Peg. Two

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

(Copyright, 1943, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate)

ANNIVERSARY

Congratulations to The Detroit
Jewish News on the completion of
its first year. of publication ... Phil
Slomovitz, its editor, has done a
swell job of producing a lively and
in
paper week after week
• . We have a particularly soft spot
in our heart for Phil for two reasons
.
First, because he is himself a
colleague who has been columnizing
for many years . . . And, secondly,
because he likes our type of column
so much that his paper runs- not
only our own effusions but also the
output of our "disciples" • A big
second year to you, Mr. Editor.

YOU SHOUL'D KNOW

Recently we saw the results of a Gal-
lup poll which will never be published
. . . It dealt with the question of relig-
ious, national and racial groups in this
country . . . One of the questions read:
"In your opinion, what religious, nation-
ality or racial groups in this country are
a threat (menace) to America?" . . The
answers, which we cannot give you,
would make your hair stand on end . . .
They prove conclusively that in certain
parts of the country .anti-Semitism has
reached a nel,v high.
We have been told that various gov-
ernmental agencies which are sending
men to North Africa are rejecting Jews
for such missions, to avoid "irritating"
General Giraud . . However, we have
personal knowledge of Jews being sent
across—all of them, of course, men of the
highest qualifications.

WE'RE TELLING YOU

-

Of the British commando raids in the
Middle East none have been more dar-
ing and heroic than those carried out
by volunteer Jewish groups from Pales-
tine . . . Some day, when the full story
of these raids will be told, they will make
the Yugosalvian guerrilla warfare look
like a pink tea.
The Ben Hecht-Billy Rose pageant "We
Will Never Die," sponsored by the Com-
mittee for a Jewish Army, was such an
unqualified success that many Jewish
leaders who heretofore have been antag-
onistic toward the Committee now have
come to realize that this group knows
how to do things, and are courting its
cooperation.

ONE ON ADOLF

"In view of the fact that children lately
have been frequently abandoned, the
German authorities have announced that
in the future all such children will be
considered Jewish children and will be
placed in appropriate institutions," reads
a statement recently issued in occupied
Holland . . . Which just goes to show
how incapable the Nazis are of under-
standing the psychology of the Nether-
landers . . . For, of course, the children
whom Dutch mothers abandon are the
progeny of occupation troops, who, in ac-
cordance with their Fuehrer's principles,
are endeavoring to Nazify the Hollanders
by providing a half-German younger
generation . . . So that we have the pic-
ture of the Nazis placing all the onus
of Jewishness on 100 per cent Aryan, 50
per cent Nazi foundlings.

J. W. IL Serves

WA ACS, WAVES

It's no longer unusual to see girls in the
uniform of the United States Army and
in the blue of our Navy in synagogues in
many towns and cities over the country.
For the number of Jewish girls in our
Armed Forces grows steadily larger.
They are participating wholeheartedly in
this service just as they have in all other
phases of the war effort. They are serv-
ing as WAACs, in the WAVES, and in all
the other women's units and - auxiliarieS.
"Just as the National Jewish Welfare
Board is concerned with the religious and
other needs of our men in military camps
and bases, our girls too are extended its
friendly service and interest," declared
Mrs. Alfred R. Bachrach, chairman of the
Women's Division of the National Jewish
Welfare Board.
USO-JWB workers are stationed in Des
Moines and at Daytona Beach—the two
great WAAC training bases.
As the number of Jewish women in
service increases, so will the friendly aid
of JWB be extended them—for guidance,
for recreation, for assistance and for com-
panionable healthful understanding. The
National Jewish Welfare Board is a con-
stituent agency of the USO.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, March 19, 1943

Between You and Me .

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Editor Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Heard in
the Lobbies

By . DAVID DEUTSCH

Serving the Community

Much talk is now heard in New York_ concerning the need for a
national Anglo-Jewish weekly which would serve the interests of
American Jews on the basis of nation-wide circulation . . .- Those who
advocate the establishment of such a publication argue that the local
Anglo-Jewish press is too weak to serve any good purpose.
They overlook the fact, however, that
many of the Anglo-Jewish weeklies are part
and parcel of the local Jewish communities
and serve their communities exceedingly
well . . . They are also unaware of the fact
that among the Anglo-Jewish weeklies are
quite a number of really fine papers . . . To
mention only a few: The Jewish Advocate
of Boston, The Jewish Outlook of Pittsburgh,
not to speak of The Jewish News of Detroit
. . . The latter is only one year old this week,
and•if prizes were awarded for the best journ-
alistic services to the local Jewish community,
this "baby" in the field of Anglo-Jewish
Mr. Smolar
journalism would no doubt win.
No national Anglo-Jewish publication could serve the interest
of the Detroit Jewish community as well as The Jewish News . . .
The same is true with regard to a number of Anglo-Jewish publica-
tions in other cities . . . Wherever the local Jewish community leaders
feel a genuine need for bringing news of Jewish life and activities
into th e Jewish homes of their community, there we find a good
ciood
Anglo-Jewish weekly newspaper which serves the interests of the
local Jewish community far better than a national weekly could . . .
The moral is obvious: A Jewish community has as good an Anglo-
Jewish publication as it deserves . . . On this occasion I sincerely
congratulate Philip Slomovitz, editor of The Jewish News of Detroit,
for making the "youngest" Anglo-Jewish newspaper one of the best
in the country . . . He has performed a splendid service in the course
of the first year of his newspaper's existence by proving that the
Anglo-Jewish press has a place in Jewish communal life and deserves
the fullest support the community can give it.

*

*

Time To, Consider

It reflects on Jewish leadership in America that every Tom, Dick
and Harry can arrange mass-memorials for the Jews in Europe and
collect huge sums without the sanction of leading Jewish organ-•
izations . . The "We . Will Never Die" memorial at Madison Square
Garden—which is now to be repeated in Washington, Chicago, Boston,
Detroit and other cities—was valuable in the sense that it attracted
more attention to the Jewish tragedy . . . But who are the organizers
and why was the entire affair advertised in the name of individuals
who never had anything to do with Jewish life? . . . This bartering
of Jewish misfortune without submitting to the control of organiza-
tions like the American Jewish Committee or the American Jewish
Congress could never occur in a country •where Jewish leadership
was well organized . . . It may eventually lead to consequences which
will prove embarassing for recognized American Jewish leaders . . .
The sooner the activities of individuals and small groups are checked
by the bona-fide Jewish representative bodies, th e better it will be
for the latter as well as for the prestige of American Jewry.

Purely Commentary .

•

•

By PHILIP SLOMOYITZ

Making Fools of Our Children

An eminent English-Jewish scholar about a generation ago made
this pointed remark:
"Would you put an end to anti-Semitism? Make fools of
your children."
The implication was obvious: jealousy of the Jew who excels
in competition is responsible for discrimination against us; by
•making nincompoops of our youngsters, we will eliminate competition
and make our economic and cultural position so low as to be objects
not of jealousy but of pity, and thereby end the high grade anti-
Semitism from which even college professors are not exempt.

*

*

But—No Dotards For Us

It stands to reason, that Jews refuse to create a people of dotards.
Therefore, anti-Semitism based on the competitive system not only
continues but increases in scope.
No, the People of the Book refuses to yield to a standard of
non-compos. Even the nurnerus clausus can not down us. We manage
to make our mark in life. We succeed in getting Jews on faculties
of even the most sacred English departments. Our sons and daughters
are successful as engineers and doctors. In only one field do we fail
to make progress culturally: in the internal Jewish activities.

(Copyright, 1943, Independent
Jewish Press Service)

WASHINGTON ECHOES

Government officials who met with
Moshe Shertok, the Jewish Agency's po-
litical chief, were deeply impressed with
the brilliance and logic of the man, even
though a few were restive under what,
for American standards, are protracted
talks—but that's the difference between
the U. S. A. and Europe. Here you must
say nothing eloquently—in 15 minutes.
There you must say much—if necessary
for three hours.

Congratulations to Cong. Sol Bloom,
one of the chief ornaments of the House,
on his 73rd birthday! Once in theatrical
business, he used to be criticized by
Washington correspondents for ballyhoo-
ism in connection with the George Wash-
ington and Constitution celebrations, but
after 10 years he is universally respected
for his modesty and his firm support of
the Administration as Chairman of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
After talking to reporters, he always
reminds them to call him—not Congress-
man Bloom or Bloom but specifically
Congressman Sol Bloom! It's a grand old
name for a grand legislator.

INTERESTING TALE

Arthur Krock is one of the trio of na-
tionally-known columnists, of Jewish
origin, whose dyspepsia always seems to
express itself in differing with the . Presi-
dent, almost regardless of the occasion.
-Aside from whatever journalistic reason
the chief Washington correspondent of
the New York Times may have, there is
an interesting tale often linked to Krock's
still-current attitude.
When F. D. R. first took office in 1933,
Krock sent his paper a scoop allegedly
giving in detail what the President want-
ed to do at the impending London Eco-
nomic Conference. After the story ap-
peared, the President as much as called
the correspondent a tamperer with the
truth. Before that Krock had been very
sympathetic to F. D. R. Evidences of that
10 years later are few, and far between.

MENTIONED IN TIME

Time recently mentioned Mordecai
Ezekiel as one of the New Deal "brain
trusters" responsible for the Donald Nel-
son victory in the fight for civilian con-
trol of production. The implication was
he was one of these upstart "intellect-
uals," whatever that means. Fact is that
the agricultural expert could match
Henry Luce's own ancestry any time.
Of Portuguese Jewish stock, Ezekiel is
proud of the fact that his ancestors fought
with the Richmond Grays way back in
the War of 1812. By the way, it was
Henry Wallace who brought Ezekiel for-
ward, for he remembered the good ar-
ticles that Ezekiel used to contribute to
his farm paper

MORE CAPITAL ECHOES

Too bad so little was said about
Michael W. Straus when Harold Ickes a
few days ago named him—or rather the
President did—as Assistant Secretary of
the Interior. For a long time a• Hearst
newspaperman in Chicago, Straus has
been the genius of the Interior Depart-
ment's information section, satisfying
more newspapermen with his ability to
provide all facts quickly than any other
bureau of the government.
Some say Straus' energy and con-
geniality would be a swell asset for the
Office of War Information.

Tickling the News

By MARTIN PANZER

*

Why are Jews Uninformed?

In the main, Jews are not fully informed on their own status.
Only a handful of our people secure a Jewish education. Very few
keep abreast with events as they affect Jews.
.What is responsible for it?
-
In the main, it is because the press which should reach vast num-
bers of Jews, either does not reach them. or does not touch them.
This collective fault is due to the failure—thus far—to create an
intelligent and efficient English-Jewish newspaper chain.
What we have today is a group of newspapers :that is motivated
by profits and by standards which_ appeal to gossip-mongers. An
elaborate local-interest society item is still more important to the
average English-Jewish newspaper than a burning question of the
day affecting the existence of the Jewish people, the safety of millions
of our kinsmen, the future of Palestine, the economic status Of our
children.

The Concern of Our Leaders

As a result of the "poor" press which pretends to serve the needs
of Jewish communities, Jewish leadership generally is affected.
In the days of Louis Marshall, Jewish leadership was concerned
with the opinions and reactions of the masses of Jews. The late

(Continued on Page 15)

(Copyright, 1943, Independent
Jewish Press Service)

The Nazis have completed a new anti-
Semitic film called "The Ten Command-
ments." Freud might explain that as a
mental catharsis in which the patient fi-
nally reveals what bothers him.
*
*
Corporal LeRoy Diathond of Brooklyn
is credited with saving the lives of hun-
dreds of American Marines by stopping a
clap advance on Guadalcanal and has
been awarded the Navy Cross. Sort of a
human stop-Jap, eh wot?
.
*

NAZIS BEAM ANTI-SEMITISM AT
AMERICAN TROOPS — Headline. But
they're not on the beam or even_ in the
groove. The Nazis aren't hep-cats when it
comes to judging American fighting men.
*
*
PREDICTS CONGRESSIONAL AC-
TION IN DENUNCIATION OF NAZI
ATROCITIES—Headline. Good old Con-
gress. Sooner or later it gets around to

everything.

