DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page Your
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
Friday, March 5,
1918
Per f idious Albion
Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc., 548 Woodward, Detroit 26, Mich., CA. 1040
SUBSCRIPTION:
$3.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c: Foreign. $5.00 Per Year
Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3. 1879
Bowed as Second-class matte' March 5 1916, at the Poet
SEYMOUR TILCHIN, President
Vol. 50, No. 7
GEORGE_WEISWASSER. Editor in Chief
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Friday, March 5, 1948 (Adar I 24, 5708)
Betrayal or Just a Stall?
One's first impulse in commenting on
the restatement of American policy on
partition by Senator Austin is to shout
"betrayal."
The program, on the fact of it, appears
to be a reversal of American policy enun-
ciated at the UN Assembly meeting and
subsequently reaffirmed by American lead-
ers of both parties. But the plan is so
illogical and so full of diplomatic double-
talk that one is inclined to guess that it
was expounded to gain more time to gauge
American public opinion on a possible
abandonment of partition.
In that case, the first thing to do is to
muster our strength and that of our
friends in a protest so loud and convinc-
ing that there will be no doubt of the re-
action of the American people to an uncon-
scionable surrender to the Arabs, to the
British and to oil.
At best the Austin statement is a stall-
ing mitneuver intended to weaken the Jew-
ish stand and elicit new concessions from
the Yishuv without actually giving up the
partition project.
The ambiguity of United States policy
is evident from Senator Austin's own words.
His plan is for a UN army to be used to
maintain international peace but "not to
enforce partition."
But no army will be needed to keep the
Arabs in check if there is to be no parti-
tion: On the other hand, without partition,
threats to "international peace" will come
from the Jews fighting in defense of their
Homeland awarded them by the nations of
the world.
Under the American scheme then, the
UN army would be used to fight the Jews
carrying out a UN recommendation.
This doesn't make sense, nor does the
entire American program of delay and
"mediation" make sense.
Perhaps more astute heads in the Se-
curity Council will veer American thinking
into more logical and more honorable
channels.
`Crossfire', Honest and Effective
"Crossfire," that powerful film that ex-
poses the insanity and evil that are inher-
ent in anti-Semitism is being shown in
the neighborhood theaters 'throughout the
city.
As a result, thousands to whom the
word Jew has been something you don't
mention in public are seeing and hearing
for the first time in their lives an open and
objective exposition of the problem of hate-
mongering, done tactfully and fearlessly.
Many Jews and, needless to say, many
Gentiles don't like the movie.
The Jews who don't like it fear imagi-
nary consequences. They don't want anti-
Semitism brought up in a public discussion
because they say it will strengthen animosi-
ties and arouse resentment.
They would rather have the problem
kept inside themselves, hidden away, eating
a canker in their bodies and souls.
These are the ones who haven't the
courage to face an issue and desperately
want to keep it under cover.
•
The Gentiles who don't like "Cross-
fire" are the guilty ones, the "Montys" who
have allowed themselves to become so hate-
besotted that they can't stand exposure and
criticism.
The overwhelming majority of Gentiles,
fair, understanding folk who just have
never had anti-Semitism's neurotic implica-
tions explained, welcome, we are sure, a
film like this, showing how hate can de-
moralize a human being and drag him to
the dust.
Up to now, talk on anti-Semitism in
their own circles has been haphazard and
unauthoritative. With a frank examination
like that of "Crossfire," they will be asking
questions and demanding honest answers
based on logic and fair-play.
Their discussion will be healthy . ari.4 in
the American spirit. The result will not be
resentment as the faint of heart fear but
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DETROIT 26, MICH.
sympathy and understanding. Some may
take a long time in analyzing the vicious-
ness and stupidity of anti-Semitism but in
the end they will be better neighbors and
better Americans.
* • • *
"Crossfire," being the first of its kind,
has some minor faults. "Gentlemen's Agree-
ment" is a better movie and packs just as
strong a wallop at hate and ignorance.
We need more films like these, candid,
down-to-earth and honest. Spare us those
feeble efforts like "The Jolson Story,"
which while excellent entertainment, fail
utterly to fight intolerance because the en-
tertainment factors are so strong any psy-
chological influence intended in the film are
woefully submerged.
Let's get the problem out in the open.
That's the best way to lick it.
Confusion m) Assembly
After a careful study of the statement
made by Bnai Brith and •that of Judge
Joseph N. Proskauer, president of the
American Jewish Committee, we are more
confused than ever as to their reasons for
opposing the American Jewish Assembly.
The Bnai Brith statement, at least, is
frank in its admission that it is opposed
because of the refusal of other major or
a very poor manner. A commit-
CRITICIZES CARTOON
ganizations to join with the Assembly and
tee set up to investigate the
thus the order cannot see any possibility Dear Editor:
absolved the faculty, as
of a successful organization in terms of a In your issue of February 13, charges
was to be expected. The admin-
there appeared on your editorial istration during the whole affair
united Jewry.
The American Jewish Committee, on page a cartoon with the caption, never publicly re-stated its pol-
the other hand, uses a great deal of flowery "No Ph. D.'s for Jews in Chapel icy on anti-Semitism.
This policy -of not tolerating
language, honeycombed with generalities as Hill."
"There is—and there can be—no spokesman IT you had bothered to check any anti-Semitism was made
for American Jewry—there is—and there the source of the headline that public in 1944 by Dr. Frank P.
in your cartoon, you Graham, president of the Uni-
can be no Jewish Enclave within the con- appears
would have found its origin to versity of North Carolina. I
fines of America."
be the Communist paper of the feel that such a statement, if
The American Jewish Committee wants state of North Carolina.
boldly restated wouldghave pre-
to see unity but a greater unity and "a It is certainly not true that vented any such aftermaths as
more American and a more essentially Jew- Jews are not 'allowed to obtain evidenced in your paper.
ish unity, a unity of spirit springing from the doctorate degree from the I am not denying that anti-
the will, from the heart and the mind of University of North Carolina. Semitism exists in Chapel Hill,
Jewish students , who have just but I feel that your paper has
the individual."
an injustice to this univer-
It wants to see American Jewry unite obtained their doctorates and done
who have obtained it in sity by allowing itself to be
in "stamping out every form of bigotry those
the past prove the falsity of the duped by 'pool- reporting. Cer-
and discrimination," but somehow opposes headline.
tainly your methods do nothing
Jewish unity.
The particular incident that to combat the problem of anti-
The American Jewish Committee, while occasioned this headline involves Semitism which we must face.
it claims that the attempt to Jewish unity a Jewish student studying for
PAUL L. FURGATCH,
Chapel Hill, N.C.
proceeds "from an undue sense of insecur- his Ph. D. who accused the fac-
ity," seems to speak from an undue sense ulty of the history department
of insecurity when it asks for this greater of harboring anti-Semitic senti-
THANKS OF LEAGUE
ments. This student received_ a Dear Editor:
unity in American life.
We have not accepted the Eisendrath form letter advising him not to The Youth Education League
plan in toto, but we have felt that the prin- continue his studies as they wishes to express its thanks and
not up to the standards of appreciation to our many guests
cipal question is whether there should be Were
one pursuing his studies for the and contributors for helping us
Jewish unity; whether we should have 10 degree of Ph. D. The student
our annual luncheon the
spokesmen before the United Nations or accused the faculty of allowing make
successful affair it was. At this
the State Department in handling problems his religion and political view- time in our people's history it is
peculiar to American Jewry or whether points to influence their deci- a privilege to help those less for-
there should be an overall authority which sion.
tunate than ourselves. Again, a
In my opinion the adminis- heartfelt thank you.
can say that it speaks for all Jewry.
If our organizations were opposed to the tration, in the absence of its
ANNETTE GELMAN,
Secretary.
Assembly because of faults within the or- president, handled the affair in
ganizational plan, then why don't they
come out and say so and try to work out a
better plan? However, if it is .the fear that
they will lose their prestige and honors of
leadership then these organizations are
definitely performing a disservice.
We call upon them to come out frankly
(Continued from Page 3)
Palestine problem away from
and openly in favor of some plan that will
bring together the important elements of issue, one that amounts almost the Assembly and place it effec-
American Jewry into one organization so to a reversal of its original sup- tively in British and Arabian
hands for settlement."
that united they can attempt a solution port.
Individual personalities, Jews
of Jewish problems.
In a signed editorial entitled
non-Jews, were also strong
Loyalty to Jewry must come first—and "Betrayal," the editor of the and
in their condemnation of the
New York Post, Mr. Thackery,
to the particular organization second.
Austin statement. Dr. Stephen
Letters to the Editor
Partition Support Hinted
Despite Statement in UN
Sigler Acts Wisely
Gov. Sigler deserves the highest praise
for listing Fair Employment Practices legis-
lation in his call for a special session of
the legislature.
What he has done is a forward demo-
cratic move since an opportunity will be
now given the legislature to take action one
way or the other instead of relegating the
whole matter to a pigeon-hole.
Gov. Sigler has taken a progressive step
on FEPC. We hope that upon further study,
he will urge upon the legislature the need
for such salutary legislation.
gave vent to the indignation and
'S. Wise assailed the statement
disillusionment of liberal Amer-
as "Sheer surrender to the
icans in the following words:
Arabs . . . a tribute to the ef-
"Stripped of platitudes, the fectiveness of Arab violence and
statement of the United States a confession that the U. S. A.
before the UN Security Coun- accepts the necessity of recon-
cil cancelled out the plan for sideration."
the partition of Palestine the
Henry Wallace said that the
U. S. A. fought to secure last American statement was
a
Nov. 29. The statement con- "complete sellout of the people
tains the very essence of be- of Palestine and a serious blow
trayal.
at the United Nations . ... Sel-
"What really was done by dom in our history has an ad-
the U. S. A. at Lake Success ministration so flagrantly be-
was to kill the partition deci- trayed its words, its honor, the
sion reached by the General people and the hopes of the
Assembly and take the whole world for peace."