Friday, January 16, 1946
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Wage Four
WeutraP—On Which Side?
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc., 548 Woodward, Detroit 26, Mich., CA. MO
SUBSCRIPTION: 83.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c; Foreign, 45.00 Per Year
Bettered as Second-class matte: March 3. 1916. at the Poet Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3. 1079
ROBERT KRAUSE; Business Manager
SEYMOUR TILCHIN, President
GEORGE WEISWASSER, Editor-in-Chief
Vol. 49, No. 55
(Friday, January 16, 1948 (Shebat 5, 5708)
Arms Embargo Unfair
It is deplorable that friends of the
Yishuv have been forced to circumvent
laws to bulwark the defenders' of the Jew-
ish State.
To be realistic about it, it is difficult to
condemn the people who were attempting
to smuggle arms to the Jews when their
Arab enemies were being supplied with
weapons as a matter of course by the
British.
A unilateral embargo which cuts off
your means of defense while your enemy
is being adequately equipped must have
seemed infamous and cruel to the Agency
officials who arranged the shipment of ex-
plosives to the Jewish fighters. It seems
to us that as a matter of equity and in
support of the United Nations decision,
the United States ought to grant surplus
arms to the Jewish State on some kind of
lend-lease arrangement as suggested by
Moshe Shertok of the Agency.
The United Nations is being held up to
contempt by the Arabs and the British.
Surely, if this international body is to be
able to back its decisions in some gigantic
international dispute of the future, the
United States, even if it must act alone,
should stand behind the UN today in this
relatively minor international crisis and
frustrate those who scorn it.
Arbitration Service
Arbitration of disputes is one of the
main functions of the Jewish Community
Council, the democratically chosen and dem-
ocratically constituted civic body that rep-
resents the entire Jewish community.
This service is under the supervision
of A. C. Lappin, whose name is synonomous
with conciliation through the State, as
chairman, and Louis Rosenzweig, prominent
attorney, as co-chairman.
It is well that such a committee exists.
From time to time, disputes arise among
Jewish groups or individuals which, if car-
ried to the courts with their resultant nox-
ious publicity, would create a Chillul Ha-
Shem, a situation which might bring dis-
repute upon the entire community and thus
profane the name of God. A group of
arbitrators could mediate the quarrel with-
out adverse publicity and thereby avert
discredit on the Jew at large.
In the realm of private litigation, the
committee will receive requests for media-
tion and help choose a panel of arbitrators
to hear the case. It is to be understood
that the entire action is voluntary and the
disputants can choose their own arbitrators
after attempts to conciliate the contend-
ing parties through informal, private dis-
cussions have failed.
If the case goes to arbitration, the two
parties must agree to accept the judgment.
It is filed with the Circuit Court and be-
comes legally binding on both parties.
Arbitration of disputes is in fulfillment
of Jewish practice that reaches down to
Biblical times. It is a community function
that helps to ease friction and bitterness
within the community and tends to be a
unifying force.
More members of the community should
avail themselves of this salutary service
of the Community Council. For informa-
tion, call Cherry 1657.
Too Little, Too Late
Not until the Arabs actually invaded
Palestine from their base in Syria did the
British move to thwart Arab plans. It
was like locking the barn after the horses
had run off.
Would it not have been wiser for Britain
to have warned the Arab world formally
and in advance not to attack the Jews?
Instead, the protest to Syria was withheld
until after the crossing of the frontier
DETROIT 26,
MICR
despite the fact that both British intelli-
gence and Ilaganah had ascertained that
the Arab guerillas were massing for an
attack on the northernmost Jewish settle-
ments:
• In Jerusalem, a farcical and shameful
situation was created by the British when
they failed to use their army of 75,000
men still in Palestine to lift the siege of
the Jewish quarter in the Old City by a
handful of Arab brigands. Not until star-
vation was imminent did the British at-
tempt to penetrate the Arab ring without
driving the Arabs off.
With the British announcement that no
UN administrators will be welcome before
May 1, two weeks before the British with-
drawal, the UN S4urity Council should
act to send at least a token force to the
Holy Land as a warning gesture to the
Arabs or, as an .alternative, Ilaganah
should be sufficiently armed so that it can
adequately defend the Jewish State.
Certainly Britain has demonstrated that
after May 15, it will not lift a finger in
defense of the Jews despite obligations to
the United Nations and consideration of
justice and mercy.
The Visiting Editor
Sensationalism
Letters to the Editor
MOTHER IS BITTER
Dear Editor:
How can a Jewish veteran look
forward to 8 bright new year
when he can't find a place for his
wife and child to live?
About 99 percent of the Jewish
landlords will not rent to anyone
with children, so how can we
bring up our Jewish children
right?
The only way to get a place is
to drown my child. She is only
five months old but when looking
for a place they all tell me—
"but she'll grow up."
How can we have a healthy
Jewish race when we have no
place to raise our children prop-
erly?
A READER.
(Name on request.)
12T11 STREET CENTER
Dear Editor:
I want to thank you for the
generous space you allowed for
the pictures of the 12th Street
Council Center in the issue of
Dec. 26. They told the story of
our range of activities—the
youngsters with an SOS collec-
tion, and the officers of our club
for aged—all operating in a store
front building.
Thanks again, and keep up the
good work.
HAROLD WEISS, Director
There is nothing better our American
press likes than a sensational front-page
story, particularly when the "story" has
the earmarks of a mystery and an "who-
done-it" quality...When such a story breaks
our newspapers consume it with an avari-
ciousness challenging all credulity and de-
cency.
On such an occasion all manners are
Ginzberg is no braintruster in
(Continued from Page 3)
dropped and the little journalistic goblins American and Russian support. the Palestinian setup at the UN
• • •
dance to the tune of invention and imagi- They are under pressure to join
nation, each trying to outdo the other in all kinds of blocs in the power- DR. EMANUEL NEUMANN,
sensationalism.
political game, and must care- president of the Zionist Organi-
We have in mind at this time the press fully balance the Iragile USA- zation of America, is setting a
new high in devotion and astute
reports about the explosives that were re- USSR cooperation.
So the other day one of the political work in his post . . .
cently seized by FBI agents in New Jersey
columnists in the English-Jewish He is very much respected by
and New York.
for no reason at all, the major United Nations dele-
All papers failed at first to tell the press,
wrote this item: "Watch for a gates, and is now carrying on
simple fact that the material had been Palestine 'brain-trust' with an all by himself in the absence
purchased from the War Assets Adminis- American arm .. . One of the of Moshe Shertok and Dr. Abba
tration, that the transaction was perfectly brain-trusters will be David H. Silver.
legal and that there had been no violation Ginzberg, who made life miser- His speech at the recent Amer-
of the Palestine arms embargo decree. All able for the Russians in Vienna ican-Palestine-Soviet Friendship
papers, either directly or by innuendo, im- by the penetrating method with Dinner in New York was a
plicated the. Jewish Agency in the mystery. which he pushed them to the masterpiece of tactful, effective
over reparation trouble."
prosentation of the Jewish po-
The matter has now been cleared up wall
That kind of columnizing is
in world affairs. He de-
by the Jewish Agency, and with a courage- irresponsible because it creates sition
serves orchids.
ousness that will be admired by all decent trouble. The more so since Mr.
(A World News Setvlee Feature)
and just men. Without apologizing and
without excusing itself the Agency made
it known that, in view of its responsibil-
ities to a state about to be born, "steps
were taken to arrange for the legitimate
(Continued from Page 3)
Nazis.... You make your judg-
purchase of surplus material and equip- newspaper will follow you like a ments on a racial basis and you
ment" in full conformity with American curse until your conscience demand that art and music be
harnessed to the cause of hate.
law. Yet, the very press which created awakes."
• e •
Love and not hate will heal the
the impression that the Agency was in-
CRITICAL
world." •
volved in a criminal undertaking has failed VIOLINIST
to give the required publicity to the N EXT DAY MENUIIIN went to After that Mr. Jonas, editor of
the camp of the displaced, the newspaper of the displaced,
Agency's statement of clarification. In- without
his fiddle, to give them felt somewhat repentant. ... "If
stead it persists in innuendo.
a speech.
The issue is clear. The Palestine Arabs Ile said, sure, he had played Menuhin offered us a concert to-
have all the arms they need, getting them for the Germans. . . . "I have day, we would all go," he said.
from the Arab states which in turn secured played for the hard-pressed "Perhaps it is too much to ex-
them from the British and American lend- wherever and whenever I could. pect that those who have not
. You are truly the victims of experienced persecutions and
lease surpluses.
Nazism,
the tragedy is that camps should understand our
Ilaganah, defending the 700,000 Jews you have but
grown to be like the feelings."
in Palestine, suffers from a woeful lack of
adequate arms. When the United Nations
voted partition it ignored the question of Hadassah-Masada Oneg Shabbat Set
an international force. Yet it provided for Jr. Hadassah and Masada will huda Rosenman of the Jewish
a Jewish militia to defend the Jewish State hold their inaugural Oneg Shab- Community Center. Moshe Hey-
and to maintain public order. Could the bat at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, in man will lead Palestinian songs
masters of international destiny have con- the 'home of Mrs. Maurice Lan- and dances.
A meeting of Jr. Hadassah-Ma -
templated that the Jewish militia would dau, 2292 Longfellow avenue.
sada
is planned for 8:30 p.m,
A
discussion
on
"The
Problem
"miracle"
only?
by
protect the country
Tuesday, in Shaarey Zedek.
Sha-Sha Botches Chicago Libel Suit
Forbearance Is Urged for Germans
(S e ven ♦
Aria Feature)
of Partition" will be led by Ye-