Thursday, September 22, 1949
True Zionist
Is Granados
By SAMUEL PASNER
THE FIRST TIME I saw the dis-
tinguished Guatemalan, Jorge
Garcia-Grandos, he was address-
ing a large group of people at the
Brooklyn Jewish Center of
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Although not a Jew, he was
wearing a skull-cap in accord-
ance with the custom followed in
Synagogues.
Israel H. Lev-
inthal described
him to the aud-
ience as a great
friend of Jews
whose name
would be indel-
ibly impressed in
the hearts o f
Jews every-
where.
Prior to his ap-
peararice, the an- Granados
nouncement relating to his lec-
ture spoke about him in similar
terms as "a statesman whose
name will go down in Jewish
history as a great benefactor of
the Jewish people."
Since that day, in an effort to
learn more about him, I spent
many hours with this man who
once served as ambassador from
Guatemala to the U. S. and who
left a memorable record as a
member of the Special Commis-
sion on Palestine.
I also read with keen interest
his fascinating hook issued last
year under the title, "The Birth
of Israel," and the well-chosen
sub-title, "The Drama As I Saw
It."
My conversations with Gran-
ados and my perusal of his out-
standing literary work and the
numerous articles written about
him helped me to realize why
this man, born and bred in an
environment remote from a Jew-
ish atmosphere, became an ar-
dent Christian Zionist, a cham-
pion of the Jewish cause in Pal-
estine.
• • •
OFTEN IMPRISONED
JORGE WAS BORN in Guate-
mala City on April 21, 1900. His
education was obtained partly in
France and mostly in Guatemala
The schooling he received en-
abled him to become a lawyer.
Later, he turned to journalism.
He also entered the political
world, at first, in the Guatemala
delegation at El Salvador; later,
as secretary on the legation staff
in London and also as represen-
tAtive of Guatemala to the gov-
erning board of the Pan-Amer-
ican Union in Washington.
His activity in politics, how-
ever, brought him into conflict
with the recognized authority in
control in Guatemala. His battles
on that account led him to im-
prisonment twice in 1920, again
in 1922, and on still another occa-
sion in 1934.
His release in that year did not
leave the door open to complete
freedom. It resulted, instead, in
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
exile to Mexico. There he suc-
ceeded in helping some Jews who
sought escape from Hitler's op-
pression.
Finally, after 10 years of exile,
he learned of the fall of the head
of the Guatemalan government.
He hastened to return to his na-
tive land where he was welcomed
by opponents of the people pre-
viously in power.
Elected to congress and to the
constituent assembly, he helped,
to establish a new constitution
for Guatemala. He became the
ambassador of Guatemala to the
U. S. Later, he resigned as am-
bassador to join the Guatemalan
delegation in the UN.
• • •
IMPRESSED BY JEWS
GRANADOS, IN PASSING
through Palestine, was visibly im-
pressed not only by the presence
of Jews in large numbers but also
by the progress shown in their
accomplishments.
He entered the Negev desert.
where he at first felt that it would
be fantastic to conceive the no-
tion that human beings might
live and survive in a sandy sec-
tion that made breathing almost
impossible. Nevertheless. h e
learned of 17 Jewish settlements
in this once completely deserted
land.
He was able to walk there in
the midst of plum orchards and
olive trees.
His amazement grew in the
face of another apparent miracle.
He descended from Jerusalem,
over 2.000 feet above sea level,
to the Dead Sea, 1,300 feet below
sea level. He regarded this Dead
Sea as the valley of death itself,
where no life, either animal or
plant, could possibly exist.
Yet, even in that vicinity, he
noted with surprise how Jews
were able to transform soil near-
ly 20 percent salt, despite the fact
that they had to toil in a desert
climate where the temperature
reached 115 degrees in the shade,
into land productive of bananas
in summer and vegetables in
winter.
• • •
FROM SAND—A CITY
AS A REPRESENTATIVE of
UNESCO, he passed through
cheering crowds into Tel Aviv.
He was astounded to learn that
this large city, inhabited at that
time by about '00,000 persons,
was constructed on sand obtained
from the shores of a river and
from the beach of the Mediter-
ranean.
should be made a part of the
Jewish land. For this purpose,
he points out that only Jews
may be expected to cultivate this
wasteland and transform it even-
Thirty years before Granados
came there, Tel Aviv was nothing tually into a Garden of Eden.
In noting the victory on the
but wasteland covered by wind.
What he saw included a modern field of battle by Israel against
city with beautiful avenues and I seemingly insuperable odds, he
many apartment houses in a great refers to a victory against the
commercial and industrial center. strong by those struggling to sur-
vive and to a battle of dreamers
•
•
who became doers.
GENIUS WILL OUT
Moreover, he foresees in the
GRANADOS BECAME an ard- future in the little republic of
ent Christian Zionist largely be- Israel a greatly respected and
cause he learned to admire the recognized member of the UN.
accomplishments of the Jews in
Palestine.
YOUNG ADULTS DANCE
Stewart Cowen's orchestra
Today he feels that Jewish gen- plays for young adult dancing
ius and enterprise will do more every Thursday from 8-11 p.m.,
than enable the Jews to build in the outdoor ,court of the Cen
a model land for themselves.
ter.
He is convinced that the Jews
will be able to help raise the
Arabs in and near Palestine to a
higher standard of living and to
greater commercial and indus-
trial attainments.
He is certain that the Negev
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