Pare Three

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Friday, August 6, 1946

Ben Gurion Explains Battle Over Altalena

(The Chronicle recently published a letter by
Louis PAROch accusing Premier Ben Gurion of bad
faith in the Altalena munitions ship incident. Below
is part of Ben Gurion's reply just made available to
the Chronicle by the Labor Zionist organization in
New York),
•
WE AVOIDED a great calamity. An irresponsible
" gang did not succeed in getting the 5,000 rifles
and the 2.000 machine guns with which they would
have killed the Yishuv and the State . I consider
the destruction of the ship as an important event
because this ship was bringing ruin to Israel and this
was its only intention.
•
•
•

I DID NOT exercise against IZL (Irgun) the full
power of the law granted to me because I knew the
difficulty and did not want them to be aroused.
I brought the question to the government. There

The
we shot at Olt swimmers. The opposite is true.
was a discussion and the government decided.
Palmach
members
on
I did bring it to the government because I sailors requested help from the
who were shot
was afraid to accept responsibility for what would shore. Those same Palmach members
swam to
happen. I felt that the army should get a clear coin- at by the IZL, two of whom were killed,
mand from the government as a whole. The repre- save them, climbed into the boat as it was about to
sentatives of the army were at the session of the explode, and at a risk to their own lives saved the

council. They were asked questions and the decision sailors.
I will not submit to cross-examination by Beigin
was accepted unanimously. It was in line with this
(Irgun commander) or his representatives. I want to
decision that the army acted and acted intelligently.
It did explain to you, however, the purpose of the debate.
It could have destroyed all these gangs.
I was asked when the government found out about
because
it
knew
that
the
goal
was
not
de-
not do so
struction but the prevention of crime. It attacked the whole question. I heard about it this past Satur-
them in a way which forced them to surrender. day when a special emmisary from the general staff
They surrendered their arms and we thought that arrived to tell me that IZL had informed the army
with this the question was closed. that a boat laden with arms was approaching and

But the question was not closed. The ship escaped had requested help in unloading it.
IZL was told that the arms must be given to the
and, in the last analysis, the ship was the question.
•
government. There was no agreement that part of
•
•
(Continued on page 11)
ONE THING I must deny. It was claimed that

Off the Record

done when the hyphenate hoists
his own flag above that of his
sitopted country" . . .
The hyphenated Americans,
through such organization as the
Americans" . .. He convenient- National Jewish Welfare Board,
ly ignores the fact that the the professor pontificates, "are
better organized to promote the
foreign-born citizen is more ap-
interests of a foreign land than
preciative than the native Ameri-
can of the right to vote... . . the average American is to pro-
mote American interests" . . .
He rants that New York City
today is the "undisputed capital And of course "it is not un-
hat the usual" for the Washington gov-
of world Jewry" and
to bow to the compul-
Jew, whom he calls "a racial ernment
of the hyphenates and to
rather than national hyphen", sion
"make decisions that are mare
does not lose his European traits
conducive to the interests of for-
like the German-American does.
eigners than of Americans" .
• • •
We wonder what will become
ON LA GUARDLA
of the Stanford University stu-
SPEAKING OF the late Mayor, dents who listen to that sort of
La Guardia's attack on Hitler in tommyrot.
1937, tne learned professor. par-
We wonder also why Macmil-
enthetically remarks that the lan, one of the most reputable
mayor was "himself of Jewish publishing houses, has failed to
origin" . . . He passes on the detect the dangerous implications
information that one-fourth of of the professor's thesis.
the Jewish Americans were op-
posed to unbarring the immigra-
PING FONG CHAMP
tion doors in 1938. ...
Bobby Salons- al was winner of
In Truman's plea to Bevin for the first round of the table
the admission of 100,000 Jews to tennis tournament sponsored by
Palestine he sees "something the Center's lounge committee.
grimly humorous about attempt- Max Krolik tato runner-up.
ing to force Jews whom we
would not receive upon Arabs
NO FINER
who wanted them even less than
SALMON
we did, and with better reason."

Silver, Neumann Off for Israel Parley

Opposition by the Zionist Or-
ganization to the formation of
"Americans United for Israel" is
said to stem from suspicion that
that organization is seeking to
take over the functions of the
Keren Ilayesod.

Who will be next year's part-
ners in the UJA? This is an im-
portant question now since the
welfare funds can't give money
to foreign governments and
agencies controlled by foreign
governments. Zionist leadership
is insistent that the Keren Hoye-
sod remain subject to the ZOA.
Vacancies in the Zionist execu-
tive and officialdom will have to
he filled . . • Nobody will be
able to be in the executive of
the ZWO and in the Jewish gov-
ernment. Logically it is to be
assumed that the people of Is-
rael will be represented at the
next Zionist Congress.
• • •

NO POLITICAL TIE

THERE WILL of course be strict
political separation. The ZO will
not meddle in the affairs of
Israel and of course Israel won't
interfere in activities of the ZO.
Beginning with the next Zion-
ist Congress the ZO will limit
itself to economic activities.
That is why the conflict with
"Americans United for Israel" is
significant. If deprived not only
of political but also economic
activities the ZO would become
an empty shell. . .

no need for comment. Here are
some samples.

The "undigested immigrant"
needs a "smelting pot rather
than a melting pot" ... Foreign
groups, he potentates, advocate
transatlantic causes and use their
"voting power to club public
officials into doing their will" ...

• • •
THE NAKED FACTS

THE LATE Eleanor Medi11
Patterson, publisher of the
Washingtop Times-Herald, once
tried to interview Prof. Einstein.
She had been following the fath-
er of relativity for a long time
with the trail ending at Palm
Springs, Calif.
When she reached the place
where Einstein was vacationing
she found the famous scientist
sunning himself unclothed ex-
cept for a handerchief over his
head. Her ambition to interview
Einstein was never fulfilled.
There has been much talk
about the recently adopted DP
bill being both anti-Catholic and
anti-Jewish. Columnist ..fohn
O'Donnel, no lover of Jews, re-
cently disclosed that the DP bill
did not discriminate against
Catholics.
Ile quoted an official statement
from the Catholic Hierarchy
which disagrees with Mr. Tru-
man. If so, it means the DP
bill discriminates only against
J ews.. .

• • •
PROFESSOR STRAYS

THOMAS A. BAILEY, profes-
sor of history at the University
of Stanford and an outstanding
authority on Wilson, has gone
the intellectual way of most
flesh.
Since we intend quoting some
of the "gems" from his recent
book "The Man in the Street",
An obstacle to Israel's loan published by Macmillan, there is
negotiations in Washington has
been removed by Britain's grant
of $2,000,000 to King Abdullah.
By giving the money to Trans-
jordan Britain has set the prece-
dent that granting of money to
the interested parties in the
Palestine conflict does not con-

Alpha Zeta Omega
Elects Detroiters

Mrs. Maurice Starr of Detroit
was reelected first vice-president
of the Ladies Auxiliary, Alpha
Zeta Omega Fraternity, at the
national convention in Washing-
ton, D.C.
Other Detroiters named were
Mrs. Edward Rothenberg, who
will continue on the national
board; Morris Morton, national
editor of the AZO publication;
and Edward Rothenberg, western
division deputy.
Detroit's Omicron Chapter will
be host to the convention in
1949.

Others from Detroit at the
conclave were Mr. and Mrs. Sey-
mour Morton,- Mr. Starr, Mrs.
Morris Morton, Mr. and Mrs.
Mix Millman, Mr. and Mrs. Er-
win Buchalter and David Weiss.

MT. CLEMENS
MOST
BEAUTIFUL

•

The cloistered professor calls
foreign-born citizens hyphenates
and he weeps that "more hyphe-
nates go to the polls than native

Corning to U.S.

ELIZABETH BENJAMIN of
London, who is coming to the
U.S. as the guest of the World
Federation of YMIIA's and
Jewish Centers as the begin-
ning of the exchange of pro-
fessional personnel between
the affiliated organizations of
the federation.

Conveniently forgetting that
Jewish public opinion was di-
vided on the question of the
loan to Britain in 1946—Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise publicly de-
fended the loan—the by-now
sinking professor records the
"bill was finally approved de-
spite Jewish opposition" and that
if it had been rejected "we
would have had a striking illus-
tration of the harm that can be

AT ANY
PRICE

LLAR

ROCK

COLUMBIA RIVER

SALMON

Masterera f t

Aaron M. Katz

PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
WEEKLY OR MONTHLY
SERVICE

TY. 8-7445

OFFERS
SPECIAL
AUGUST RATE

3 WEEKS

OF THE MOST COMFORTABLE, RELAXING,
LUXURIOUS LIVING—
$19500
FOR ONLY

THIS INCLUDES, OF COURSE ...
TILE WORLD FAMOUS MINERAL BATHS, UNEXCELLED
IN THE TREATMENT OF
RHEUMATISM AND KINDRED AILMENTS

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL OR WRITE

RIVERSIDE HOTEL

MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN
PHONE 4509

OPEN THRU SEPTEMBER

Moths won't damage your clothing, if you get

U-San-O Insured Mothproof Cleaning..

U-San-O is colorless, odorless and harmless t.

the finest of fabrics.

Call today for quality cleaning plus sure moth

protection. Be safe, be sure!!

AT NO EXTRA COST

,° 61TIPM S °N J °P 0 °N

stitute a violation of the UN
truce order.. . .
Because of the accruing ad-
vantage from membership in the
international organization Israel
may apply for UN membership
before the next meeting of the
General Assembly. A memoran-
dum advising that de jure recog-
nition of Israel now would not
violate either the text or spirit
of the UN truce is on President
Truman's desk. . • .

U SA NO Sy nt hize Pr ocess

By NATHAN ZIPRIN
EMANUEL NEUMANN,
on his way to Israel,
"" now
will stop over at Paris. Dr. Ab-
be Hillel Silver will depart for
Israel this week. They are to
attend the meeting of the Zion-
ist executive committee Aug. 22.
While there they will try to de-
lineate the demarcation line be-
tween the functions of the Zion-
ist Organization and the Israeli
government.

11R.

Don't Forget the Clothes in Your Closet

MASTER CRAFT

"Quality Work Always"

Cash and Carry Stores

DEXTER at RICHTON
FENKELL at LIVERNOIS
TWELFTH at SEWARD
TWELFTH at CALVERT

It Not Within

Walking Distance
... Call Our Plant
for Pick-Up and

Delivery

TO. 8-8122