEERS

MICHIGAN
CARTAGE and
STORAGE CO.

i

il

9121 Alpine

-:-

Tyler 4-7500

GRAYSON'S

for Beautiful Dresses

Marr General Hospital

Pinski-Celebration

Jewish Theater
Guild

Jacob Ben A mi
Bertha Gerstin

MOTOR CITY TOOL
CO., INC.

I

le

