Friday April 30
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
(Copyright, 1943, Independent
Jewish Press Service)
Quotation of the Week
•
0 "In this hour of grim 'tragedy for the Jewish people, it is our
fervent prayer that the great democratic nations whose conscience
has been stirred even in the midst of a terrible war by the sufferings
of the Jewish people in Europe, will seek to get to the root of the
problem of European Jewry as it now manifests itself. It is a problem
essentially of the homelessness of a people. Twenty-five years ago,
also in the midst of a war, the first great promise of redemption by
giving them back a home of their own was made. No greater con-
tribution can be made to that problem at this time, than by doing
everything possible to give practical effect to that historic promise."
THE "CHILLY" BRITISHERS
The British are known to be cold and
calculating. They can be sweet as sugar
in their coldness, especially when deal-
ing with the Jews.
"Betrayal" has become an ordinary
—DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, President of Jewish
word in reference to British dealings
Agency for Palestine, in Memorandum to`
with Jews in Palestine. It is most un-
Bermuda Refugee Conference.
fortunate that this should be necessary
in our direst hour of need.
But the British remain calm and col-
lected and their official utterances are
full of diabetic expressions of sympathy.
• Nevertheless, when necessary, they
can be very harsh and oftimes brutal.
Take the brilliant Sir Ronald Storrs,
the first British Military Governor of
Jerusalem as an example, and you will
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
By DAVID DEUTSCH
know what we mean.
(Copyright, 1943, Seven Arts Feature
(Copyright, 1943, Independent
HIS MUCH-WORN CLICHES
Syndicate)
Jewish Press Service)
A column back this Commentator dis-
WASHINGTON BLUES
cussed Sir Ronald's views on the Jews IN MEMORIAM
and his love for Hebrew.
It is said that Mussolini, in the days
Supreme Court Justice Felix Frank-
Sir Ronald, as a subject in himself, is when he had but contempt for Hitler, furter keeps away from Jewish functions
worth a volume as thick as his "Mem- was on most friendly terms with •Ittamar to avoid criticism. But the people who
oirs." But his attitude on Palestine and Ben-Aviv, the Palestinian editor and criticize Jews can find their own pre-
Zionism is certainly worth at least two leader who died at East Orange, N.J., ,last texts. As for example, Mississippi's John
of our columns—for our own sakes, so week . . . Ittamar, a son of the. immortal E. Rankin who went out of his way to
that we may understand him.
Ben Jehuda, visited the Duce often and condemn "the confusing fulminations" of
Sir Ronald has done a lot of talking reported to him on the progress of the the Justice in his address on Jefferson's
about the "half-premised land" and the Jewish Homeland . . . II Duce, so Ittamar 200th anniversary. It was a swell speech
"twice-promised land." These are cliches told • us some 'years ago; once confided to and everyone hailed it as such.
that are undeserving of the eminence of him that if the Jews were willing he
Can anybody explain where Attorney
this brilliant statesman. Unfortunately,. would demand the Mandate • over Pal- General Biddle is these . days while scur-
they represent British attitude.
estine and then would decree a Jewish rilous anti-Semitic literature continues to
A "LOVER" OF JERUSALEM
state . . . At the time of his death Ben- flood the mails, while Postmaster Gen-
We have mentioned his "Memoirs" and Avi was waiting for his . visa to go to eral Walker spends all his time suspend-
we call the attention of our readers to Egypt and Palestine to help in the war ing magazines guilty of portraying un-
the chapter on Palestine in which he ex- effort . . . A day after a heart attack draped maidens? Friends say that Biddle
presses affection for Jerusalem. The page Struck him down, the visa was granted. feels the courts would not sustain
Very moving was the intimate tribute charges against these hate sheets and so,
on which he deals with Jerusalem is
titled "If I Forget Thee, 0 Jerusalem .. " paid in the United Palestine Appeal Ex- in advance of trial, he lets the thing ride.
He declares that "there can be no pro- ecutive Offices to the memory of the late
motion after Jerusalem," and the best Brigadier General Frederick Kisch . . . ALBERT BASSERMAN—HERO
explanation he offers for his love for the Dr. Weizmann told the gathered Zionist
Contrary to popular belief, that great
Holy City is contained in these words:
leaders and workers about the difficul- old thespian, Albert Basserman, is not a
"Persons of wider aesthetic experience ties the then Col. Kisch had to face when Jew. He's the fellow who dazzled the
and more facile emotions have often he worked for the world Zionist Organi- cinema world with his brief but exciting
come there to pray and gone away to zation . . . The Zionists looked upon him performance in "Magic Bullet" and who's
mock. For me Jerusalem stood and stands as a "goyish" English officer, and his been getting hack jobs ever since. Bass-
alone among the cities of the world.. former military colleagues pitied him for erman deserves praise from the Jews
There are many positions of greater au- having "gone _native" . . . Brig. Kisch just because he's not a Jew—but his wife,
thority and renown within and without was a lifelong friend of General Mont- Elsie, is. When Adolf came to power and
the British Empire, but in a sense I can- gomery, 'Commander of the British. demanded that the price of Basserman's
not explain there is no promotion after Eighth Army which drove Rommel from continuing to act was divorce of his wife,
Jerusalem."
Egypt to Tunisia . . . Kisch and MOnt- Basserman declined. He was 65 when he
Wherein lies the, explanation? Is it pos- gomery Were neighbOfs when both lived left Germany, saying he had worked
sible that Sir Ronald Storrs belongs to in Haifa . Kisch was in charge of with his wife all those years and wasn't
those who love the ruins of Jerusalem transportation' and -. engineering in the going to desert her then. He left for
and are unable to tolerate Jewish aspir- Eighth Army . . . He performed his duty Vienna, Switzerland, Paris and finally
ations for a redeemed and speedily re- brilliantly, and was killed on • a most reached Hollywood. A few days ago his
constructed Zion—including Jerusalem?
hazardous mission.
75th birthday passed unnoticed. Too bad,
THEY WANT A MUSEUM!
for Albert Basserman is a great Christian
THIS AND THAT
Your Commentator fears that the rea-
as well as a great actor.
Everybody knows, of course, that Ar-.
son for . the obstacles . and hindrances
PERSONALITIES
thur
Szyk;
the
artist,
has
an
eye
for
the
placed in . the path of . Jewish aspirations
in Palestine; the cause for restrictions on beautiful—yet everybody gasps with ad-
You can send letters to David Stern,
Jewish. immigrations; the reftiSal of the - rniration at the sight of Szyk's beautiful 3rd, son of the Philadelphia Record pub-
British to cooperate—are- due to a desire. wife" . . . And when the lady proudly lisher, at Fort Dix. The 35-year-old pub-
on the part of : our British "friends" to announces that she has been a grand- lisher of the Camden, N. J. Courier-Post,
Mother- for lo, these Past seven months, enlisted in the army after trying to get
see Palestine .perpetuated:as a museum.
But Jews aim to make Palestine a she.finds it difficult:to make her listeners in for a year; he had to undergo an oper-
thriving Commonwealth where men and believe her: .•
ation to meet rigid medical standards.
Judge Jonah J.1,Goldstein of New York
women and Children . in untold numbers
George Z. Medalie is one of the few
will be able 'to -find a home. An uninter- says this city is hot a melting pot but a Jews in the country who has had an op-
symphony
orchestra
playing
one
har-
.
rupted battle is -- On.between the two
portunity to turn down an important
monious melody . . . When about the
viewpoints.
judicial
post—and actually did. Former
There is no compromise between Christian Fronters, Judge? . . . They still
"museum" and "home." What Israel insist on putting in their own cacophony. United States Attorney in New York,
Mussolini, reports Harry Hershfield, re- Medalie was offered a place on the New
needs is the scrapping of museums and
the building of homes. When there is turned from his recent meeting with York Court of Appeals, highest bench in
ample room for human beings, then we Adolf to tell his advisers what decisions the State, but he declined. Governor
shall help create glass casings for "curi- had been reached . . . And to show the Thomas E. Dewey, who made the offer,
Fascist chieftains that the decisions had
osities."
been arrived at after mature delibera- is a Medalie prcitege. Medalie, head of
tion, Musso announced: "I listened things the New York Jewish Federation, lost
over carefully with Hitler."
out in his candidacy for. New York gov-.
By EMANUEL G. FRANK
LISTEN HERE
ernor some years ago, largely because
One of America's foremost labor lead- many Jews didn't know he was Jewish.
I know the cold disdain within
their hearts,
ers, just back from a tour of Army
That big splurge in Life on Fritz
camps, is deeply worried . . . He was
The veiled contempt, the hatred
Kahn's
"Man in Structure and Function"
for my race.
horrified by the anti-Jewish talk current
I read the thoughts (they sting
among soldiers .. . And he declares that must have made Dr. Kahn feel very
this talk obviously is inspired by a single good, considering the fact that he's start-
like angry darts)
organized source, the same pattern be- ing life all over again. Dr. Kahn, a ref-
That often lurk behind
ing used in all parts of the country . . .
some smiling face.
As soon as a group of 10 or 12 gathers ugee from Germany, first published his
A bitter cup—and I have
together a voiee will be heard grumbling great work on the human anatomy in
drained it all
about the Jewish war and the fat Jewish Switzerland. Over 10,000 sets of the
And yet I know the hatred
jobs in Washington . . . When he report- 2-volume work were printed in the first
and the scorn,
ed this to us, the labor leader said that edition here.
And all the blights that rear this
it reminded him of a visit he paid to
sullen wall
Germany 10 years ago.
Are but a spawn from night
Chaim Bloch, of Vienna, compiled the
and darkness born.
ABOUT PEOPLE
only truly original source book of Jewish
Zionists are beginning to discuss the humor. He is now living on the verge
So shall I turn and hopeless
successor of Judge Louis Levinthal, pres- of starvation at 2050 Davidson Ave.,
bow my head
ident of the Zionist Organization of
And in secluded fastnesses abide
America . . . It is said that Rabbi Abba Bronx, New York. Bloch, who has been
Because of words expressed or
Hillel Silver of Cleveland is Dr. Weiz- called in to provide Scholarly material
left half said
mann's choice . . . Rabbi Israel Goldstein to the Vatican, has published "Replies to
So barbed and hurtful to my
has the backing of the present admin- Inquiries from the Vatican," in Hebrew.
heart and pride?
istration . . . and a rather strong group
Or walking with them, strive that
insists that either Louis Lipsky or Dr. People who respect Bloch's contribution
they may know
Wise should be drafted for a term whiCh to scholarship can enable him to. keep
The wrong they do—to judge
will cover a most important period of his dignity by buying copies of a first-
my people so?
Zionist history.
class defense of Jews against libels.
Strictly
Confidential
Heard in
The Lobbies
.
•
Cross Roads
1943 ;
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1943, Jewish, Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
THE ZIONIST FRONT
The Zionist Organization of America
has adopted the tactics of other Jewish
groups which plead the Palestine cause
through full-page advertisements in the
New York Times . . . We wonder whether
Dr. Weizmann was consulted on the text
of the ZOA advertisement .. . We have
grounds to believe that he would have
disapproved of its text in the form that
it was published.
We hear that the entire Palestine presS,
with the exception of the labor paper
Davar, . this week carries editorials ex-
pressing amazement at the resignation
of Emanuel Neumann from the Ameri-
can Emergency Committee for Zionist
Affairs . . :The full text of Mr. Neu-
mann's statement explaining the state of
affairs in the Zionist Emergency Com-
mittee which led to his resignation has
just reached Palestine and has made
quite an 'impression there . . . This can
be seen from the articles in the Haaretz,
Haboker, Hamashkif and other Palestine
newspapers . . Disappointment with
American Zionist leadership for accept-
ing Mr. Neumann's resignation is ex-
pressed in all these papers, especially in
view of Neumar4s valuable activities in
Washington . . . By the way, is anybody
replacing Neumann on the Zionist Emer-
gency Committee?
* * *
THE AGRICULTURAL FRONT
Every Jew in America knows of the
Jewish colonists in Palestine, Russia and
even Argentina . . . But few Jews here
know that there are 100,000 Jewish farm-
ers in the United States . . Gabriel
Davidson, executive head of the Jewish
Agricultural Society,. has done a great;
service for American Jewry by publish-
ing this week a book "Our Jewish Farm-
ers" in which he tells very eloquently
the story of these 100,000 Jewish farmers
. . . The book, published by the L. B.
Fischer publishing house, is valuable, not
only as a history of the development of
Jewish farming in America, but also as
a fine contribution to general Jewish his,,
tory in this country. It is remarkably
we]l written and makes .absorbing read-
ing even for people who have no interest
in the subject of Jewish agriculture . . .
It reveals, by the way, that the great
Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is responsible
for the establishment of the Jewish Farm
School whkh now exists in Pennsylvania
. . . Inspired by a talk concerning the
Jews which he had with Tolstoy in 1894,
. Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, the Philadelphia
rabbi, returned- from his visit to Russia
and lost no time in founding the first
Jewish Agricultural School in America
which is today recognized as one of the
best in the country . . Mr. Davidson's
book also contains many other interesting
facts of this kind which are both of. his-
toric and human interest . . . One learns
from Mr. Davidson that Jewish farmers
in America are engaged in practically all
branches of farming, and that among
other things they are the best breeders
of turkeys, mink, chickens . . . Many of
them are planting tobacco and cotton,
while others have . large fields of sugar-
beets, potatoes, tomatoes and other vege-
tables which are so needed now both on
the home front and on the battlefront.
Latest Styles
From Australia
By BEN SAMUEL
(Copyright, 1943, by Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Mrs. Stanley Levitt knew that her hus-
band had learned to run • a sewing
machine as part of his naval training,
but she still didn't believe he could really
sew.
Then, from Australia, came a package
for his wife in Kansas City from First
Class Signalman Stanley Levitt.
Enclosed was a suit for Mrs. Levitt
made from an old set of navy blues by
Signalman Levitt himself.
"Look, the length is perfect!" Mrs.
Levitt exclaimed. "The waist fit is per-
fect! And aren't the• pockets darling?"
* * *
READY FOR SERVICE:
Irving K. Cohen; of 'Brooklyn, N. Y.,
was serving overseas with the AEF. He
wrote a letter to his brother Abe on
September 23, 1918, in which he inquired
after Abe's new-born son, Harold. "I sup-
pose," he wrote, "that he is ready to
shoulder a gun by now."
This letter was found in a package
of family heirlooms last week while
rummaging through a bureau drawer.
His son Harold, to whom his brother's
letter referred, had just left for army
service.