DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE 4 and The Legal Chronicle Detroit Jewish Chronicle Is Darlan a Quisling? and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE Admiral Jean Francois Darlan has made a forthright statement as to his political intentions. Simultaneously he has ordered that those Frenchmen who aided the United Nations in the North African invasion be freed; and he has made it clear that the Nuremberg laws will not be operative in those territories over which he has authority. The fleets at Da- kar and Alexandria are put at the dis- posal of the United Nations. Many will say that he has done this because he was compelled to do so; or, being an opportunist, he found it to his advantage. We hold no brief for Darlan, but in all fairness to the man it must be re- corded that he was put under great pres- sure by the Nazis, and there was a time when a Nazi victory, after the fall of France, looked like a mathematical cer- tainty. If he were a Quisling and an op- portunist he would have gone to the Nazis and offered his services, as have Laval and Quisling, Pavelich, and as Doriot would be happy to do if but given the chance. A Quisling is one who seeks those who will employ him in treason. This Darlan never did. If he seemed amenable and complaisant at times, it was because he wanted to help France and its people and prisoners of war. We must never forget that his author- ity is recognized by Frenchmen in the African colonial possessions. Would the French colonials in Africa; would Gen- eral Giraud, recognize his authority if he were a Quisling? We think not. De- spite opinions, the fact remains that the French are cooperating and collaborating, and such help is of the utmost importance at this time. The French will settle their political problems when peace comes, and in all probability Admiral Jean Francois Darlan will not be excluded from their counsels and deliberations. Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc. JACOB H. SCHAKNE JACOB MARGOLIS Pres.-Gen. Mgr. Editor General Offices and Publication Bldg., 525 Woodward Ave. Telephone: CAdillac 1040 Cable Addres's: Chronicle $3.00 Per Year Subscription in Advance To insure publication, all correspondence and news matter must reach this office by Tuesday evening of each week. When mailing notices, kindly use one side of paper only. The Detroit Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on sub- jects of interest to the Jewish people, but disclaims respon- sibility for an endorsement of views expressed by its writers. Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post- office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Sabbath Readings of the Law Pentateuchal portion—Genesis 47.28-50.26. Prophetical portion—I Kings 2.1-12. DECEMBER 25, 1942 TEBET 17, 5701 Americanizing Europe Thomas Mann was one of the speakers at a recent dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York honoring 28 Nobel Prize winners. In his message to the gathering, among other things Thomas Mann said: "We cannot doubt that America will make full weight felt in favor of peace, which may well be called in advance the Peace of Washington, that will not be only another exhausted intermission between two catas- trophies, but that will grant lasting protection to the peoples of the world for their work and their enjoyment of life, and that will guarantee lasting freedom from fear and want. "I am not afraid to state openly that the Americanization of the world, i n a certain fundamental moral sense, would be a piece of good fortune for mankind; for the moral confusion and anarchy in which our present afflictions have their root is curable only through the clear and spiritually sound prin- ciples and the moral code of conduct upon which the Union was originally established by the founding fathers. its It is an auspicious sign when an artist, social thinker and humanitarian of the stature of Thomas Mann would have the world and Europe Americanized. In the very recent past, cultured Europeans were horrified by the idea of the industrial Americanization of Europe, let alone the moral Americanization of that war torn continent. Those of us who believe that political and economic Americanization are ex- portable products, far superior to the do- mestic wares of Europe are happy to have the support of the Manns. We know that out of those diverse ra- cial, national, cultural, religious elements that go to make up the world, we in the United States were able to fuse them without depriving anybody of freedom and equality in the process. We know, too, that we have worked out a plan whereby the States surrendered part of their sovereignty and the central govern- ment part of its sovereignty, without any clashing, discord and disorder resulting therefrom. The states of Europe could well accept this American pattern and put it into im- mediate use. They would solve many of their acute political problems by imi- tating us. In the economic field they could imitate us even more slavishly, for Americani- zation has meant the greatest rationaliza- tion of industry that has resulted in the greatest per capita production of goods and services ever achieved by man. Certainly we have not attained perfec- tion, morally, politically or industrially, but we have traveled so far along the road of .political and industrial democracy that the nations of Europe and the rest . of the world would do well to follow in our footsteps, until such time as they have developed and perfected something better. We have not hesitated to imitate and import European and Asiatic music, liter- ature and art, so why should they be hesi- tant about imitating and importing from us political and economic ideas, two fields in which we have shown superior skill and understanding. We Must Protest A speaker on Radio Berlin informed the civilized world that the hue and cry raised against Nazi brutality in its Jewish extermination program was for the pur- pose of enabling Jews to do a better Christmas business in London and New York. One is simply flabbergasted. How can one answer such callousness, such de- pravity? Is it possible that human beings can become so indifferent to the decent opinion of mankind that they can answer charges of murdering millions of fellow- men with an insult and a sneer? And yet that is exactly what these Aryan super- men have done. They do not deny the charges; they offer no explanations or defenses. Such an answer proves to the hilt that Nazism is a cult of degeneracy and bes- tiality. Only an Attila, a Tamerlane, a Ghengis Khan, an Ivan the Terrible, a Nero, could have been so brutally insult- ing. We may have thought that those mon- sters were buried too deeply to be disin- terred after centuries of education and indoctrination in the humanities; but in this we were unhappily mistaken. Those monsters are still just under the surface and but two decades of Nazi indoctrina- tion and exposure have unearthed and fleshed them for the whole world to see. Must we in the face of this obscenity give up the struggle for a better world? Must we stop our protests? Certainly not. The struggle must be carried on more determinedly and vigorously, albeit more intelligently because we know who is the adversary and to what lengths he will go. It cannot be too often repeated that men must have more freedom and equal- ity in political and economic matters; men must have access to the world's raw ma- terials; they must be permitted to trade and travel freely ; they must have work opportunities and there must be a fair and equitable distribution of income. This is the long time job. It will take patience, energy, vision and good will to achieve all this, but in the meantime we must pro- test; we must let the sadists know that just punishment will be meted out to them for their numberless crimes. December 25, ;42 PLAIN TALK • by AL SLGAL Ellen and Santa Claus at this season, I wrote a piece Q in this column about Santa Claus UITE a number of years ago, Jewish children have nothing to do with. I shouldn't like to see Ellen in relation to Jewish children. I brought up in the narrow gro ove frowned on Santa Claus calling of the idea of exclusive Jewish on Jewish children. Jewish chil- perfection. The hateful religious dren, I said, should rather enter- prejudices that cut through the tain Elijah the prophet who comes social body spring from notions around on the Passover. Why of exclusive perfection. Catholic should Jewish children make shab- perfection; Protestant perfection; bos of Santa Claus when they Jewish perfection. The one who have their own Elijah whom we doesn't share your paticular es. have rationalized as the messen- sence of perfection may look like ger of good will, kindness, peace somebody less than you, some- and all righteousness. body to be despised, perhaps, be- I wrote this in a time before cause he hasn't been as favored Ellen was born. Ellen is the one as you. who is my granddaughter. Now, It would please me if Ellen almost three years old, she is be- grew up on the idea that just coming more and more aware of to be tolerant isn't enough; to the world about her. look with appreciation and rev- She turns to the funny page erential understanding at the and asks who L'il Abner is, and things of your neighbor's religion I get awfully involved explaining is much finer; to know his re- Dick Tracy to her. Then she ligion almost as well as you do points to a heavily-bearded old your own to respect him the more gentleman in a department store because, by knowing his religion, advertisement and asks: "Who's you discover some loveliness that abides in his heart. that?" I hope that by the time we Santa "That," I reply, "is get around to Ellen's Jewish edu- Claus." "Why?" she asks. (Ellen has cation, the religious educators a way of asking why when she will themselves have come to this wants more explicit information.) idea. If religious education has "Santa Claus," I explain, "is a anything to do with teaching the good old man. He likes good concept of brotherhood, it must children. He comes down the say to its pupils: "Yes, we have chimney with a big bag of toys a very good religion, but other on his back. If you are a good people have very good religions, girl he will give you some nice too. You know, all the religions toys. You hang up your stocking have the same idea: That people and he comes down and fills it should try to walk with God in with candy and other nice all their ways, that they should be just and kind, that they should things." be humble. That's the whole "Lollypops?" Ellen asks. thing. Every religion has its own "Yes, lots of lollypops." beautiful ways of saying this. "Chewing gum?" 1 1 I "Yes, chewing gum, too." I 1 I HIS, I hope, is the teaching Ellen will get. Yet she will HE wants to hang her stock- ing up right away. I suddenly not be less Jewish for respecting become aware that this is all and appreciating other religions. out of line with my publicly- She should be the more Jewish written ideas on Santa Claus. in the sense that by this teaching That piece I wrote about him she discovers the brotherhood. that time! Here I sit propagandiz- She will learn the lovely things ing Santa Claus for Ellen's faith! by which the ideals of her religion Ellen believes in him implicitly are expressed. She will know after one lesson. She looks all ex- Chanukah as well as Santa Claus. pectant already toward the fire If she is properly taught she place down which Santa Claus will understand the Chanukah will come. I find myself in no po- lamp as the everlasting light of sition at all to quarrel with El- which there is always a gleam len's faith. I gave her this faith left over, even in the most im- and it would embarrass me to try mense darkness of the world. to take it away from her. She will know these Chanukah Nor would I quarrel with her lights as the reserve of light that if she had come to Santa Claus is not in Jews alone but in the through some other than my in- hearts of all mankind striving to- troduction. I have some ideas ward mountain top in the about Ellen's religious education darkness. and in a way Santa Claus has to When she gets old enough she do with these ideas. I should will sit at our Seder. I shall like to see her learning rever- make quite an ado for her bene- entially to respect what is good fit, over the arrival of Elijah and and beautiful in other people's the brimming cup that waits for religions. him on the table. (I don't think Of course, Santa Claus is no our Haggadah—Orthodox or Re- official religious saint but tradi- form—makes enough of him.) tional Jewish concepts have set aside as one whom pious little See SEGAL—Page 4 T DeleqatIon of leading American Rabbis se ho called upon St•( tary of State Hull to presvnt to blur a mein:Ira:1Juni requesting tin further implementation "ot the letter and spirit of the Ralf"' On ► eclaration." From left to right; Rabbi James G. Heiler, of Itatthi• cinnati, President of the Central Conference of American and chairman of the National Administrative Council of the Zionio Organization of America; Rabbi B L LevInthal, of Philadelpiii.; Dean of the Orthodox Rabbinate of America; Rabbi Joseph A Looksteln, of New York, President n1 the Rabbinical Council el 1rnerIca; and Rabbi Louis l,1. Levitsky, of Newark, N. J., President the Rabbinical Assembly of America.