Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

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JACOB H. SCHAKNE
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JACOB MARGOLIS

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Entered es 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—Exodus 25.1-27.19.
Prophetical portion—I Kings 5.26-6.13.

FEBRUARY 12. 1943

ADAR 7, 5703

Anti-Semitism Is Decreasing

M. S. Dann wants to know whether
there has been an increase or a decrease
in anti-Semitism in the United States since
the election in November. We cannot an-
swer his question categorically because no
Gallup poll has been taken on the subject,
so the best we can do is to give him our
opinion, based upon the known factors
that are responsible for anti-Semitism and
cause the anti-Semitic barometer to rise
and fall.
We have all learned through the grim
and bitter experience of the last 20 years
that a defeated and unsuccessful people
will, wherever possible seek to evade its
responsibility for failure and defeat and
will place the blame on these least able
to defend themselves. The Nazis played
upon this string until they persuaded mil-
lions of German that the Jews were re-
sponsible for the defeat of the Kaiser's
army; for the Versailles Treaty; for the
economic crises and the widespread unem-
ployment that obtained in Germany in
1932. The Jews were the scapegoats upon
whom all the defeats, failures, miseries
of the nation were loaded.
Assuming this frame of reference is the
correct one, it follows that anti-Semitism
should decrease because since the elec-
tion the fortunes of the United States and
the United Nations have been on the up-
grade. The Jew is forgotten because we
are too busy with our pressing affairs.
Then, too, there is the factor of anti-
Semitic propaganda which was formerly
carried on by Nazi-inspired and menda-
cious agencies. Practically all these have
been silenced by order of Postmaster Gen-
eral Walker or by Attorney General
Francis Biddle. Educational experts are
agreed that a constant stream of propa-
ganda that is not denied or contradicted
will have the effect desired by the propa-
gandist. Again the case of Nazi Germany
shows that a generation can be so indoc-
trinated that it believes that death for
the Fuehrer is more important than self-
preservation which normal people con-
sider to be the first law of nature.
Another fact that has probably de-
creased anti-Semitism is the all-out, whole-
hearted war effort of all Jews in the land.
We trust we have answered the ques-
tion raised by Mr. Dann.
Let us not, however, become smug and
complacent. We must be ever on the alert
and so act and live that we shall not
furnish the anti-Semites with any fuel
for the fires of hatred and bigotry that
they would kindle.

line is sweat, blood and tears and the
exhortation to emulate the British when
they stood alone on their embattled island
in 1940. We do not believe that the new
propaganda line will achieve the results
which Goebbels et al hope for, and for
very specific reasons.
The first marked and essential differ-
ence between Britain and Germany is the
fact that Britain was defending her very
home, while the Nazis are still in posses-
sion of enemy territory a thousand miles
away from the borders of Germany. The
second reason, and this is of immense
importance, is the fact that many mil-
lions of Germans had never approved of
the war and, in fact, were opposed to it,
while the British masses had actually over-
ruled the Chamberlain government and
compelled it to end the policy of appease-
ment and declare war.
A third reason is the fact that millions
of Germans well knew that it was an
unjust, unprovoked and an aggressor's
war and a nation cannot be as determined
and persistent in carrying on an unjust,
aggressive war, when it is facing defeat
and disaster, as it can when it feels that
it is defending itself.
A fourth reason is the fact that the
psychology of victory and advance had
been inculcated to the point that the boast
at the time of the invasion of Russia was
that the words "retreat" and "defeat"
were not in the Nazi dictionary.
Do the Nazi propagandists believe that
they can inspire and make enthusiastic
a people who no longer responded when
great victories were announced?
The weary,. disillusioned, deceived
masses of Germans, whose sons, hus-
bands, brothers and fathers have met
death on the Russian front, must want
only one thing and that is peace. Peace at
any price and with anybody who will
make it with them.
We do not believe that the tears, sweat
and blood slogan will arouse the dulled,
despondent Germans. The mass psycholo-
gists of the Hitler Reich will have to
work out a better plan and approach
than this.
They apparently have reached the end
of their string; they are mentally bank-
rupt.

Nazi Morale Low

,,

February 12, 1943

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

4

Paul Joseph Goebbels, minister of
propaganda of the National Socialist
Party, and his staff of psychologists have
a difficult and acute morale problem on
their hands. In the years of triumphs they
could assure the home front that the ulti-
mate triumph was close at hand, and
even the bitter irreconcilables and dissi-
dents went along, for it is in the nature
of men to go along with that which is
successful, even though they may not
have approved of the methods and means
employed to achieve the success.
Now all is changed. Defeat and debacle
are now the lot of the Nazi armies on
the Russian and Libyan fronts. The anni-
hilation of the entire army at Stalingrad
was a very bitter pill to swallow. The
Nazis hoped to soften the blow by declar-
ing three days of mourning. And now the

PLAIN TALK

by

AL SLGAL

I

Of Being Jewish

of scolding, the edi- what the Lord requireth of
B Y tor WAY
of a Jewish paper in our man.

Segal, as I know him, is not a
town says in his publication. Jew who would retire with these
"You see, being Jewish is only lights to his own corner and bask
incidental with Segal . „ The himself in their splendor and
Jewish label which is attached to thank Cod for having chosen him
him Segal regards as incidental especially to receive this gift of
to the phenomenon of his birth light. No. If his lights are of
. . . Se sees no reason for re- any good he must join them to
moving that label since it is his the lights of all ,other men of
firm conviction that the mere good will who go searching for
wearing of the label in no way the way to brotherhood .
interferes with his being 100 per
Since being Jewish is inciden-
cent American."
Now, I myself, who have tal to his larger identity as a
known Segal, boy and man, these human being, he doesn't carry his
many years, can vouch that, Jewish label on his sleeve. He
broadly speaking, this is a fair doesn't make a profession of be-
appraisal of Segal. I think I know ing Jewish, any more than any
his mind better than I do any other normal human being makes
other man's. Though the outside a profession of his being a Scots-
world can see only Segal's few man or a Presbyterian, a Swede
merits, I am well acquainted also or a Baptist. He works at being
with his derelictions and delin- Jewish in the sense that as a
quencies. Yes, I know Segal all Jew he is supposed to carry
these lights which, he hopes, will
right.
The editor is almost right when help to show the way for the
he says that "being Jewish is in- feet of mankind.
I remember Segal from old.
cidental with Segal"—incidental,
the editor seems to suggest, to There was a time when he be-
lieved that being a Jew was an
being an American.
exclusive identity which wrapped
should
make
a
slight
correc-
I
tion, though. Knowing Segal as him apart from other kinds of
well as I do I feel free to say people. To the Jewish character
that being Jewish is with him he liked to ascribe special vir-
incidental to the matter of being tues. To be of the human family
one of the human kind, a mein- was quite incidental to being a
ber of the brotherhood of man Jew.
One time he made an awful
which, he hopes, will be an or-
ganization in good standing ass of himself in a speech before
the Jewish social agencies of his
some day.
Segal's idea is that he is first home town. Though a long time
of all a human being, related to has passed, I still wince with pain
hu- when I recall what he said on
all the other members of the hu
man family to whom he is under that occasion. He said there was
social obligation. His being a a difference between giving to
Jew is incidental to that. He Jewish charities and giving to
thinks that to be a Jew is sig- the community chest. To the
nificant only if his being a Jew Jewish charities he could give
is of benefit to the human fain_ with a full,loving heart, to the
ily. Being a Jew can't be an end community chest he gave only
ire itself. with a sense of duty.
What he means is that beingI can forgive him for this,
a Jew is one way of discharging since he was much younger then.
his duty to mankind. His idea of He has grown up and away from
being an American has to do with primitive attachment to the tribe.
As he grew up—this is to say,
Things Look Better in Africa
the same function.
Neither as a Jew nor as an as he grew into middle life—he
that beyond the tribe
The meeting of President Franklin American can he wrap himself discovered
t
up
in
isolation.
As
a
Jew
he
has
there
was
a
world full of people
Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston
no idea of being the possessor of o whom he was a part and with
Churchill is producing beneficent results of
a religious perfection or of whom he must mingle and walk
if the reports emanating from North being a member of a Jewish na- and serve. His merits as a Jew
Africa are correct. According to most re- tion with geographical boun- could not be for self-service or
cent advises from Algeria, the Nurem- daries within which to live his self-adulation.
1
/ '
berg laws are being modified and hun- spiritual if not his physical life.
I I
I
IN THIS way Segal has found
dreds of pro-ally prisoners are being re-
being Jewish most satisfactory.
IS
BEING
a
Jew
has
to
do
leased. It would be much more satisfac-
with certain lights that are To him it looks like an intelli-
tory if all the anti-Semitic laws were re-
in the law and the prophets. For gent approach to the matter of
pealed and all discrimination ended by a example:
Judaism's social ideals being Jewish. It is a challenge
single edict. But that could hardly be ex- particularly expressed in Leviti- to anti-Semitism whose purpose is
set Jews apart in quarantine
pected when there are so many contend- cus 19 which to him seems to be to
human society.
ing political forces seeking power and a sort of constitution for decent from
(For Jews to consider them-
social behavior. For example: The
authority. In our opinion, General Giraud prophet who preached brother- selves as a separate and special
is making an honest effort to find a solu- hood and the prophet who told us
See SEGAL—Page 13

H

tion that will unify all Frenchmen against
the Axis and for the United Nations and
France.
There has been endless acrimonious
debate over Vichy and the Vichyites. Our
State Department has consistently ad-
hered to a policy of friendliness with
Vichy from the day France fell until the
day it was all occupied by Hitler. Ambas-
sador Leahy must have known better than
the best informed outsider what was the
attitude of Petain, Darlan, Peroutain to-
ward the Nazis and the United Nations.
The information furnished by our Am-
bassador was the basis upon which our
decisions were made. He must have
known that there were pro-Axis and pro-
Ally Vichyites, and we believe it is a
mistake to throw all the men of Vichy into
the same pot and label them all traitors.
Some day we may have specific and de-
tailed information on the conduct, motives
and actions of the men of Vichy. We shall
then learn that there were many of them
who .thought only of France and if they
appeared to cooperate and collaborate
with Hitler it was because they thought
they could best serve their own country
by so doing.
We do not mean to excuse the Lavals,
Death, Doriots, DeBrinons for these self-
seeking men would sell their people for
place, power and prestige if only Hitler
would employ them in works of infamy
and betrayal.

OUR BONDS FREE THEIR BONDS

REc- M14.1141KC-4—

U. S. Trease•. Dept.

