Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc., 525 Woodward Ave., Detroit 26, Mich.,

Letters to the Editor

CA 1040

SUBSCRIPTION: 83.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c; Foreign, 85.00 Per Year
Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879
Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post

CY AARON, Publisher
CHARLES TAUB, Business Manager

Vol. 49, No. 26

Friday, lame 27, 1947

DETROIT JEWISH CIIRONICLE

Page Year

FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1947

Pass the Stratton Bill

GEORGE WEISWASSER, Editor-in-Chief
NATHAN J. KAUFMAN, Managing Editor

(Tamus 10, 5707)

DETROIT 26, MICH.

- —

Surely American Jewish 'organizations
should present a united front on such a
vitally important issue.

SEEK YANKEL BATTS
Dear Editor:
Yankel Batts, born in Kras-
nobrot, Lubelsky, Poland, about
60 years old, a painter artist,
residing in Detroit, is being
sought by his nephew Mendel
Schlein, who is at the present
an inhabitant (with wife and
ihild) at the DP camp in Aus-
tria. For further information,
call me at CA. 8877.
RABBI S. GLIKSMAN

brown hair, hazel eyes and
worked as a photographer, sales-
man and manager of a store. He
is alleged to be residing in De-
troit at the present time. Any-
one aware of his location is re-
quested to communicate with
the National Desertion Bureau,
67 W. 47 Street, New York 19,
N. Y.
SAMUEL EDELSTEIN
Assistant Secretary,

The Stratton Bill offers a possible 80,000
Jews their best chance to quit the hell of
the European DP camps.
A Revolt Based On Fear
No nation other than the United States
A warning to the American Rabbinate
has even considered the admission of any- that they must preach on the more positive
,MUSIC . CLUB THANKS
where near that -number, let alone given aspects of Judaism, rather than on such
Dear
Editor:
L. C. COOPER SOUGHT
them any hope.
negative factors as anti-Semitism and dis- Dear Editor:
I would like to thank you
The bill would permit approximately 400,- crimination, is made by Rabbi Morris_N.
for your splendid cooperation
Information is being sought of
with the Junior Group of Music
000 DP's to come in over a period of four Kertzer in his interesting memoirs of the Lamar
Charles Cooper on be-
years. Since Jews number, roughly, 20 per- chaplaincy, "With an 'H' On My Dog Tag," half of his wife and three mi- Study Club this year.
It has been a great help in
cent of that figure, the fair assumption a new•book just issued by Behrman House. nor children toward whose sup-
making
our club a success. Not
can be made that, if passed, the bill would
Discussing the relationships between the port he has failed to contribute
admit 80,000 Jews who would be otherwise chaplain and the Jewish flock, , Rabbi Kertz- for quite some time. Mr. Cooper only has it increased our mem-
was born in the*United States bership, but it has helped keep
doomed to continued despaiir and bitterness er has written:
interest alive.
unless Palestine's doors are miraculously
"In the army, the Rabbi changed the in 1909. He is 5 ft. 11 in. tall, the children'
MRS. SAMUEL ABELS
tone and content of his sermons. Even weighs about 165 pounds, has
opened in the meantime.
With the passing of UNRRA and the those who constantly had dwelt on the
Book Details Jewish War Service
slash in Military Government funds, the negative theme of discrimination were now
DP problem has become more acute. Amer- constrained to discuss the more positive
correspondent, is the one dealing
(Continued from page 3)
ica's participation in the International 'Ref- aspect. of Judaism.
with the Jewish fighters of the
"As
I
rook
over
a
collection
of
Jewish
ugees Organization implies temporary re-
on all fronts of the global con-
Twentieth Air Force—the group
lief only, with no hope of resettlement of chaplains' sermons, I am struck by the few flict).
talks devoted to the distasteful but ever- Twenty-seven thousand Jewish that delivered the coup de gpce
any of the refugees.
Facing a hopeleft situation,. Congress has popular subject: Anti-Sen,zitism. Pride in men and women in the U.S. uni- to the Japanese with the atom
form won awards (exclusive of bomb. The material that went
been given an opportunity to offer a meas- our spiritual heritage and its challenge to the
Purple Heart); of this number
our
army
lives
were
the
dominant
motifs
into this chapter was assembled
ure of relief to the despondent DP by the
some 20,000 were cited for valor
in
our
messages.
Too
much
had
already
by Rabbi David I. Cedarbaum
introduction of the Stratton Bill.
in
combat
(for
example,
the
been said to the troops about dislike of
The sponsor can hardly be called a liberal. the Jews, and they welcomed the clean air Medal of Honor, the Distinguished while serving as chaplain with
IIe is Rep. William G. Stratton, an isola- of creative, constructive Jewish thinking." Service Cross, the Navy Cross, the the Twentieth A.F.
Silver Star); 6,000 earned Bronze
tionist of the old school, who has been
Another high spot of Volume I
It is likely that Chaplain Kertzer decided
either in action r for ser-
moved to offer his bill by a "sense of justice that the men didn't want to continually Stars,
vice, and the balance received is the "Chaplains are Fighters"
and a feeling that we cannot condemn hear about prejudices and discrimination, awards for meritorious service chapter, r ecounting the contribu-
other nations for barring DP's unless we because in close personal contact with the (i.e., Distinguished Service Medal, tion and some individual stories
are prepared to admit some of these peo- men and women in service he learned it Legion of Merit), or for heroism of the 311 Orthodox, Conserva-
not connected with combat (as tive, Reconstructionist and Re-
ple ourselves.
from their own lips.
form Rabbis who "handled no
the Soldier's Medal).
Coming from a conservative congress-
A great number of chaplains have testi- Impressive as these figures are, firearms, but were up there with
man like Stratton, the proposal has not fied that in the service the relationship they are far from complete, owing the GIs and the sailors, in every
aroused the uncompromising opposition it between Rabbi and parishioner was cordial, to some inadequacy of official branch of service."
• • •
might have otherwise—The bill would leave informal and personal; it was a throwback government releases on the one
present immigration laws intact. It would, to the ancient days of Israel when the hand and, on the other, an in- THE WHOLE STORY
in effect, ignore the distribution of quota worshiper actively participated in the serv- explicable reluctance of some
"AMERICAN JEWS in World
numbers by country during the war years ice, when religion was more than going to Jewish families to cooperate in
War
II," taking in the entire
Jewish
community
efforts
at
com-
to permit the use of approximately half of hear a sermon by a popular pulpiteer.
- the record.. . .
war period, from Pearl Harbor
the number not taken no by immigration.
Although the Rabbis may not be told so piling
The bureau of war. records,
The bill, despite Stratton, still faces by their congregants, it is just as true of when it ceased operation on De- to the surrender rites on the
stror opposition. Unless every liberal the civilian as it is of the returned veteran cember 31, 1946, dtad a roster "of Missouri, and containing the only
honor roll of American
thinking person lets his congressman and that he doesn't want to think of religion more than 40,000 Jewish casual- official
in the war, sets down for
senator know he wants th,e bill passed the only in terms of anti-Semitism and dis- ties of World War II, in all of Jewry
the four casualty categories; all time the high quality of
crimination.
chances of its approval are slim.
service rendered by American
It is likely that there would be larger at- dead, wounded, missing in ac- men and women and at the same
Now, it is up to you. You have been
weeping helpless tears over the DP's. You tendance at Friday night services if those tion, prisoners.
time nails for good the whis-
can help save 400,000 of them, of whom going to services could return home en- ,Detailed local population stud- pered lies which seek to malign
ies
completed
by
the
bureau
in
at least 80,000 will be Jews, from further riched and refreshed by the inspiration of 20 representative cities demon- the Jews.
our great heritage rather than depressed strated that the percentage of These volume give authorita-
'tragedy.
Sit down and write a postcard, or better and made more insecure by another re- Jews in uniform was always tive, complete, dramatic and
still a letter, to Congressmen Dingell, statement of the added handicaps of being a equal to—and in some instances quotable answers to questions on
Youngblood, Dondero or Coffin and to Seri- Jew.
higher than—the ratio of Jews a subject which will be a vital
one for some time: What the
to the general population.
, ators Ferguson and Vandenberg.
• • •
Jews did in the war for free-
Compose it in your own words. Say sim-
dom? —
RECORD HIGHLIGHTS
i ply something like this: "I favor the Strat-
The story of what they did
ONE OF THE MOST inter-
ton Bill to permit the entry of 400,000 DP's
esting chapters of Volume constitutes hot only significant
over a period of four years. Please lend
I, written by I. Kaufman, out- Jewish history, but important
your support to this measure to alleviate
standing newspaperman and war American history as well.
misery and distress. I am sure the United
States will gain much from these people
Jewish Vets Fight Bad;
who will be eternally grateful to.our coun-
We wonder what the British Jews are
Jewish Disunity Aids Enemies
try and will make the best of citizens."
saying about those Jewish war veterans'
Write that letter today! •
breaking up meetings of British fascists,
actually by force of knuckles!
Buckley Bill Disunity
Of course, before they resort to the use
The American Jewish Congress has of "muscular" Judaism they expose the war
joined the American Jewish Committee and records, or rather the lack of any decent
other groups in opposing the Buckley Bill. war records of the fascist soap boxers.
introduced'in Congress with the aim of out- Most of them, according to these veterans
lawing anti-Semitic propaganda in tife of Dunkirk and Arnheim, are former Mos-
leyites, and have records of British patri-
mails.
The congress bases its opposition on cer- otism that should e put them behind the bars
tain legal points, which may have some of any decent country.
Yet we can see some of our staid and
justification, in themselves. But this hardly
justifies complete opposition to the bill to conservative British 'Jewry deplore, with
the point of circularizing the New York hands raised in holy horror, the fact of
Jews actually "taking the law in their
city council against supporting it.
The more logical way would be to sit own hands," as it is said.
We deplore "lawlessness" in any form.
down around a table and discuss the points
at issue in the bill with its present spon- We deplore it more when it enters' our life
sors and try to make it more representa- in the form of "lawful freedom of speech."
tive of the feelings of all groups who be- And because we deplore such lawful "law-
lieve that anti-racial propaganda should be lessness" as is perpetrated by the fascists
—protected by an apathetic police, that we
combatted by legislative means.
The American Jewish Labor Council, only feel the Jewish war veterans of Great
major group fully supporting the bill at Britain are not actually "taking the law
present, has stated its willingness to dis- in their own hands." They are protecting
cuss all criticisms and have amyndments in- the law—upholding their right of life and
troduced when the Buckley Bill comes up liberty under a so-called democratic regime.
BNAI BRITH MESSENGER, Los Angeles
for a hearing.

The Visiting Editor

