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.