Page Two
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. B1RON
(Copyright, 1943, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate)
NAMES
Air Cadet Bernard Epstein of Yonk-
ers has changed his moniker to a less
Jewish-sounding handle because he's
afraid that if his plane is shot down over
Germany he'd be badly treated by the
Nazis because of his Jewish name . . . We
haven't noticed any name-changing op-
eration undertaken by Bombardier Meyer
Levin and others like him.
TRANSATLANTIC
Rene Blum, brother of France's one-
time premier Leon Blum, received the
doubtful compliment of being asked by
the Nazis to present a ballet for them
(he was the director of the Monte Carlo
Ballet, you remember) . . . When he re-
fused, he was sent off to a concentration
camp in Poland, we hear . . . As for Leon
Blum himself nothing at all has been
heard of him of late, nor of George
Mandel, member of the last French cabi-
net before the fall of France.
ENTERTAINERS
Comedian Benny Rubin was a hero the
other night when a fire broke out in
the back of the studio from which he was
broadcasting . . . Benny kept the studio
audience reassured and amused till the
firemen arrived, thus averting what
might have become a serious panic.
Planning a trip overseas to entertain
American soldiers on foreign fighting
fronts is radio's and Hollywood's Dinah
Shore . . .She hopes to leave as soon as
she finishes her second film, "With Fly-
ing Colors." Did you know, by the way,
that Dinah recently was awarded first
prize in an amateur photography con-
test, but refused to accept it on the
grounds that the judges might have been
influenced by her name?
ABOUT PEOPLE
By the time you read this, Moshe
Shertok, executive director of the Politi-
cal Department of the Jewish Agency,
will be in this country.
David Neumark Brainin, 17-year-old
son of Joe Brainin, has enlisted in the
Navy . . . He's the grandson of the late
Prof. David Neumark and of the late
Reuben Brainin, and his enlistment
brings up to 100 per cent the military
service of Brainin grandsons—the others
being Abrasha Brainin and Max Schuller
of Montreal, both members of the Canad-
ian armed forces . . . At the same time
we must announce that the first great-
grandchild of Reuben Brainin has just
appeared on the scene up in Montreal,
the daughter of Amita Brainin Schuller
Schecter.
The Navy has inaugurated an art pro-
ject, with artists Georges Schreiber and
Joseph Hirsch down in Pensacola paint-
ing the training activities of the Naval
base . . . The Army, we may mention,
has plenty of excellent artists in its ranks
who could render it similar services .. .
We are thinking particularly of David
Lax, one of America's finest young paint-
ers, and Elias Newman, whose canvases
of Palestinian scenes have been exhibited
throughout the country.
LAST WORD
If you're beefing about the rationing
of beef, canned goods and what-not, give
a listen to how commentator William
Shirer told off one such wailer . . .
"Here in America," he pointed out,
"we've stopped canning dog meat be-
cause we're almost out of tin . . . But in
Germany they stopped canning dog meat
because they're out of dogs."
Tickling the News
By MARTIN PANZER
(Copyright, 1943, Independent
Jewish Press Service)
Two more Bohemian towns have been
made "Judenrein," and have hoisted
white flags in celebration. Just leave the
white flags up there, buddies, they'll soon
be useful for another occasion.
Arab Leader Spreads Propaganda in
Axis Country—Headline. Next thing you
know they'll be delivering coal to New-
castle.
President Orders New Study of Dis-
crimination. — Headline. Fine, but when
are diplomas finally going to be issued?
Giraud Again Announces Easement of
Anti-Jewish Laws — Headline. Fooled
yuh! It doesn't say they were eased
again—just that it was announced again.
Remember the story about the man who
complained that his wife was always ask-
ing for money? . When a friend asked
what she did with all the money, he re-
plied, "I dunno, I ain't give her none yet,"
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday,' February .I 9, 1.941
Quotation of the Week
"Here in the United States we differ about religion. I thank God
we do, and I pray that we may continue to respect differences. I mean,
however, DIFFERENCES — and not INDIFFERENCE. Indifference
is quite as dangerous and subversive to the American way of life as
intolerance. The task is not to water down Judaism or Protestantism
or Catholicism, but to make Jews better Jews, Protestants better
Protestants, and Catholics better Catholics. And by "better" I mean
more informed and more practicing. For right information about
each of the three great faiths and faithful practice of them will make
for sincere and genuine and beneficial cooperation in all our public
affairs — civic, national, and international. This has been, and is, the
special mission of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
There is no more important mission."
—Hon. Carlton J. H. Hayes, U. S. Ambassador to Spain, Catholic
Co-Chairman of National Conference of Christians and Jews.
111 et ween
Heard in
You and Me the Lobbies
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1943, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
WAR ECHOES
By DAVID DEUTSCH
(Copyright, 1943, Independent
Jewish Press Service)
IT'S WAR
The "truce" declared between the Zion-
Capt. Lewis Daniels is the most admir
ed officer in Camp Luna, New Mexic o ist rabbis and the American Council for
. .. This news comes directly from Sta ff Judaism is a scheme by the former to ap-
Sgt. Jack Cohen of Las Vegas, New Mex pease the latter is off ... The American
Council snubbed both Zionists and anti-
ico, who worked for the
Zionists in determining to go ahead full
JTA prior to joining the
force with a propaganda and fund-raising
armed forces.
scheme to blast Zionism . . . The Ameri-
(Editor's Note: Capt.
can Jewish Committee, even under its
Daniels, well known De-
new Proskauer leadership, is alleged to
troiter, was a mining
have told Baltimore's Rabbi Lazaron and
engineer before he com-
other gentlemen of the cloth to lay off
menced practice • of law.
politics and leave that to the laymen .. .
He enlisted for active
The plea of the Zionist colleagues to re-
service last August, and
frain from hurting the great Jewish cause
a lengthy account of his
was also turned down flat . . . And now
professional career ap-
Capt. Daniels
the U. S. mails will carry a vast litera-
peared in The Jewish
News on Sept. 4, 1942. Mrs. Daniels and ture of vituperation while Jews in Pales-
their daughter, Lois Jane; plan to join tine are ready to die to make room for
more Jews from Europe.
Capt.. Daniels shortly).
The Jewish servicemen of Ft. Riley, WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Kansas, in the current issue of their
Secretary Hull hasn't heard the last of
weekly publication "L'chaim" want to
know when the anti-Jewish laws will be his amazing faux pas when he crudely re-
abolished in North Africa.
ferred to the fact that brilliant liberal
Washington reporter I. F. Stone used to
POLITICAL NOTES
The State Department is beginning to be called Isidor Feinstein (as Stone em-
take serious interest in the Arab-Jewish phatically describes his former name in
question in Palestine . . . It is under- Who's Who) just because Stone has been
stood that Sumner Welles has assigned asking pertinent questions about Giraud's
three officials of the State Department anti-Semitism in North Africa.
to study Arab-Jewish relations . . . Zion-
Drew Pearson of "Washington Merry-
ist leaders in America may soon be asked Go-Round" turned the tables on the Sec-
all kinds of questions by these officials retary by asserting that his Jewish-born
. .. At the same time we hear that the wife "also changed her name—from Witz
British Government has opened informal to Whitney." . . . George E. Sokolsky,
talks with Zionist leaders in London on voice of big business among the column-
Palestine problems . . . Similar talks ists, tried to join the smear on I. F. Stone
have been initiated here 'between Lord by saying that a man who modifies his
Halifax and Zionist leaders in this coun- name changes his character, with the im-
try . . . We may hear more about these plication that dishonesty is the result.
talks from Moshe Shertok, head of the . . . George, who used to be a member of
political department of the Jewish Ag- the Herzl Zionist Club in the old East
ency, who may have reached the United Side days, might have pointed out that
States from. London by the time this is
his own name used to be Eskolsky . . .
published . . . Zionists, though aware of
the fact that there are elements in the
This business of defending to the death
State Department hostile to a Jewish the necessity of other Jews' keeping
Palestine, are now more optimistic than names that are, at the most, a generation
ever after a conference Dr. Weizmann old, had better be left to the Coughlinites.
had with Mr. Welles.
... Take Sidney Kingsley as an example.
ZIONIST SIDELIGHTS
His present play on Broadway, "The
We hear that the American foundation Patriots," a life of Jefferson, is being
which was ready to finance—with thou- hailed as one of the democratic master-
sands of dollars—the research work for pieces of our time. Is Kingsley, author
the prematurely revealed project to dig of "Men in White," less gifted for Ameri-
a channel between the Mediterranean can patriotism because he was born Sid-
and the Dead Sea in Palestine, has now ney "Kieschner?". . Another eminent
given up the plan . . . It is reported that playwright is John Howard Lawson, who
there was friction between this founda- was in the ambulance corps in the French
tion and the American Emergency Com- Army in the last war and who revitalized
mittee for Zionist Affairs which sought American drama with his "processional."
to take control over the research work Today some of the most vigorous scripts
of the foundation . . . As the project is issuing from Hollywood are from his fer-
so important for the post-war status of tile brain. So what if his name did used
the Jews in Palestine, Dr. Weizmann to be Levy?
will probably take the entire matter into
his own hands, since he does not seem . . . "That reminds me," he said, "of my
to be very happy about the action of the brother Milton, who works in Washing-
Emergency Committee.
ton . . . A dowager there recently re-
Zionist groups in New York are already
busy mapping out plans for the machin- marked: 'What a wonderful family the
ery which is to be set up soon to carry Eisenhowers are. One brother died at
out the decision of the recent Pittsburgh Bataan, one is the head of the American
Conference to call an American Jewish army in Europe, and you have a big job
Assembly . . . Incidentally, Judge Pros- in Washington. What a pity you are
kauer, new president of the American Jewish!' . . . 'Madame,' replied Milton,
Jewish Committee, appeared unexpected- `what a pity we're not!' "
ly at the first meeting of the Assembly's
If you want to read a treatise on humor
executive . . • He delivered a short ad- in Palestine, Dr. E. M. Bluestone has just
dress outlining ,why a Jewish Assembly issued a mimeographed booklet . on that
is not necessary in America.
subject . . . Here is what he•has to say
THE LIGHTER SIDE
concerning the funny signs in Palestine
Quentin Reynolds reports that Gen. . . . There was the clasical one of the pro-
Eisenhower asked a group of newspaper- fessional lady who lived within the Old
men whether they listened to the Ger- City of Jerusalem . . . She was "diplo-
man radio . . . Yes, they replied, and miert" and added the English version to
told Eisenhower that one Nazi commen- her shingle.' "Diplomatic Midwife" . .
tator said: "It is typical of the Jew
A meat shop on the Mamilla Road in
Roosevelt to send that Jew Eisenhower Jerusalem displayed itself prominently
to England!"
The General laughed as the "International Butchery."
.
Purely
Conamentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
(Copyright, 1943, Independent
• Jewish Press Service)
KIBETZARNIE WITHOUT SOVEREIGN
New York's Kibetzarnie, Tiptoe Inn,
will be without a sovereign during Louis
Lipsky's absence from this country, in
London.
Several , columns back we spoke of
Tiptoe Inn. A word is in order about this
fame-acquiring rendezvous in New York,
now that the outstanding spokesmen for
American ZiOnism has undertaken the
assignment to launch the 1943 Keren.
Hayesod campaign in England.
Lipsky is one of the many distinguished"
frequent guests at this "kibetzarnie." The
major discussions there appear to be di-
verging upon the table Mr. Lipsky occu-
pies. He holds court without assuming
power. He is just the good Bohemian
who draws to him friends and admirers
and all who yearn for knowledge.
* * *
THE GREAT AND NEAR-GREAT
On the eve of his departure for Lon-
don, Lipsky was at Tiptoe. Mr. and Mrs.
Meyer Weisgal were there. Robert Sil-
verman was in a jovial mood. Mrs.
Lipsky was pleased to hear us say that
Lipsky was still the idol of the Zionists
of America. Mr. and Mrs. David Lipsky,
were at their famous father's side.
This is not intended as a society note,
but rather to review the gathering of
the great and near-great in a single spot
in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Sholem Asch
were nearby on the eve of the Lipsky
departure, and Mr. Asch informed us that
Putnam's soon will publish his latest
book. Alfred A. Strelsin, chairman of
the executive board of the Committee
for a Jewish Army, shared the Asch table
and was as enthusiastic as ever about
the Jewish Army Committee's activities,
in spite of Pierre Van Paassen's resigna-
tion from the chairmanship.
* * *
WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT
What do these people talk about when
they "hold court" in their favorite "kib-
itzarnie?"
At times, you are left in a daze. You
are disturbed by the failure of a man like
David Ben Gurion to keep to himself
important plans of Jewish leaders for
the future of Palestine. You sit in amaze-
ment over the political maneuvers of
Zionist leaders who have put in jeopardy
the ESCO foundation which had under-
taken to do an important job in Zion.
You wonder why some leaders are petty.
When you are through with your cock-
tail or your coffee, you are certain of
one thing: Lipsky remains the ablest
interperter of Zionist and general Jew-
ish problems and events.
Jewish Problem
After the War
• By LORD MELCHETT
(Copyright, 1943, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate)
. To speak of the "unprecedented bru-
talities, oppression, massacres, starvation,
and mass expulsions" of the Jews by the
German Nazi Government has become
a commonplace of our time. To affirm
that in some form or other justice must
be done and restitution made is also a
view commonly expressed by Ministers
and responsible leaders of the Allied
Nations.
On the practical issues involved it is
clear that as between now and 25 years
ago we have .in the National Home
proved ourselves fully capable of suc-
cessful colonization, both rural and ur-
ban, a point which used to be gravely
questioned. No great power other than
Germany was in active opposition to our
progress and even Germany was partly
prepared to accept the view that Jews
should be released to leave Germany and
not be kept for slavery. But there was
never a satisfactory agreement with the
indigenous Arab population on the ques-
tion of the National Home. As a result
successive British Governments compro-
mised between the contending parties.
It is true that much of the trouble
derived from Axis sources via the Mufti,
now in Berlin. But it would be a mis-
take to believe that in the absence of
such a' stimulus there was nothing re-
quired to perfect the arrangements out-
lined in the Balfour Declaration. There
are obviously several ways of satisfying
the Arabs, of whom there are many, of
good will: I do not believe that the
Middle East is so inflexible, that no an-
swer can be found to the problems which
arose in the first 25 years of the Jewish.
National Home.