THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Two
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
WELCOME, "HANK"
News of "Hank" Greenberg's return to
the . Tigers seemed to electrify all De-
troiters.
Non-Jews as well as Jews spoke of it
as a great event.
"Hank" is back!
It is thrilling because it reminds us
that one phase of the war is over and our
boys are returning to their normal pur-
suits.
It is encouraging because people again
will be able to think in terms . of healthy
sports rather than war.
And it is good to know that youngsters
have a great athlete as their idol.
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"ME, LIKE HANK"
For Jewish youngsters, there is another
reason for rejoicing.
Many a boy, when you ask him what
he plans to do when he grows up, will
tell you:
"Me? I'll be like Hank."
And the "Hanks" can do us a lot of
good!
They are emissaries of good will. They
are proof of the genius of America which
recognizes merit and ability and on whose
athletic fields all religious barriers dis-
appear. Some day, perhaps, the race bar-
riers also will disappear completely.
Of course, Hank won't hit 1000 per
cent. There will be off days. He will
strike out, and on occasions when his hits
would count for winning runs he may
fail to connect. There will be "boos" and
hisses as well as cheers. Both go hand in
hand on the athletic field, and we should
be prepared for them.
In the meantime, we look forward to
Hank's return, to the inspiration he will
give his teammates and baseball fans
and to the encouragement which his re-
turn to baseball will give to other Jewish
lads to emulate a great sportsman.
* *_ *
‘11.EREM" AND BOOK BURNING
The "excommunication" of Prof. Mor-
decai M. Kaplan was one of those
blunders which proves that people often
think too late.
A person—and certainly a people or an
entire group should think twice before
committing blunders.
- Our sages were wise when they said:
"Sof maaseh b'machashovo t' chilo"—"the
end of a deed should begin with delib-
eration." This is too literal a translation,
but the orthodox rabbis certainly under-
stand it.
The burning of Dr. Kaplan's "revised"
prayer book destroyed one, -possibly two,
copies of it. But now the presses will be
working overtime to produce more, in
order to keep up with a demand that
would not have existed without the
"herem." . '
The most deplorable thing about the
entire act was that it was aired in the
secular press.
And the rabbis' worst blunder is the
fact that if Prof. Kaplan is , "excom-
municated" then his entire school of
thought should be placed in "herem." And
he is being backed by the Rabbinical As-
sembly of the Jewish Theological Sem-
inary; he is retained on the Seminary
faculty; most of the Conservative rabbis .
are his pupils.
What a blunder the excommunicators
committed!
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A ROTHSCHILD IN THE BRIGADE
From London comes a most interesting
story. We are informed that Maj. Ed-
rn.ond de Rothschild, - eldest son of the
late Lionel de Rothschild, was trans-
ferred to the Jewish Brigade Group. His
father, one-time Member of Parliament
and a former president of the United
Synagogue, was a _rabid anti-Zionist.
But his mother was reported to be
highly pleased with her son's assignment
to the Jewish Brigade.
Of additional interest in this connection
is the fact that a 'grandchild of the first
Lord Rothschild and a son of Lord Rose-*
berry, Neil Primrose, M. P., a supporter
of Zionism, was killed in the Palestine
campaign in World War I.
Interesting Facts
It costs approximately $15,000 to train
a rabbi adequately for service in a con-
gregation through an eight-year period of
study . . . This is not as large as it seems
when it is considered that it costs almost
$20,000 to train a single West Point grad-
uate through a four-year" course.
Since the outbreak of the war 739 Jew-
ish families were settled on farms in the
United States by the Jewish Agricultural
Society . . . Only about 10 per cent of
them returned to city life, the remainder
ire still on their farms.
Common Defense: Victory for What?
By REV. WILLIAM C. KERNAN
Director, Christian Institute for. American Democracy
We all agree that, in addition to defeating Germany, our job is to win
the war in the Pacific. Our fighting Men on all fronts stand shoulder to
shoulder—Protestant, Catholic, Jew; Negro and White—without regard to
race, color__ or creed, Americans all, united and determined to make the
victory complete.
But victory for what?
Victory to re-establish the old hates between peoples, religions, classes?
Victory to go back to the internal .prejudiees and dissensions that mock
and divide us?
No! O'Donovan and Cohen have lived together in foxholes on Okinawa.
Calhoun from the South and Prentice from New England are buddies on a
battlewagon. They have learned the hard way—they know from actual ex-
perience that their fellow Americans of all extractions are worthy of their
respect.
Our boys in the armed forces have no desire to die for dear old Intoler-
ance. They want to come back to the true America of the Declaration: "We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created eqUal; that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That's what
Americans are fighting for—the right to live, worship and work in full
freedom, with eqUal opportunity, for all.
That's what the boys who come back have a right to expect. It's what
the boys who will never come back. died fighting for. We who watch the
ramparts at home can do-no less than preserve these freedoms for then'.
Friday, June 29, P945
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1945, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
ZIONIST TRENDS
Leaders of the American Zionist Em-
ergency Council are making an effort to
be received by President Truman soon
after his return from San Francisco .
They are also quietly lining up a number
of Senators and governors in an effort to
bring about effective action in Washing-
ton on the Palestine question. • . . They
base their belief on the friendly talk
Truman had with a delegation of Ameri-
can Zionist leaders a week after he be-
came President . . . It was during this
talk that he remarked that these leaders
could call on him again and that he
would be glad to receive them . . . Ob-
servers in Washington doubt whether
President Truman will be ready to see
Zionist leaders soon . . . There are in-
fluential forces in Washington that are
doing everything in their power to pre-
vent the President from taking any action
that can be interpreted as unfriendly to
the Arab world ... Meanwhile, the resig-
natiOn of Hayim Greenberg from the
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
By ARNOLD LEVIN
chairmanship of the executive of the
Copyright, 1945. Seven Arts
Zionist Emergency Council has complicat-
(Copyright, 1945, Independent Jewish
Features Syndicate, Inc
Press Service, Inc.)
ed matters within. Zionist ranks .. .
FLASH TO OUR READERS
There is a good deal of regret expressed
HOLLYWOOD NOTE
The next two "Strictly Confidential"
We are happy to learn that Paul Muni on many sides over Greenberg's resigna-
columns will be written by Pierre van is returning in a new movie. He'll be co- tion since Greenberg is respected and
Paassen . .. The author of "Days of Our featured with Claude Rains. They have in trusted by all in the American Zionist
Years," "The Forgotten Ally," etc., • who common two films of special interest to movement as a person who has no per-
has undertaken to be the guest columnist Jews—Muni . starred in Zola, dealing with sonal ambitions . . . The Zionist Labor-
while we're away on a flying trip to the famous Frenchman's defense of Drey- ites, of which Greenberg is one of the
Cuba and Mexico . . . So watch out for fuss, and Rains was Hayim Solomon leaders, took the attitude that the Silver-
Pierre van Paassen's two columns, which in the film of the famed Polish Jew's Wise rift is an internal affair of the
Zionist Organization of America . which
will be featured in your paper . . . The 'assistance to Washington.
has the right to name any of its members
first will be in the nature of a Report to
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it desires to the Zionist Emergeney Coun-
the Nation, and you'll see it next Friday
cil.
. . It'll be followed by a Report on the CAPITAL
* *
-
WE are not too happy over the rumor
Homeland . . . Thanks a million, Pierre,
MILITARY
NOTES
that
Congressman
Edward
J.
Hart
will
for writing these invaluable contributions
throw up the sponge and withdraw from
If you are interested . in learning how
exclusively for our column.
the Committee to Investigate Un-Amer- members of the U. S.. armed services are
*
ican Activities, of which he is charman. taught to combat - anti-Semitism, get ac-
WARNINGS
Hart cannot work with Rankin. May we quainted with the. six-point "army talk"
Warning to communal leaders: "The propose to the Congressman to stick to formulated by the War Department on
United Veterans of World War II" is 'an his guns and expose Rankin's machina- this subject . . . These six points speak
anti-Semitic group headed by that arch- tions for all they are worth. Walter for themselves. They read as follows:
Jewbaiter, Frederick E. Kister, a buddy Winchell has offered his column and
1. Racial and religious prejudices are
of Gerald K. Smith and a former associ- microphone to Hart to inform the public
not only un-Christian and un-American,
ate editor of Scribner's Commentator .. . on his difficulties with Rankin.
but are deadly weapons used by the
The other. day Victor Riesel, . labor
* * *
Germans and the Japanese in_their war
columnist• of the New York Post, pub-
against democracy.
lished a scoop that other papers should BRAVO!
2. All of us are members of minority
The National Conference of Union
take notice of . . . Victor revealed that
members of the Polish GoVernment-in- Labor Legionnaires, affiliated with the groups which have been scapegoated at
exile now in this country have •joined American legion, will ask the Legion's one time or another.
3. Once prejudice is used against any
hands with • members - of the Ku . Klux Americanism Committee to do an ex-
Klan in an intensive anti-Semitic and pose on Gerald L. Smith. A very, very group, it spreads to other groups.
anti-Soviet propaganda campaign . . important request.
4. Prejudice makes all of us poor eco-
And, what's still more interesting, Dr.
* * *
nomically and robs us of the potential
Katys Pakstas of 19 W. 44th St., New "DEMOCRATS"
contributions of the minorities.
York, participates in this anti-Jewish,
5. Prejudice diverts attention- from the
Do not be misled by the appelation
anti-United-Nations-unity campaign . . .
real issues and prevents us from finding
"democrat"
attached
to
many
people
who
Dr. Pakstas is the public relations head
solutions to our problems.
of the United Lithuanian Relief Fund of have _suffered at the hands of .Hitler, but
6. Prejudice means disunity _which
America, which . shares in the National have not necessarly become "democrats"
War Fund .collections' . . . Victor Riesel by virture of that process. Take Austria's postpones victory and endangers world'
discovered all this in Detroit—and a former Chancellor Kurt von . Schuschnig peace.
who is absolving the German people and
The War Department has long taken
good thing he did.
placing all the blame on Hitler's should- the attitude that enemy attempts to
*
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ers alone. Remember that Schuschnig cause confUsion in the United States
ZIONEWS
himself was a bit of a dictator, as was through the spread of racial doctorines
• David Ben Gurion, now in America, is Dolfuss, his predecessor, whom the Nazis have made it particularly necessary that
here on a difficult diplomatic mission .. . murdered in an abortive coup. Of course, there be frank and objective discussion
It is his task to convince our friends one cannot compare their rule to Hitler- on this subject during the present war .
and foes in Washington that the Yishuv ism, but Jews were not too happy under In the opinion 'of the War Department,
in Palestine will not accept anything less them, and all liberal opinion .was muz- the doctorine of "Aryan" superiority has
than a Jewish Commonwealth . . . It has zled. It was Dolfuss who was responsible been one of the dominant factors in the
reached the end of its self-restraint, says for the wholesale slaughter of Vienna's present world struggle.
Ben-Gurion.
Socialists.
For the benefit of discussion in the arm-
*
Judge Morris Rothenberg is making a
ed services the War Department furnishes
bid for the presidency of the Zionist Or- VACANCY
unofficial figures on Jewish participation
ganization of America during its con-
Because of its involuntary involvement in the U. S. armed services as compiled
ventionless term.
in the so-called State Department "espi- under the supervision of Louis I. Dublin,
*
onage case," reportedly stemming from vice-president and chief statistician of
HISTORICAL NOTE
grievances of State Department conserva- the Metropolitan Life Insurance Com-
Warrant _Officer E. J. Kahn Jr., who tive biggies against their progressive pany . . . These figures reveal that as
has written .a number of books on Army juniors, the Justce Department is look- of March 1, 1945, more than 500,000 Jews
life, recalls that while most American ing for a good public relations man . . were in the armed forces . . . They con-
infantry division's are using the same Reportedly Harry Brand, of Hollywood stitute a little over 4 per cent of the
shoulder patch insignia now as in the first fame, proposed by Walter Winchell, is men and women in the service, while
world war, the 45th Infantry Division being seriously considered for the job Jews comprise approximately 3.5 per cent
found it advisable to change its symbol . . . Zanuck may be petitioned to release of the population of the United States
... They estimate that on March 1, 1945,
some years ago . . . For that division had him from contract.
originally chosen an ancient American
there were 35,000 Jewish casualties, ap-
Indian design—the swastika .. . Warrant
proximately 7 per cent of the Jews in the
Officer Kahn is the son of Eli Jacques camel meat became a prized delicacy .in service . . . Up to March 1, 1945, total
some Jewish households.
Kahn, •the famous architect.
casualties in the armed forces were 840,-
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000, or approximately 7 per cent.
*
ABOUT PEOPLE
RELIGIOUS DEPT.
Leonard Lyons recalls that seven years STRANGE THINGS •
Chaplain Henry J. Berkowitz last Dec.
Here is a most strange and fantastic
ago
Winston Churchill told Bernard
25 was aboard one of our warships in the
itinerary of several hundred Jews from
Pacific . . . There was no Christian chap- Baruch: 'We'll both be too old for the Salonika repatriated last week to their
lain aboard—so it was Chaplain Berko- war that is coming"—and only recently home town . In 1943 this group was
witz who organized the Yuletide celebra- these two oldsters met to discuss plans sent by the Germans to the concentration
tion and delivered the Christmas sermon. for the postwar world.
camp at . Bergen-Belsen . . . From there
Recuperating from war wounds is the they were transferred to Spain . . . From
Our knowledge of zoology being rather
Navy's
Commander
Irving
Jacobs,
brother
meager, we're waiting for somebody to
Spain they were sent to an UNRRA camp
cell us whether camels have cloven Of race horse trainer Hirsch Jacobs.
in North Africa . . From there they
hooves (we believe they are cud-chewers)
Painter Doris Rosenthal, now exhibit- were transferred to an UNRRA camp in
. . . The Question has been bothering us ing at New York's Midtown Gallery, will Palestine , Now they have been re-
ever since we learned that at the height be heard from a lot ... Doris has a patriated from Palestine to their homes
of the wartime food shortage in, Palestine Gauginesquie quality.
in Salonika.
Strictly
Confidential
Heard in
The Lobbies
—