A merico Yea t ish Periodical Cotter
CLIFTON AVENUE • CINCINNATI 20, 01110
Friday, September 27, 1946
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
( The American Jewish Conference
Spokesman for a United Jewry
By SYLVIA GILMAN
The situation in which the rem-
nant of European Jewry found
itself on the first Rosh Hashona
after V-E Day was a living dem-
onstration of American Jewry's
foresight in creating the Ameri-
can Jewish Conference. For the
cease fire order did not automa-
tically usher in a new era of
peace and justice for those Jews
who had survived Nazi slaughter.
On the contrary, Earl G. Harri-
son, who during the summer of
1945 surveyed the situation in Eu-
rope as the personal representa-
tive of President Truman, re-
ported "as matters now stand, we
appear to be treating the Jews as
the Nazis treated them, except
that we do not exterminate them."
Mr. Harrison, whose views were
free of the pressures of postwar
power politics, pointed to a posi-
tive solution. His report to the
President stated "The civilized
world owes it to this handful of
survivors to provide them with a
home where they can again set-
tle down and begin to live as hu-
man beings."
TILE DP CAMPS
Mr. Harrison's report was made
public on September 29, 1945. But
the AmerjFan Jewish Conference
had plunged into the work of re-
habilitating- the remnant of Euro-
pean Jewry even before the boom-
ing echo of gunfire had died away.
In the first days of May, the Con-
ference had asked the U. S. War
and State Departments to permit
the dispatch of Jewish liaison of
ficers to American occupied Ger,
many. On May 10, two days after
V-E Day, representatives of the
Conference met with Jewish Con-
gressmen, UNRRA staff members,
and U. S. Government officials.
The Congressmen, upon whom the
Conference urged the need for
immediate action, responded by
cablink General Eisenhower, then
Commander of Allied Forces in
the European theatre, appealing
for his approval of the project.
Through press and radio the
Conference brought the hard facts
of Jewish life in Europe to the
attention of the American public.
Dr. Israel Goldstein, co-chairman
of the Conference Interim Com-
mittee, had visited the camps
during the summer. He suggested
improvements In camp adminis-
tration to General Eisenhower,
Page Nine
grams were founded. After much
effort, several farm sites were
turned over to Jewish displaced
persons for agricultural training
in preparation for emigration to
Palestine.
Germany were Major Alfred
Fleishman, Dean Samuel Sar,
Hans Lamm and Sylvia T. Neu.
Lander.
THE FINAL GOAL
While the Conference exerted It-
particularly the establishment of Committee of Inquiry on Pales.
Besides Mr. Marston, the mem- self to better conditions in the
all-Jewish centers. He presented tine during its hearings in Ger-
bers of the Conference team in Jewish centers In the American
an eye-witness account of the sit- many.
uation to the consultations of
The Conference was concerned
Jewish organizations in London, not only with increasing food ra- r.
so that united action might be tions Which were "too much to
taken toward a solution.
AS ALWAYS...
starve to death but not enough
After months-long delay, Jewish to live on" in the first months of
My Best Wishes to
liaison officers and Jewish relief liberation. It pointed out, through
agencies were permitted to enter its team abroad and representa-
All My Friends
the American zone. They operated tions in Washington, that Jews,
under the supervision of UNRRA, because they had been singled out
which assumed responsibility for for persecution, required special
camp administration, with AMG treatment to wipe out past injus-
supplying basic food and clothing tices and to achieve for them
needs.
status and living standards ap-
The American Jewish Confer. proximating human decency. All-
1317 LAFAYETTE BLDG.
CA. 5630
ence team arrived in Germany in Jewish centers were particularly
October. Speaking to the Jews in important, because most displaced
the camps in their own language, Jews In Germany were of Polish
prepared by training and sympa. origin, and the non-Jewish Poles
thy for the difficult task of set- with whom they were housed ex.
ting the victims of Nazi persecu. ceeded even the Germans in anti-
tion on the road to rehabilita- Semitic brutality.
tion, the Conference team worked
Physical conditions in the camps
indefatigably. Every camp in the improved, but progress was slow.
American zones of Germany and It required insistent pressure,
Austria was visited. Recommen- against inertia, red tape, indif-
dations were made to UNRRA ference, and hostility, in some
camp administrators and to the cases. Caloric rations rose from
military authorities.
900 to 1,000 in some camps, to a
Commenting on the report made prescribed ration of 2,000 calories
by Conference team member Ho- or more. Housing accommoda-
•
race Marston, J. H. Whiting, UN- tions were increased. All-Jewish
RRA zone director in G‘rmany, centers were established, hospital
Sporting Goods - Housewares - Gas Ranges - Refrigerators
stated: "Mr. Marstofi's excellent facilities were made available.
report should stimulate construc- Workshops for vocational train-
Electric Kitchens - Hardware - Tools td Paints
tive action by all concerned with ing, schools and recreation pro.
providing greater opportunities
for Jewish displaced persons in
0• ■ ••••••• ■ ••• ■ ••••”•=. ■ .......m.:
0
0 =0 ====::1101:20=====101:20
Germany." On his own initiative,
Mr. Whiting submitted the Mars-
Rosh Hashonah Greetings
ton report to the Aneo-American
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