Page Two
THE JEWISH NEWS
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
A WORLD IN THE MAKING
SAN FRANCISCO — This great and
fascinating city's lights and shadows, its
hills and lanes and parks, its population
of many racial characteristics, are repre-
sentative of the great drama which has
been enacted here for several weeks.
There are dark moments and light
moments in the course of the delibera-
tions in which representatives of 49
countries are participating. There are
uphill and downhill experiences.
Plans for the future world are couch-
ed in impressive language. The person-
alities at the UNCIO are charming and
likeable.
But often there is a hint that terri-
torial rights will not be abandoned, that
imperialism is far from finished, that
concessions and compromises are made
with tongue in cheek.
And then you become concerned about
the new world in the making.
*
* *
THE JEWISH ANGLE
Here at the conference we see at
• work the spokesmen of practically all the
national Jewish organizations.
The pro-Palestinian elements are
working in harmony—all comments to
the contrary by some columnists not-
withstanding. The American Jewish
Committee works independently. While
the former placed all emphasis on the
Palestinian issue, the latter did a job in
its own way for the Bill of Rights.
Peter Bergson, very sure of himself,
having Mrs. Louis Untermeyer and Stella
Adler as "fronts" and Roy Howard as
"middle man" trying to effect "unity", so
that he can • be in greater limelight, is
here, issuing statements, holding press
conferences, demanding a seat for the
"Hebrew nation". Since he does not have
to submit to discipline, he can say what
he pleases. He says some things very
effectively, but by breaking discipline
and authority he is harmful.
* * *
AGUDAS ISRAEL PROPOSAL
Agudas Israel's spokesmen — Rabbi
Simon Schwab and Meier Schenkolewski
•:---have brought a brief statement (which
must have been typed hurriedly for the
Jewish' press), asking speedy rescue ef-
forts, a Bill of Rights, the right to prac-
tice Schechitah, laws to protect Sabbath
observers, endorsement of a Jewish Com-
monwealth.
The representatives of the Jewish La-
bor Committee have taken 'a stand simi-
lar to the American Jewish Committee's.
The Synagogue Council's leaders arrived
with a plan foredoomed to failure—their
effort to get all the Jewish groups to-
gether. Women's and other groups are
represented. New York's national head-
quarters must be very hushed these
days!
* * *
WE CAN NOT AFFORD DISUNITY
It would have been better if we had
been united in the present serious hour
in our history.
The last-minute cooperation is not as
effective as unity would have been at
the outset.
Even the UJA split should have been
avoided—when we have a world battle
to fight in defense of our positions. (It
was interesting to learn that Louis Lip-
sky, one of the very ablest of our elder
statesmen, did not favor breaking the
UJA).
But—perhaps a dream of unity in our
own ranks is as impractical- as the ex-
pectation that out of the UNCIO will
come the millenium.
We shall have to work for a very long
time to come for the realization of the
dreams of an unblemished New Order
which has been promised us by the Opti-
mists and the Prophets who turned out
to be Dreamers.
i
Mise-Meshuneh'
There was a story told during the Ger-
man war about an American Jew going
to Yorkville, (the German section of New
York City), and in one of the cafes meet-
ing one of those braggart Nazis. This
Nazi was boasting of all the German
achievements. Said he, the Germans have
taken Warsaw and Poland, soon they
will take Moscow and London.
The Jew asked him: "Did the Germans
take "Mise-Meshuneh" yet?
The Nazi replied, "No, but we will
take it soon."
He was right. Hitler and Goebels al-
ready have taken it apparently, but
where are Himmler and other Nazi boys?
Shevuoth Reminiscences
(From Dr. Shmarya Levin's "Childhood in Exile")
Especially clear and firm in my memory is the first Pentecost of my
cheder years, and the preparations which led up to it. I remember the clear-
ness and the freshness of those days. I remember how my mother told me
for the first time of the giving of the Torah, and Law, to the Children of
Israel: of Mount Sinai, wrapped in sheets of fire and clouds of smoke, of the
tablets of the Law, engraved with exactly the same letters as I was learning
to read in cheder, telling the Jews forever and ever what they might do and
what they might not do. Her voice was proudest and happiest when she told
me of that Rebbi (teacher) of old, the teacher of the whole Jewish people,
Moses: how he delivered us from the hands of the gentiles, how he split
the sea for us, and how the waters reared on either side like walls, just like
the walls of fir trees which made up the royal road on the other side of
the town.
. So dry was the passage left between that the children of Israel did not
even have to take their shoes off. Then she told me how Moses led us through
a wilderness abounding in scorpions and snakes, with the pillar of fire before
us on the march. She explained the incident of the wilderness very simply:
Moses wanted to teach us, during those years, all of the Chumesh, or Five
Books (the Pentateuch), just the ones I was learning in cheder. And the
wilderness was good because there were no gentiles there to interrupt the
lessons . . .
Mottye the melamed told us the same story, but. Mother's way of telling
it was better, heartier, tenderer. When the Rebbi told the story I just listened:
when Mother told it my heart began to beat, and my imagination to burn
with bright fires of its own. I looked in front of me not at the walls of the
room, but at scenes so distant that my eyes hurt. I dreamed: perhaps some
day the river Swisla would rear into two walls, and sheets of flame 'and
billows of smoke would enfold Castle Hill.
There, on the highest point of the five stories of the windmill, Moses
would appear, and the letters of the Law would be engraved on the four
wings of the mill, telling us again of the things that we might not do.
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
(Copyright, 1945, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
Copyright, 1945, Seven Arts
Features Syndicate, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO
At first the Jewish organizations under-
estimated the importance of the San
Francisco Conference to the Jewish
cause, but as soon as the press made
them aware of its fateful character, rep-
resentative began rushing, by the - dozens,
to make thmeselves seen and heard. The
American Jewish Conference prevented
a serious blunder which was about to be
committed by the Synagogue Council of
America whose delegation intended to
present 'its separate memorandum .to the
San Francisco Conference and call its
separate press conference which would
only have added to the confusion. The
Synagogue Council posted notices cancel-
ling its press conference.
- * * *
PEACEMAKER
Publisher Roy Howard undertook, re-
portedly at the instance of the Bergson-
ites, the mission of mediating among the
Jewish groups. Two Roy Howard writers
were working with Bergson in winning
friends and influencing people at San
Francisco in his behalf.
* * *
NOW IT CAN BE TOLD
Notwithstanding any reports you may
read in the newspapers, Jewish or other-
wise, this is the truth about the numerous
and various Jewish delegations attending
the San Francisco Conference: These
delegations are being treated politely, but
they're not getting anywhere, and many
of the spokesmen regret having come to
the Golden Gate.
The title of "consultant," bestowed so
liberally on hundreds of non-Jewish or-
ganizations and individuals and given
only reluctantly to two Jewish bodies, is
a synonym, in diplomatic language, for
"duly acknowledged nuisance" . . Dr.
Weizmann scored the greatest diplomatic
triumph of his career by staying away
from San Francisco .. He stayed away
notwithstanding tremendous pressure
from his Zionist friends, who urged him
to attend even though uninvited .. .
* * *
LISTEN HERE
Chaplain Daniel A. Poling, after a first-
hand study of European conditions, be-
lieves that Europe's uprooted Jews will
have great difficulty in getting back their
confiscated property . . . The Nazis took
this confiscated Jewish property and sold
it to non-Jewish nationals, who now re-
fuse to return it . . . Professor Johann
Fryginyer Auer, just back from a flying
visit to Holland, reports that 10,000 Dutch
families hid Jews in their attics or cellars
for five years, and thus prevented the
deportation of more than 10,000 Dutch
Jews to Nazi extermination camps.
Rube Goldberg's cartoon in the Los
Angeles Daily News of April 23 de-
serves to be immortalized . It de-
picts the German people dragged into
eternity, a gigantic Black Book of Ger-
man atrocities chained to its back.
* * *
THINGS TO WATCH
From Waltham, Mass., scene of recent
anti-Semitic incidents, a correspondent
writes: "At a pre-Easter showing of the
movie, 'The Great Dictator' the Nazi per-
secution of the Jews was cheered by Anti-
Semitic youths. Walter Winchell wants
to know what happened to the investiga-
tion of Joseph P. Kamp, head of the
"Constitutional Educational League" .
Kamp is carrying on his anti-democratic,
anti-Jewish propaganda unhampered.
* * *
PALESTINE NEWS
The New Zionist Organization of Am-
erica is sponsoring a mass petition to the
Government of the U. S. for the proc-
lamation of "Palestine in its historic
boundaries" as a Jewish state . . . Lloyd's
Bank must have confidence in the devel-
opment of the Jewish homeland . . . It
just granted to the Jewish Agency and
Keren Hayesod a loan of $3,500,000, re-
payable in 10 years . . . The building in-
dustry in Palestine will provide employ-
ment for more than 30,000 workers dur-
ing the next four years, building homes
for new immigrants.
* * *
WE'RE TELLING YOU
We recommend the formation of a spe-
cial credentials commission for Europe
. . . This commission should check the
credentials of former inmates of Nazi
concentration camps—for numerous Nazi
gangsters are trying to save themselves
with phony credentials identifying them
PRESS CONFERENCES
Considerable embarrassment to the
Jewish cause was caused by some ostensi-
ble "Jewish newspapermen" who some-
how obtained admission cards as repre-
sentatives of unheard-of Jewish news-
papers and asked questions exclusive of
the- unofficial terms of reference of the
press conferences.
There was always an Arab propagand-
ist present at Jewish press conferences
for the purpose of asking pro-Arab lead
questions . . . This propagandist was
especially "concerned" lest Zionism create
anti-Semitism. We advised him to meet
with Elmer Berger of the American
Council for Judaism who is plagued by
the same fears.
*
* *
ADVERTISING
Whoever gave the American Jewish
Committee the "promotion idea" of print-
ing its name on match-covers. Yours
truly has such match-cover in his pos-
session.
*
*
*
PERSONALS
Ask Gershon Agronsky of the Palestine
Post to show you the telegrams exchang-
ed between him and a certain lady who is
an adherent of the Bergson cause . . .
The telegrams deal with their respective
attitudes on Zionism, and are the briefest,
frankest, most sizzling correspondence on
the subject . . . Conscientious, loyal Phil
Slomovitz worrying because the proof
sheets of his Detroit Jewish News had
not arrived by mail . . . This was his first
fortnight away from his paper . . Ran
into Alexander Brin of the Boston Jewish
Advocate who seemed to know the entire
State Department . • Tribute to Dr. Jacob
Robinson, one of the finest legal political
minds in Jewish public life, for his agile,
thorough analysis of the International
Trusteeships proposals and his recom-
mendation of amendments.
Friday, May 18, 1945
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1945, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
AFTER SAN FRANCISCO
Zionist and non-Zionist leaders in this
country and Canada soon may be invited
to come to London to negotiate with
leaders of Jewish organizations in Britain
for the creation of a united Jewish voice
in the forthcoming international confer-
ence which will follow the present United
Nations gathering at San Francisco.
The initiative for such a conference,
will be taken by Sir Robert Waley-Cohen,
leaders of the Anglo-Jewish association,
who spent several days at San Francisco
in negotiations with leaders of the Am-
erican Jewish Conference, the American
Jewish Committee and the World Jewish
Congress . . . Sir Robert is back in Lon-
don arid it is understood that the Board
of Deputies of British'Jews supports his
idea that the American Jewish leaders be
summoned to London to straighten out
their differences.
* * *
SAN FRANCISCO LESSON
The lesson which Jewish groups are
now learning here when confronted with
actual work on Jewish rights in Europe
and Palestine is very inspiring . . It
turns out that, though not united in a
single front, the representatives of all
leading Jewish bodies are gradually corn-
ing to suport each other's demands • .
This was the case when Judge Proskauer
and Jacob Blaustein of the American Jew-
ish Committee were supported by Henry
Monsky and Dr. Israel Goldstein of the
American Jewish Conference at the con-
sultants meeting where they pressed for
establishment of a "Commission on
Human Rights" by the UNCIO, and this
was also the case when Judge Proskauer
supported the demand of the American
Jewish Conference and of the Jewish
Agency that nothing prejudicial to Jew-
ish rights in Palestine should be contain-
ed in the formula providing for trustee-
ship of mandated areas.
On the whole, there is a very friendly
spirit developing here between the rep-
resentatives of the American Jewish
Committee and the American Jewish
Conference even though more of them
want a united Jewish front . . . The ef-
forts of the Synagogue Council to play
negotiator between the two groups was
not taken seriously by either group.
* * *
SAN FRANCISCO MOODS
The general mood among representa-
tives of Jewish groups here is extremely
good . . All feel that the presence of
Jewish leaders here has greatly contri-
buted to ..the laying of good foundations
for future protection of Jewish rights in
Palestine and elsewhere . . . Judge Prosk-
aeur and Jacob Blaustein scored a great
victory in being instrumental in adoption
by the "Big Four" of the recommendation
for establishment of a Commission on
Human Rights which will be the body
to which all Jewish organizations in the
world will address their complaints and
suggestions.
It is no exaggeration to say that if it
were not for Proskauer and Blaustein this
recommendation would not have been
adopted since some members of the Am-
erican delegation were not in favor of
it . . . On the other hand, Henry Monsky
and Dr. Stephen S. Wise and others of
the American Jewish Conference scored
a substantial achievement here by pre-
venting steps which would have adverse-
ly affected the Jewish fuutre in Pales-
tine under the trusteeship system .
They spent lots of time conferring with
leading members of various delegations
and in presenting to them facts of which
the latter were not aware.
Adolph Held, charman of the Jewish
Labor Committee, will also leave San
Francisco with a record of achievement
... He succeeded in rounding up all labor
members of various government delega
tions in support of Jewish rights in
Europe and in Palestine.
as Jewish victims of Nazism . . . L'Chayal,
official organ of the Jewish Brigade in
Italy, warns that the recent conversion
of former chief rabbi Zolli presages a
new trend in Italian Jewry.
* * *
ABOUT PEOPLE
Warner Brothers are interested in mak-
ing a movie of the story of Gen. Maurice
Rose's death in Germany . . . Robert S.
Gamzey, managing editor of the Denver
Jewish News, may be commissioned to
write the script . . . David Weisgal's Bar
Mitzvah on May 26 will be the best-
publicized event of the year, thanks to his
father, Meyer W. Weisgal, who remains
America's most dynamic promoter.