April 7, 1944

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

2

MASARYK CHARTS JEWISH FUTURE

they could share with the Jews ceived the right of franchise and
the freedoms they had won in to hold elective office. They were
unison with them. It requires no free to employ their own mother
Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia Sees in Traditions and clairvoyance to see that such tongue. A broad autonomous base
freedoms breed better citizens. served to stimulate and invigo-
Aspirations of His Nation a Happy Augury Leading
Universal security, especially in rate their 'cultural, religious and
To Ultimate Outlawry of Anti-Semitism
small countries, is possible only social institutions. The state
if no segment of such peoples granted substantial subsidies for
Interviewed by Louis Rittenberg
gets pushed around. The abuse the furtherance of their educa-
of a single element in the na- tional and social service endeav-
(Reprinted from LIBERAL JUDAISM for January, 1944)
tional fabric is bound to in- ors. The libertarian and humani-
In the perspective of relativeiy Czechoslovakia. The makers of capacitate the nation as a whole tarian traditions cherished by
recent 20th century history, that new-born nation, gaining for the full functions of citizen- Czechs and Slovaks alike made
teeming with fateful events, one political independence after three ship."
us eager to go even beyond the
is likely to conjure only the centuries of thraldom, set a new
Without any prompting from provisions of the peace treaties.
Central
European
pattern
of
hu-
the interviewer, Dr. Masaryk ex-
high spots. Now that the cur-
"Religious differences might
rent World War seems to be man values and intergroup rela- pressed an eagerness to dwell easily have precipitated friction
driving swiftly toward wished- tions that only the torrents of upon the very natural attitude he and disunity in the new Czecho-
for climaxes, the thoughtful and another war could sweep away— and other responsible Czechoslo- slovak Republic. In his benign
objective observer is bound to temporarily. For Czechoslovakia vak leaders continue to harbor and forthright wisdom my father
find comfort, chiefly in remem- became particularly a beacon of for the Jewish people. The elder was determined that there shall
bering those incidents and per- hope and a haven for Jews, Masaryk is on record as having be no State religion. All his co-
sonalities that have consistently whose security is ever gravely acknowledged his gratitude to workers were in full agreement.
striven for a better world order menaced under the impact of in- American Jews who were first to Only thus could full liberty of
stability horn of wars. I could recognize and aid the aspirations conscience for all creeds take
to come.
In such a review on the cere- not but wonder how much of of Czechoslovakia. "Men of the firm root. It was no easy fight,
bral screen I was forcefully re- idealism and good will has sur- type of Justice Louis D. Bran- with opposition even by some
minded that exactly a quarter- vived in the souls of Czechoslo- deis and Judge Julian Mack, members of father's government
century ago there came into be- vakia's creators in the midst of among others," he said, "placed —but his will prevailed. `To de-
ing, upon the ruins of the First national adversity. For the an- their influence at his disposal Austrianize ourselves,' he stoutly
World War, the Republic of swer I sought and readily ob- when he needed friends to plead contended, 'we must first of .all
tained an interview with His our cause in high places in the separate the Church from th
Excellency, Jan Masaryk, For- United States. Even before his
eign Minister of the Czechoslo- association with the Hilsner Af- tr
vak Government-in-Exile, who is fair (1899), my father viewed
momentarily sojourning in the anti-Semitism as a slap in the
• PASSOVER
United States. This stalwart son face of non-Jews, detrimental to
of the immortal Thomas G. Ma- Gentiles in that it makes them
GREETINGS
saryk, and close associate of appear immoral as well as vulgar.
President Eduard Benes, received In sharing this opinion, I do not
TO ALL
me• with heart-warming infor- mind declaring that anti-Semitism
mality. The treaty of mutual as- is the most dastardly form of
•
sistance concluded by Dr. Benes cowardice, the vilest subterfuge
and Foreign Commisar Molotov for the concealment of ulterior
had just been announced from motives. If there were as many
Moscow and world reaction there- Jews as non-Jews in the world,
D. SOBEL
to was still pretty much a mat- I might understand, but never
ter of speculation.
condone, the element of rivalry
AND
Dr. Masaryk, whose mother behind Jew-baiting, but with mil-
was American, combines to a lions of non-Jews ranged against
delightful degree the cordial di- a relatively handful of Jews,
FAMILY
rectness of the American execu- anti-Semitism becomes utterly in-
tive with the urbanity of the defensible."
European statesman. He had no
Jan Masaryk was by now
hesitancy about discussing ques- wholly engrossed in historical
3750 Glendale
tions relating to the Jewish po- memories. On the threshold of
sition in the world. He was most vast, inscrutable national respon-
emphatic at the very outset in sibilities, he is anxious that the
his condemnation of anti-Semi- fruits of early Czechoslovakian
principles and ideals, now un-
tism.
"My father and his co-builders happily trampled upon by the
of Czechoslovakia," he recalled, Nazi conqueror, be not consigned
Passover Greetings to All!
"had always led a culturally and to oblivion. On the contrary, he
politically cosmopolitan existence. is resolved that their resuscita-
Their long-range views encom- tion be insured and made all per-
passed and strove to avert the vasive. He summed it up in these
D. SULLIVAN
tangle of difficulties that spelled words:
"I believe that the fashioners
so much misfortune elsewhere in
the compromises with divisive of the brave new world that
COAL CO.
forces. We, the heirs of Thomas lies ahead of us might find it re-
G. Masaryk, have hewn close to warding to femiliarize themselves
his line of thinking, and never with Czechoslovakia's short his-
Coal and Coke
for a moment—not even in na- tory as a republic. Our minority
tional disaster when some are policy rested on firm foundations.
prone to seek scapegoats—lost We extended full equality before
sight of the God-imposed duty to the law to all our citizens, of
5784 TWELFTH ST.
• at the Jews as our equals. whatever race or creed. They re-
tle
True Czechoslovaks have regard-
MAdison 0285
ed themselves as unworthy of the
blessings of democracy unless

State.'
"The Jews secured special rep.
resentation in the Chamber of
Deputies, had their own schools,
especially in the sub-Carpathian
regions, where Hebrew was the
language of instruction. Jews dis-
tinguished themselves in all
spheres of endeavor. In difficult
times, the Jews were among our
most devoted citizens. Eloqueut
testimony to this may be found
in the memorandum which Jew-
ish leaders prepared for Lord
Runciman's futile mission.
"Through the cohesion of out
minority peoples we were well
on the way toward the creation
of a state in which no man could
be too poor and no one too rich.
I believe it is not fatuous to say
that in such an atmosphere the
stridencies of craven anti-Semites
could have no fertile soil. In such
a state Jew and Gentile were
judged solely ,upon their respec-
tive merits.
"I will recall the revealing re-
action in those hectic days of
Professor Oscar Kraus, a Jew.

See FUTURE—Page 15

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