Page Sixteen THE JEWISH NEWS• Friday, December 11, t941 The Problems of Anti-Semitism in the Post-War Period in the United States Excerpfs-From Paper Presented at the Regional Execufi , ,e Meeting of the East Certr d1 - States Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, in Cleveland, Nov. 20, 1943 By HARRY L. LURIE, Executive Director, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds HARRY L. LURIE I T IS GENERALLY recognized that anti-Semitism and the lack or uniformly satisfactory rela- tions between Jews and other groups in this country involve not only do- mestic factors that are indigenous to the United States, but also that our problems have become aggravated through the influence of organized anti-Semitic developments abroad. For this reason the effect of the war upon anti-Semitism overseas and upon our domestic problems requires the most careful consideration in plan- ting our defense programs. - The world war in which we are en- gaged Is not being fought over Jewish issues. The appeasement of Nazi ag- gression culminating in the Munich Pact was not determined by a desire on the part of the appeasers to amel- iorate the conditions of the Jew or of other tortured victims of German pol- icy. Anti-Semitism was a valuable wea- pon which Nazism required to destroy democracy in Germany and to dis- organize the nations it hoped to con- quer. Victory will mean the defeat and the submergence rather than the com- plete destruction of the political groups that have all but destroyed the continent of Europe. We may hope that the theories and practices of Nazi racialism will be among the fac- tors in the national life of our ene- mies that will be found to be detest- able by the United Nations and all sufferers from German ruthlessness and terror. We in this country who are fighting against German and Jap- anese fascism may also hope that we will similarly reject the racial and anti-Semitic theories along with the other degenerate aspects of Nazism. To the extent, however, that the is- sues of the war remain obscure or vaguely understood, and groups or classes in this or other countries un- der the influence of reactionary for- ces remain dissatisfied with the con- duct of the war or *with the domestic policies associated with it, there is the danger that vie -Wry in the armed struggle will not bring it a corn- plete elimination of" the domestic as- pects of anti-Semitism or of the pO.,, tency of overseas influence to intensi- fy these disturbing , elements.: Productive .Capacity The war will have „a profound of feet on our general .economic and po- litical attitudes. 'Vile have plunged into an overwhelming effort for war production at the edge of a twelve- year period of depression from which we had been unable to emerge in spite of determined efforts by govern- ment and industry to restore prosperi- ty. Then suddenly through the full employment of our manpower and our economic resources in the war effort we discovered that we had a tre- mendous productive capacity which could increase the normal income- producing ability of the country two- fold as compared with the whole of the last ten years. One full year of war production is approximately three times as great as the production of the country in our lowest depression year. Compiled From the Records of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency SALONIKA—Practically all Jewish voters lioy- cotted the polls during Sunday's elections because of the government order settina up special polling places for Jews. The Salonika b Jewish Community Council had agreed to the proposal when the govern- ment promised the Jews four instead of three seats in Parliament, but aroused public opinion forced it to withdraw its agreement and to resign. WASHINGTON—The House Immigration Com- mittee has decided to vote out a bill providing for a two per cent quota based on the 1890 census. A ' strug- gle by several Congressmen to have the quota in- creased was unsuccessful. JERUSALEM—King Hussein of the Hedjas has left for Ammon to meet there with his two sons, Emir Abdullah of Transjordan and King Feisal of Meso- potamia to discuss plans for a Pan-Arab conference which would aim at uniting the Arab people politi- cally and economically. MOSCOW — A bandit leader named Kuprenko, who was an aide to the anti-Semitic terrorist Pet- lura, was executed this week after being tried by a district tribunal in Kiev. Witnesses described the massacres of Jews which were carried out by Kup- renko's bands. . BERLIN—The complete innocence of Capt. Al- fred Dreyfuss, French officer whose conviction on a trumped-up charge of treason became a cause celebre, is substantiated by state documents just made public here. The papers are reports from the German ambassador in Paris during the Dreyfuss trial. The documents indicate that the Kaiser inter- vened to prevent the German ambaSsador from pre- senting the evidence he had concerning Dreyfuss' innocence to the French cabinet. LONDON—Influential circles intend to solve the Palestine problem by the creation of an indepen- dent goyernment under Emir Abdullah, the present ruler of Transjordania, the Morning Post intimates. According to that paper, the new Palestine Govern- ment will have British aid, which will be depen- dent on Abdullah's recognition of Zionist policies. LONDON—The prominent Hungarian politician, ex-Premier Friedrich, negotiated recently with Henry Ford regarding the possibility of obtaining financial support from the motor magnate for mon- archist propaganda in Hungary, Austria and Bav- aria. In return, Ford is said to have been promised important industrial concessions when the mon- archist plots were successful. tion? Can there or should there be full agreement among all Jews as to the basic social and economic program re- quired to remove discontent and ; po- litical reaction? The post-war period will be ac- companied by efforts to adapt our economic life to the needs of full production. There will be problems of foreign trade, of tariffs, of wage stan- dards, of labor organizations, of gov- ernment responsibility and private enterprise inherent in these questions. There will be solutions and programs offered along reactionary, labor, so- cialist, or other radical lines. There will be confusion of insight and con- fusion of purpose. Shall Jewish or- ganizations remain passive? Shall we continue,, if we act at all, to act in isolation or shall we recognize that we need to be brOught closer to other American groups :working toward so- lution of these problems in a progres- sive and enlightened fashion? Economic Insecurity a Threat - If the hopes for full economic se- curity are not satisfied, there is fer- tile soil for reactionary programs which will -promise security with the intention of gaining advantages for some privileged or underprivileged groups at the expense of the democra- tic . process. The period of post-war readjustment may threaten us with an upsurge of reactionary elements :utiliz- ing anti-Semitism as one of their most dangerous weapons. It is important, therefore, that the hopes and aspira- tions of all classes shall be satisfied by careful planning to solve our eco- nomic *Problems as speedily as possi- ble..,.' It is possible within the local com- munity to work on many fronts and to develop a well integrated and care- fully thought out program of. action dealing not only with overt manifes- tations, but going directly to the roots of the problem with which we are concerned. Post-War Challenges We. will need to orient ourselves for new programs, new forms of organiza- tion and• to many adjustments in our social and economic life. What kind of Jewish organization will fit the needs of American life in the post- war era? What do we need to do to- achieve this organization? How shall we shape our efforts so that in spite of obstacles and difficulties we be- come less vulnerable and more in- tegrated in American life? What can we do to lessen the feel--; ings of suspicion, hostility and aliena- tion with which the other elements in the community consider the Jewish group? How do we preserve our val- ues, our dignity, and lay a ground- work for further contributions as in- dividuals and as a group to achieving the American ideal of a dynamic dem- ocratic people? In short, how ready are we for the: challenges of the post-war world? Basic Questions The questions for local community action are basic questions. How do we organize our community for effective group relations? HOw much of this requires efforts within the Jewish group to promote participation in general community affairs? Can Jews as a group, or on the basis of being Jewish determine the lines of action needed to serve the basic interests of democracy in a period of rapid evolu- Leon Blum Colony Dedicated on JNF Land in Palestine Twenty Years Ago This Week NEW YORK—Formation of an inter-collegiate re- ligious welfare association for Jewish students at . American colleges is expected to result from the or:- ganization of the Hillel Foundation at the University of Illinois this semester. Our current earning power is in- contestable proof that we are capable of supplying a high standard of living for all groups and classes in the popu- lation. We may, therefore, anticipate in the post-war period that many ele- ments of our population—entrepre- neurs, laborers, farmers, white collar workers, and others—will not be sat- isfied with less than full economic op- portunities and full security. Jewish Congress Unit to Sponsor Youth Essay Event 7,40 1/,` . 16 American-Chalutzim, 50 Refugees From Baltic Coun tries and. Zionist Pioneers Comprise Colony in Honor of EX-Premier - The world press paused on Armistice Day to recall the life and achievements of 'Leon Blum, French Jewish Socialist leader and former Premier of France, who is in a Nazi con- centration camp, because news dispatches from Naame, Gali- lee, gave details of the dedication on Nov. 10 of a new Jewish agricultural colony in tribute to him. War Bonds to Be Awarded for Best Papers on Post- War Subject A nation wide essay event, to - ,-end on March 15, is being spon- . sored by the education commit- :tee of the Young Men's and Wom- en's Division of the American Jewish Congress, on the subject of "What Youth Seeks in the Postwar World." The first award will be a $50 War Bond; the sec- ond and third will be $25 Bonds. The following are the board of judges: The above photograph shows a part of the land set aside by the Jewish National Fund as the site for the Leon Blum Colony, where the Kibbutz Anglo-Balti—a col- lective comprised of 16 American Chalutzim and 50 refugees from the Baltic countries and Zionist pioneers from England, Canada and South Africa—were settled. Photo to the left shows the group of American Chalutzim who were members of Habonim, American Zionist Labor Youth Organization, and received their agricultural experience in the He'Chalutz Training Farm at Cream Ridge, New Jersey. The colony came into existence as a result of a movement initi- ated by the Labor Department of the Jewish National Fund in the U. S. and the co-operation of the American Federation of Labor and numerous labor unions and groups. Leon Blum always has been interested in the work of Pale- stine's reconstruction. The Jewish National Fund in the land-redemption agency of the world Zionist movement. Dr. William Agar, acting presi- dent of Freedom House; Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, president Emer- itus, Bethune-Coekman College and president of National Coun- cil of Negro Women; Dr. Harry J. Carman, dean of Columbia College; Judge Nathan D. Perl- man, vice-president, American Jewish Congress, Justice of the Court of Special Sessions of New York; Mrs. Stephen S. Wise, president of the Women's Divi- sion, American Jewish Congress. Essays are limited to 1,200 -'words and should be typewritten or legibly handwritten on one side of the paper, size 81/2x11. In addition to its own mem- bership throughout the country, the Young Men's and Women's Division invites every Negro, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish youth organiation - to participate. Manuscripts should be for- warded to Nathan Zuckerman, executive director of the Young Men's and Women's Division of the American Jewish Congress, 330 W. 42nd St., New York.