Friday, December 15, 1944
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
4
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
JACOB H. SCHAKNE
JACOB MARGOLIS
CHARLES FAUB
Pres.-Gen. Mgr.
Editor
Advertising Mgr.
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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—Gen. 41:1-44 :7 ; Num. 28 :
9-15; Num. 7.42-53.
Prophetical Portion—Zech. 2:4-4 :7.
DECEMBER 15, 1944
KISLEV 29,
5705
A Pitiful Effort
Gerald L. K. Smith, candidate for Pres-
ident on the America First ticket, received
a total of 691 votes out of a total of 875,-
000 cast in Wayne County. In the very
citadel of the America Firsters, the much
advertised candidate received the vote of
one voter out of 1,300. This does not sur-
prise us at all. We did not consider Mr.
Smith and his deluded crack-pot followers
a menace or a threat, and the voters of
Detroit proved to the hilt that they did
not even know he was a candidate. In
times when men and women are faced
with critical issues, they have no time
for the irresponsible rantings of self-ap-
pointed saviors and self-appointed candi-
dates for the Presidency of the United
States.
Thirty Years of J. D. C.
A unique work of rescue and sanctuary
was told at the annual meeting of the
American Jewish Joint Distribution Com-
mittee which for 30 years has served the
oppressed and distressed overseas. The
story represents one of the decisive battles
of the war; a battle fought not by trench
mortars, guns and tanks but by the eternal
forces of the human spirit.
With the advance of the liberating
armies on all fronts of the European war
theaters, the veil is lifted from the twin
reality of Nazi brutality and the funda-
mental humanity that fought on even in
the years of Nazi triumph. As the full
story of the butchery of Europe's Jews is
unrolled, there is also coming to light the
amazing saga of simple men and women
who risked—and gave—their lives to
hide, protect and shelter their Jewish fel-
lowmen; of the underground forces in
the vanquished countries that worked
hand in hand with relief agencies in the
free world to rescue and sustain the Jew-
ish victims of the herrenvolk. As the
thousands of survivors emerge from their
places of hiding, the dark, unparalleled
assault upon them is illuminated by an
equally unparalleled story of quiet hero-
ism and universal humanity.
As with other fronts, this battle, too,
is continuing and will perforce have to
be continued for many years to come. Try
as they did, the Nazis did not quite suc-
ceed in exterminating the Jewish com-
munities in Europe. Five million were vic-
tims; but hundreds of thousands are corn-
ing out of hiding, are breathing the air
of a free world once again and are taking
their places anew in a world purged of
the Nazi contamination.
The task in behalf of the survivors con-
stitutes the greatest humanitarian chal-
lenge to their co-religionists in the United
States. Every month that passes expands
the opportunity and reveals the vastness
of the need for rescue, relief and rehab-
ilitation, and for the myriad tasks of
healing and restoring. To provide for its
minimum program for 1945, the Joint
Distribution Committee has been present-
ed with requests from the liberated and
other countries in Europe which total 46
million dollars. This is nearly twice the
sum it sought in the first year after World
War I. The need today is far beyond any-
thing of the past for these unfortunates
who were the first victims of Nazi hatred
and oppression and who have suffered
beyond comparison and description.
We are confident that Americans will
respond magnificently to the present chal-
lenge.
One would think that after such an
ignominious failure that Mr. Smith would
decide to go to work at some trade where
he could be of some use to himself and
some service to the community i but Ger-
ald L. K. Smith will go blithly on, telling
his few followers that the day is not
distant when America will pay heed to his
anti-Semitic, anti-Roosevelt, anti every-
thing tirades. We doubt whether the time
will come when any considerable number
of Americans will pay any serious atten-
tion to this completely discredited rabble
rouser. This does not mean, however, that
some other rabble rouser may not be able
to gather a following among the discon-
tented, frustrated and resentful elements
of our population, who may be made so
Not a Happy Prospect
if we fail to solve the pressing economic
Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia, speaking at
problems that will, no doubt, arise if the
period of reconversion is one of serious a meeting of the Hias, criticized the immi-
unemployment, industrial uncertainty and gration policy of the United States gov-
ernment, but at the same time warned
business dislocation.
that any attempt to liberalize the present
The pitiful showing of Mr. Smith should immigration laws would meet with strong
persuade some of those who want more opposition.
and more laws to shut up more and more
The fact that any attempt to liberalize
people who say things with which they
the
immigration laws would meet with
disagree, that the good sense of the Amer-
ican public enables it to distinguish be- strong opposition has been known for a
tween the genuine and the phoney, and long time. This, however, should not de-
that the appeals to race hatreds do not ter us from continuing our campaign to
persuade our law makers that the pres-
get very far.
ent immigration policy is unsound, in-
The sinister propaganda groups in equitable, unfair, and works hardships
America have been trying to persuade upon those who are least able to endure
Americans that they should change their them.
industrial, political and legal system, and
When the war ends we should expect
substitute some ism of the old country in that many of the Jewish survivors will
its stead. These propogandists have spent not wnat to return to their native lands,
large sums of money; expended enormous not want to return to their native lands,
energy; written millions of words and will want to leave. At present the pros-
delivered countless speeches; and yet the pect of the abrogation of the White Pap-
net result has been close to nothing. er is rather slender. Such being the case,
Propaganda flourishes if the seed, soil and America remains as the beckoning ref-
climate are right. If they are not then uge and haven. However, the number
it is just so much hot air.
who would be allowed to come here from
All of this means that we must manage Eastern Europe, based upon the present
our economic, political and industrial national quota arrangement, would be
affairs so as to preclude the creation of negligible.
We cannot expect the Congress to open
soil, seed and climate in which noxious
wide
the gates of America to the broken,
weeds can flourish.
dispirited refugees, but if a concerted at-
We have a right to be pleased with the tack were made on the quota principle,
ridiculous showing of Mr. Smith, but we we might get the Congress to so modify
dare not become smug and complacent. the present law that a goodly number
We shall be among the first to feel the hot would be admitted.
breath of racial discrimination if " the
This is one activity in which all Jewish
organizations can participate.
country goes into a tail-spin.
AIL
Plain Talk... by Al Segal
•
Going to Florida
good friend, what
W are you my thinking
of doing
ELL,
this winter? Going to Florida,
perhaps? Yes, I know how it is
with this northern climate. It's
horribly bad.
It is really no climate for one's
sinuses. My own sinuses act up
all winter long and I'm grateful
I haven't got asthma yet. But
what can I do about running
away from it all? I'm just a poor
workingman.
Sure, I know about your case.
At this season your sinuses prac-
tically cry for Miami Beach.
They are • used to its balmy sun-
light and when this time of the
year rolls around they demand
Miami Beach. They seem to know
when the blizzards are about to
begin to blow.
To be sure, your wife hai been
dressing up for Florida. I my-
self have seen some pretty Flo-
•idan things in the store window.
Your wife certainly would look
nice in that light blue ensemble
I saw in a window the other day.
It would make a big hit for her
at the Shamdale Arms Hotel,
or is it Extravaganza Manor
where you stop in Florida?
Yes, I hear you had a grand
time there last year, except for
the wounded soldiers who were
all around. The wounded sol-
diers impinge so much on a man's
conscience. Wherever you went
about Miami Beach they were
there, I understand. Kids with
legs off and sO on ; kids on
chutches, kids in wheel chairs.
The only place they weren't was
your golf course.
f
THAT brings up a letter I've
L just received. Why they sent
it to me I can't figure out be-
cause I'm not a guy who can
afford to go to Florida, as I
told you. It's from the Jewish
Community Council of my home
town and it has to do with going
to Florida this winter. I'll read
it to you :
"Dear Friend : If you are plan-
ning a winter vacation there is
an important contribution you
can make to the war effort.
There are certain centers in the
country which have been set
aside by the War Department
for the wounded and those who
have seen service overseas.
"The problem is this : A num-
ber of these rehabilitation cen-
ters are popular winter resorts
where many have been going for
years. Today, because of the in-
flux of servicemen, these places
have become extremely crowded.
As a result, servicemen are un-
able to get rooms and other fa-
cilities for their families who,
quite naturally, wish to be with
them.
"All this is creating great re-
sentment on the part of the serv-
icemen against civilians who ap-
pear to have little realization oi .
what
servicemen
have been
through. Servicemen can not
even compete in buying the nor-
mal necessities of day-to-day liv-
ing.
"This resentment is directed
especially against those civilians
who have flocked to these resorts
and whose holiday mood contrasts
so vividly with the recent har-
rowing experiences of men who
have returned.
"Because this situation is ere.
sting serious tensions, and be-
cause of the disturbing reports
pouring in from these resort
areas, a movement has been start-
ed throughout the country urg-
ing civilians to stay away from
redistribution and rehabilitation
centers. These centers are 'Miami
Beach; Hot Springs, Ark.; Lake
Placid, N. Y.; Atlantic City;
Asheville, N. C.; and Santa Mon-
ica, Cal.
"Stay away from these places
yourself. Tell your friends to
stay away. Find some other place
to go. Or, if necessary, give up
your winter vacation. (Signed)
Robert P. Goldman, president
Jewish Community Council ; Les-
ter A. Jaffe, chairman Public Re-
latons Committee."
I
s'
I
Y
ES, that's it, my friend. I'm
awfully sory to be mention-
ing it and maybe spoiling your
Miami Beach vacation. It's so
nice there, what with poinsietta
and hibiscus and the warm sett
playing between your toes on the
beach.
And yet it must be embarrass-
ing: You luxuriating at the
Shamdale Arms, or is the Extrav-
aganda Manor, while those kids
sire hobbling around on their
crutches. You safe amid the
swell appointments of your hotel
room while a wounded soldier's
wife who has come on to be with
him can't find a fit place to
live in.
I guess I wouldn't want
wounded soldier staring at me,
as if wondering how I got there
and what right I have to be
there at all. I am a fellow who
is easily embarrassed and,...pretty
soon I'd be wondering at myself
and what right I had to be there,
anyway, and hadn't I better get
the hell out of there and hurry
back to the more comfortable
seclusion of my own home.
There my sinuses might bother
me but that might be more cons-
forable than a crippled kid star-
ing me out of countenance in a
reproachful way, and what am I
to say to him? I suppose I had
better not say anything to hint
because he'd probably talk back
and ask what kind of a man
I ant.
He might remind me that my
See SEGAL—Page 13
THEIR SACRIFICE TO BE MEMORIALIZED
Chaplains Luis Werfel, Alexander Goode, and 'ming Tepper, alt of
whom have paid the supreme price in the fight for freedom, will be
honored tomorrow, the Sabbath of Chanukah, in temple and synagogue
pulpits throughout America on the occasion of Jewish Chaplains Sal)•
bath. The rabbinate of America has given 280 rabbis to the armed
forces, and sermons tomorrow will pay tribute to their role in the war.
Jewish Chaplains Sabbath is sponsored by the Committee on Army and
Navy Religious Activities (CANRA) of the National Jewish Welfare
Board.