Pa4e Tw'os
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
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11111*-
Or-
14- 64' 21;1945
'THE JEVISH'NEWS
THREE NON-JEWS AND ZION
Three Christians had something to say
in Detroit during the past few days about
Palestine.
Dorothy Thompson's address in praise
of Dr. Chaim Weizmann was a paean
for Palestine and the Jewish homeland's
pioneers.
Jack Kennard, who had watched
Jewish accomplishments during a two-
year stay in the Middle East in behalf
of the Red Cross—having spent most of
that time in Palestine—spoke of Jewish
creations as "astounding."
Col. Edwin Cooper, a war hero who is
a great photographer, supplementing his
splendid film of Palestine with ex-
planatory remarks, had nothing but
praise for the Jewish settlers.
These assertions by non-Jews who
genuinely admire the Jewish creative
spirit in Zion are cause for great joy
for Jews.
Will these panegyrics inspire greater
effort for Palestine's redemption?
If they would not, then we would
certainly emerge as a very cold-blooded
and indifferent people.
*
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JEWS ARE RESPONSIVE
But Jews ARE responsive, and they
appreciate the history-making occur-
..rences of our time. They are anxious to
have a share in the creative efforts of the
Jewish pioneers - and they prove it on
many occasions.
Only a handful of people heard Doro-
thy Thompson's tribute to the Palestinian
Jewish pioneers and to Dr. Chaim Weiz-
mann. But they responded well to the
plea for funds for the Weizmann Scien-
tific Institute. Now, many more must be
reached.
Only a handful of women worked for
the yearly project of the Ladies' Auxil-
iary of - the Jewish National Fund of De-
troit, who are establishing a Nachlah in
Palestine. But they DID succeed in se-
curing $45,000 for land-redemption in
Zion.
Similarly, the Gewerkshaften are do-
ing a splendid job.
Large sums are subscribed for Pales-
tine's reconstruction work through the
Allied Jewish Campaign (presently
functioning through the War Chest).
These are all indications that there is
appreciatidn of the great miracle -being
wrought by Jews in Palestine.
Such devotions MUST bring results—
in spite of the obstacles placed in the
path of Jewish reconstruction efforts by
men who are preparing the new map of
the world and by a handful of Jews who
seek to hurt a great - Jewish cause.
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.DR. PRATO AND DR. ZOLLI
Our files expose an interesting clipping
from a London newspaper. The date is
lacking, but since it is known that Cath-
olicism's -newly-won convert, Dr. Israel
Anton Zolli, came to Rome in 1938, the
following comment must have been pub-
lished either in late 1937 or 1938:
"Dr. Prato, the Chief Rabbi of Rome,
is at present the target of the attacks
of the Italian anti-Semites, who accuse
him of being hostile to the Fascist
regime. It is instructive to recall that
only a short time ago Dr. Prato was
looked upon as an important ... pro-
tagonist of Italian ideas abroad, 'espe-
cially in Alexandria, where he occupied
the Chief Rabbinate post for some time
prior to 1937. In fact, he was decorated
with the Order of Commander of the
Crown of Italy for having encouraged
Italian Jews of Alexandria to aid Italy
during the sanctions period. At the
ceremony of his induction as Chief
Rabbi of Rome in February, 1937, lead-
ing representatives of the Italian gov-
ernment and. the Fascist Party were
present. More recently, Mussolini is re-
ported to have received Dr. Prato and
to have assured him of his opposition
to anti-Semitism."
We say this is interesting. It is also
revealing. It shows .that the predecessor
to Zolli must have been a fighter of the
first order. His successor weakened. At
present, he is weakest.
*
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CHALLENGE TO LEADERSHIP
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver was given a
testimonial dinner' Wednesday evening,
and thousands clamored to attend an
event which was more than a tribute
to a brilliant leader. It was an occasion
for an expression of a desire to see
action in Jewish life, to compel frank
speaking and firm acting, to inspire un-
conditional devotion to a just cause.
Will it awaken those who are keeping
Dr. Silver from a share of responsibility
in Jewish leadership to realize that
elimination of our best men is harmful
the Jewish cause?
Mufti Behind the Mass-Murders
Will He be Tried as a War Criminal?
(From the Central European Observer, London)
Reports received in London from people who have succeeded in escaping
from Nazi extermination camps in Poland seem to indicate that two men are
at the back of the S.S. mass murders—men who must be regarded as the
leading spirits in this campaign of extermination. One of these men is Haj
Amin el-Husseini, who has assumed the high-sounding title of Grand Mufti—
a dignity which, however, does not exist in the Moslem Hierarchy. This
former Turkish captain, who obtained his exalted spiritual rank without any
theological knowledge, but merely by a political manoeuvre, was at the back
of the Arab unrest that flared up at intervals in Palestine between the end
of the first world war and 1936. After the failure of General Rashid Ali
el-Gailani's "coup etat," when he, as Iraqi Prime Minister, together with a
gang of traitors, tried to drag his country over into the Axis camp, the Mufti,
accompanied by Rashid, fled first to Rome and then to Berlin. Since then he
has become or of the leaders of Axis propaganda among the Moslems. It
was he who instigated the formation of Hitler's and Mussolini's various Arab
legions. He attempted to recruit the Arabs in North Africa from Tunis to
Morocco, partly to serve as soldiers and partly as fifth columnists. It was he
who directed the Axis anti-Allied' agitation among the Arabs in Asia. He
assisted the Poglavnik Pavelich in recruiting his S.S. Moslem Division in
Bosnia; he tries by broadcasting messages to stir up the Arabs in the Middle
East against the Jews. The least known of the Mufti's activities is the part
he is playing in the extermination of the Jews in Europe. That is his chief
role, however, and considering the number of human victims for whose doom
he bear's the responsibility, it is probably the most pernicious part he has
played so far. His executive organ in this campaign of extermination is a
German, Karl Eichmann. This Karl Eichmann was born in the Templar
Settlement in the Sharon valley, near Tel Aviv. He speaks both Arabic and
Hebrew fluently and probably was one of the earliest links between the
Mufti and the Nazis and one of the principal agents of Nazism in Palestine.
Invention of Gas Chambers
Now news has come through that he, the great exterminator of Jews, is
one of Himmler's chief executioners. He is said to have been at one time in
command of the notorious concentration camp at Oswiecim. He is reputed to
be the inventor of the monstrous crematoria, the gas chambers and other
instruments of devilish brutality against the Jews. In this connection it is
interesting to note that the physical destruction of the Jews—indeed, the
beginning of the whole extermination campaign—probably coincided with
the Mufti's arrival in the Axis camp. Before this, the Jews had been deported
to ghettos in Poland and forced to work for the German war industry. On
these occasions, of course, the Gestapo acted with its customary brutality.
Old and weak people succumbed, but mass executions only started when
Eichmann and the Mufti had come together again. As long as the war con-
tinues it may not be possible to ascertain with absolute certainty how mat-
ters stand. One thing is certain, however: that not only the Mufti but also his
friend Karl Eichmann must figure in the list of war criminals, so that when
the proper moment arrives the overflowing measure of their guilt may be
established and duly punished.
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1945 Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
ILLEGAL
The speech delivered by Sternite Ben
Zuri at his Cairo trial for the murder
of Lord Moyne was banned by the cen-
sors, but has found its way into the
United States, nonetheless . . . speech
confirms the rumor that the Sternites
chose, for the assassination, "their best
shot and speaker."
* * *
BOOKS .
Our best to Dr. Israel S. Wechsler on
the appearance of his book, The Neu-
rologist's Point of View (L. B. Fischer,
$3). A brilliant book by one of the great
contemporary neurologists. Author of
standard works in his field, Dr. Wechsler
presents in this book a series of essays
on themes related to life in general, to
th,e Jewish problem in particular, and
bearing the of mature wisdom. It
is a distinct contribution to literature by
Jews.
. Maxwell Bodenheim, the prodigal poet-
novelist, who has published nothing in
a long while, is re-emerging from ob-
scurity with another novel, now three-
quarters finished.
Lester Cowan will produce a sequel
soon to "Tomorrow the World," the
picture which, unwittingly, assists the
"re-educate Germany" propaganda.
* * *
L'AFFAIRE ZOLLI
Quite a story behind Zolli'S conversion.
While already preparing for baptism, he
continued his negotiations with Jewish
communal leaders for a pension .. . All
talk revolved around money. He corn-
plained that the community did not like
him, and was conspiring to replace him.
Jewish communal workers interceded in
his behalf with the Allied administration
and Prime Minister Bonomi, regarding
the restoration to him of Italian citizen-
ship and the establishment at the Uni-
versity of Rome of a Hebrew Chair to
be occupied by Zolli . . . But he was
dissatisfied, apparently . looking for a
pretext to justify his contemplated de-
sertion from Judaism . . . He saw
Jewish leaders several hours before his
baptism was announced and yet, even
then, did not reveal his plans, although
he did threaten that he would do some-
thing that would "reward" the Jews for
their alleged neglect of him.
* * *
CONGRATS
The Solomons, publishers of the South-
western Jewish Press, one of this
column's outlets, member of American
Association of English-Jewish News-
papers, are cradling a cute edition . . .
Turning aside from world news for just
one edition, the San Diego weekly car-
ried a page headline on the heir born
to the Solomons.
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1945, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
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POLITICAL TALKS:
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
YOU- SHOULD KNOW
The anti-Yaltaists of this country,
leading figures among whom are the
two anti-Semitic Congressmen, will with-
in the next two weeks initiate an in-
tensive campaign against Secretary of
the Treasury Morgenthau, Supreme
Court Justice Frankfurter and Judge
Samuel Rosenman, to focus attention on
what they call "Jewish influence on- the
peace formula". . . The campaign will
be opened with systematic filthy propa-
ganda in the press. -
Joseph P. Kamp's book "The' Un-
American Gestapo," now in preparation,
will set a new high in hate and poison
spreading . .. Among Kamp's collabora-
tors is one of the former editors of the
Tablet, anti-Semitic sheet of the Brook-
lyn diocese.
The World Trade Union leaders who
are now blueprinting a permanent inter-
national labor organization will include
in their program an international agree-
ment to outlaw anti-Semitism in every
member country of the United Nations.
Montreal has inaugurated its first
Interracial Committee for Democratic
Action . . . Among the leading figures
-of this new group, which is pledged
to fight anti-Semitism, are former Sena-
tor Bouchard, who recently exposed
clerical Fascism in the Province of Que-
bec, Leslie Roberts, distinguished Cana-
dian author, and Moses Brainin, presi-
dent of the Jewish People's Library .. .
The slogan is interfaith anti-Fascist ac-
tion.
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ON WAR CRIMINALS
Prof. A. S. Yehuda writes in the Con-
gress Weekly that of all the various
classes among the German people the
most abject cowards were the professors,
educators, intellectuals and professional
men, and that it was with their help
that Hitler became the undisputed mas-
ter of the German people . . . Right .. .
This should be remembered when the
time for punishment of war criminals
rolls around.
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PALESTINE NEWS
Just propaganda, and pure bunk, are
What is actually going on behind the
scenes with regard to Palestine's future the rumors about Palestine Arab leaders
will be known only when Dr. Weizmann offering world Jewry 300,000 immigra-
arrives in this country . .. In the mean- tion certificates by way of final payment
time; the American Zionist leadership on the account of the Balfour Declara-
also expects to learn something on what tion, with the proviso that there be no
the United Nations have in mind for Jewish State . . . The Arabs of Palestine
Palestine from Secretary of State Stettin- have no jurisdiction over Jewish immi-
ius woh will receive a delegation of the gration . . But the story may well be
a trial balloon sent up by the British
Zionist Emergency Council.
Colonial Office to get Zionist leaders to
Officials in the State Department are
commit themselves to a formula that
now busy studying the post-war future would nullify the JeWish State demands.
of all mandated territories in order to
One of America's top watchmakers has
clarify the attitude of the U. S. Govern- been commissioned to select a very, very
ment on this subject before the San expensive gift for King Ibn Saud of
Francisco Conference . . . But the an- Saudi Arabia .. . The donors are a group
nouncement by an "authoritative source" of American oil magnates.
in Washington that the Security Con-
"The Arabs and Palestine" is the name
ference of the United Nations in San of a small booklet by Albert Einstein
Francisco will not deal with specific areas and Eric Kahler just published by the
in discussing the question of mandated American Palestine Committee, of which
territories can be taken to indicate that Senator Robert F. Wagner is chairman.
it will not deal with the Palestine prob- The booklet is of enlightening interest.
lem . . . We happen to know who the
* *
"authoritative source" is, and all we can
ABOUT
PEOPLE
say here is that there can be no better
Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who will be in
authority.
The activity of Arab groups in the America at the time of. the United Na-
United States with regard to the Pale- tions Conference at San- Francisco, will
stine question was partly revealed this not attend the conference unless he is
week on a broadcast over one of the officially invited . . . Dr. Weizmann will
largest radio stations in New York dur- send a message to Rabbi A. H. Silver
ing a discussion of the Arab-Jewish on the occasion of the -testimonial dinner
problem . . . The audience consisted being tendered to Dr. Silver in New
mostly of Arabs who booed and made York . . . Weizmann has hopes that a
plenty of noise whenever a pro-Jewish formula for a United Zionist front will
argument was presented. The discussion be worked out before his arrival in
was arranged by the Newspaper Guild on America.
If you want to meet Hollywood celeb-
its "Free. Speech Program."
rities these days, go visit the James
* * *
Vigeveno Galleries in the movie capital,
FACTS AND FIGURES
now showing 25 canvases by Max Band
Ds. Chaim Weizmann will have no easy . . . The painting that attracts the most
job in the United States, should he em- attention is one called "Remember Us"
bark on -a campaign for sending Chalutz- . .. It depicts two Jewish children star-
im from here to Palestine . . . Certain ing tragically into the infinite.
Jewish groups are prepared to organize
Congratulations to Palestine's painter,.
vigorous. opposition to such a campaign- Elias Newman, on his marriage to Lillian
. . . Everything depends, of course, on Judith Tesser of Miami, Fla.
whether there will be unemployment
Dr. Edward K. Barsky, national chair-
among Jews here after the war . . In man of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee
case of serious unemployment, the Zion- Committee, has a hospital named after
ist appeals for Chalutzim from this him . . . It's in Mexico City, and cares
country will definitely bring results, no for anti-Franco Spaniards . who have
matter what opposition groups may do found refuge there • . . Back in 1936 he
. . . The situation will be different if was one of the founders of the Medical
demobilized Jewish soldiers have no Bureau to Aid Spanish Democracy, which
difficulty in securing jobs upon their operated front-line hospitals for t h e
return to civilian life.
Loyalists during the Spanish "civil war."
Reports in Washington have it that the
Philip Yordan, the playwright whose
Nazis are now releasing Jews from con- "Anna Lucasta" was turned down by
centration camps at the rate of $20 for every Broadway producer until the
each Jew . . . This is how the 1,200 Jews American Negro Theater presented it in
from the Bergen-Belzon camp were re- Harlem, now collects a bigger royalty -
leased and permitted to proceed to check than the author -of any other. of
Switzerland.
the Broadway hit shows.
.