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. General Offices and Publication Bldg., 525 lodward Ave. Cable Addres : Chronicle Telephone: CAdillec 1040 $ .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—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.