Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
Purely
Commentary
Correspondent's Serious Blunder
An Expose of Anne O'Hare McCormick's Error
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
HONOR VERSUS PATIENCE
Jews are asked to be patient.
We are told to wait for a decision on
Palestine and we are advised that a maxi-
mum of 120 days NPill be consumed for
the proposed study of the Jewish situation
in Europe.
In the meantime we have warnings
from eye-witnesses of the tragedies in
Europe that under present conditions of
callous disinterestedness tens of thousands
of the survivors will die.
And the heart-broken relatives of the
survivors who are seeking admission into
Palestine are being shot down in 'cold
blood by British, soldiers, upon orders
from a government that has betrayed
pledges to the Jewish people!
We are asked to be patient while our
honor is challenged.
We are challenged' as Jews and as hu-
man beings, and the JeWs in Palestine
who refuse to release from their midst
those who came in "as of right and not on
sufferance," but who were denied "cer-
tificates", know how to value their honor
and self-respect.
It is thoroughly disgusting to be com-
pelled to point out, again and again and
again, that there are no "illegal" Jewish
immigrants; that there are "uncertifi-
cated" immigrants.
And it is humiliating to know that Ha-
dassah and Kupat Cholim hospitals in
Palestine must be used for the care of
people riddled with bullets-people who
did not fire a shot against the police.
But these wounds will be marks of hon-
or, just as the wounds that were sustained
by the Irish in their fight for indepen-
dence were marks of honor.
It is to the disgrace of Great Britain
that she must be reminded today to re-
member Ireland.
Eretz Israel similarly will go down in
history as a landmark in the battle for
liberty against empire-builders who seek
to oppress those whom they would make
their "subjects."
*
*
*
-
TRUMAN AND BYRNES
There are many disappointments on
the Palestine question on the American
scene.
President Truman and Secretary of
State Byrnes represent the major disap-
pointments.
After giving the green light to those
who have pressed for the adoption of the
Senate Palestine Resolution, they became
less and less helpful and both emerged
as the stumbling block.
What tunes are you playing, gentlemen,
and what will you play next?
*
*
*
SENATOR VANDENBERG
When the complete story is recorded,
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan will
emerge as one of the staunchest and most
consistent friends of the Jewish cause.
Senator Vandenberg has always called
a spade a spade, and has, been especially
firm in his stand on Palestine.
American Jewry will not forget his sin-
cere devotion to the cause of the Jewish
homeland in Palestine.
*
*
*
THE ISSUE'S BEST STORY
Here is the best story on the issue re-
lating to the Palestine situation:
It has been asked, what is the differ-
ence between the British Labor- Party, the
'cellist and the violinist?
And the answer is: None. All have their
instruments on the left and play them on
the right.
*
*
*
THE ROPER POLL ON ZIONISM
Elmo Roper's poll on the stand taken by
American Jews on Zionism is especially
interesting from the viewpoint of the type
of levels which either favor or oppoSe the
establishment of a Jewish State in Pales-
tine. The results as revealed by Mr. Roper
are:
-
Total
By Age:
21 to 34
35 to 49
50 or over
By Economic Level:
Prosperous.
Upper middle
•
Lower middle
Poor
By Geographic Area:
Northeast
Middle West
South
Far West
By Language Ability:
Speaks English web
Speaks English brokenly
Does not read English
.
Pro Anti
Je w- Jew; trn-\
ish ish decid-
state state ed
P.C. P.C. P.C.
80.1 10.5 9.4
77.9 13.6
8.5
79.1 12.4 8.5
82.9
6.0 .11.1
73.9 17.5 8.6
75.4 14.6 10.0
84.1 8.0 7.9
79.3 8.8 11.9
81^."0 9.9 9.1
80.1 11.4 • 8.5
67.0 18.5. 14.5
83.2 5.8 11.0
-
78.9 12.1 9.0
84.3 4.6 11.1
80.0 7.6 12.4
If you are a statistician, the facts are
most interesting. But as American Jews
the point that should concern us the most
is the basic fact that 90 per cent of our
people in this country favor a Jewish
State. This is the basis on which Jews and
non-Jews-especially the politicians in
power in Washington--should guide their
actions with regard to Palestine.
When Anne O'Hare McCormick, eminent New York Times correspondent,
was in Palestine, she wrote enthusiastically about the impression Jewish
achievements there made upon her. Some Jews immediately envisioned an-
other angel for Zionism.
But even the brilliant Mrs. McCormick is not immune to blunders.
In her cable to the New York Times from Budapest, proving that Jews
are the leaven of commerce there, Mrs. McCormick states: "Only a small
minority of Hungarian Jews are Zionists. The majority are loyal Hungarians
who desire to remain in their country and help reconstruct it."
This is the most mixed Up statement we have read in the longest lime.
Of course, 'Jews ARE loyal citizens' in Hungary. Where are they not loyal
citizens? They were loyal to Germany and Poland, etc., etc.
But Mrs. McCormick was given the wrong count on the number of Hun-
garian Zionists. The situation has changed in the past few years. There are
very, very few non- or anti-Zionists anywhere.
What we take exception to, however, in her cable, is this: - Suppose her
statement were to be applied to American Jews and was to read: "Most
American Jews (which is a fact) are Zionists. Only a small minority are loyal
Americans who desire -to remain in their country. ' If you were to read such
a statement, how would you feel about it? You would shout LIAR, would
you not?
Well, you can apply epithets to her statement regarding Hungarian Jews.
We are willing to be charitable to her and to say it was a blunder. But we
also say about it that it is a lie; that Jews in Hungary, although they are
now Zionists, are loyal to their country and are prepared to reconstruct it;
but that many of them are undoubtedly ready to go to Palestine because they
resent anti-Semitism-a curse which has not escaped Hungary.
And if s American Jews, very few of whom desire to settle in Palestine,
are nevertheless prepared to battle for the right of Jews to redeem Zion as
the Jewish Homeland, why can't the Hungarian Jews?
To Mrs. McCormick we say: you were dead wrong in your Nov. 25
cable from Budapest, and you had better be careful in the liberties you take
in the future as a correspondent and as a columnist. -P. S.
Heard in
The Lobbies
Between
You and Me
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1945. Independent
Press Service. Inc.)
By BORIS SMOLAR
Jewish
WASHINGTON WIRE
America's Jews have become wild
game in the political jungle. President
Truman stated, that although he once
favored the Wagner-Taft resolution, he
now opposes it, in view of the formation
of the Anglo-American Inquiry Com-
mittee. Truth of the matter, Washing-
toners will tell you, is that Truman's
approval was given both before and aft-
er the preliminary agreement on an
Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry
had been reached. Secretary Byrnes let
it be known on Capitol Hill, on Oct. 26,
that he had no objection to the resolu-
tion, and that the White House approved
it. On Oct. 26, all Washington knew of
the forthcoming announcement regard-
ing an inquiry committee. But the date
was less than a forthnight before New
York's municipal elections. President
Truman's opposition to the Palestine re-
solution would have been misunderstood
by a great proportion of New York's
voters . .. Yes, Jews have become wild
game in the political jungle, and by a
strange morality, repudiation of election
pledges is not regarded as an election
fraud.
* *
JERUSALEM WE
The British are dismayed. They did
their best, by savagely raiding Jewish
settlements, to lure the Jewish resistance
movement out into open so that they
might quickly destroy it. But the Jews
did not go for the, bait. Palestine's Jews
are more astute than some other Jews.
* * *
HAROLD LASKI
Just a few hours before it was sched-
uled to take place, a press luncheon for
Harold Laski was called off by The Na-
tion, liberal weekly with a- profound
understanding of Jewish . affairs. Ru-
mor hPs it that this has no little to do
with Mr. Laski's loss of face among
Jews. This idealogical muddler, who
once flirted with the Soviets, only to
surprise felloW-muddlers with a propos-
al for an anti-Soviet bloc of "states with
Socialist Governments, has now revert-
ed from professed Zionism to advising
the Jews to accept, in good spirits, Be-
yin's anti-Semitism and the attack on
the idea of the Jewish state. In his
obtuse sophistry, Mr. Laski has con-
cluded that the Balfour Declaration and
the Mandate have promised the Jews
neither a state nor a majority.
*
* *
-OIL GENERAL
That great general in mufti, Pat Hur-
ley, who now parades before the Ameri-
can public as a knight in shining armor,
standing alone against a Communist-
infested State Department, is_the oil in-
terests' best friend, according to Wash-
ington insiders. He has done more
harm to the Jewish cause in Palestine
than any other individual. He is alleg-
ed to have circtilated among congress-
men and members of the cabinet a -pri-
vate memorandum, of vicious anti-Zion-
ist .intent. gorneday, Ibn Saud may yet
pin on him a Ribbon of ,Merit.
(Copyright. 1945, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency. Inc.)
WASHINGTON NOTES
The discussions which are now going
on in Washington between Britain and
the United States in connection with the
loan which the British Government is
seeking are being watched with utmost
interest in Zionist circles . . . Palestine,
as part of the sterling bloc, will be vit-
ally affected by the decisions which will
be taken as a result of these discussions
. . . Due to 'war expenditures, Palestine
has become a creditor of Great Britain
to an amount estimated at over $500,000,-
000 . . . Palestine purchasing power has
accordingly gone up considerably . . .
The merchants of Palestine are anxious
to make purchases in the United States
. . . American manufacturers are anxious
to sell to Palestine . . However, Pales-
tine business firms are not free to make
their purchases in the' most favorable
markets . . All dollar exchange accru-
ing to Palestine goes into the general
dollar pool controlled by Great -Britain
. . . And Zionist leaders claim that the
allocation to them of dollars from the
pool is entirely out of proportion to the
'amount of dollars that Palestine contri-
butes to the pool . . • They point out that
aside from public funds transmitted from
the United States, • which they estimate
totalled $25,000,000 this year, the export
of diamonds to America brings Palestine
an additional $15,000,000 - a year .. . .
Palestine, therefore, would have avail-
able about VI0,000,000 to spend in the
United States . . . It is prevented from
making these expenditures because Great
Britain restricts the use of dollars.
*
*
*
WATCHFUL WASHINGTON
Washington is now investigating various
private firms which advertise that they
can send food-and=clothing parcels to
American relatives in Europe and prom-
ise to have 'these parcels delivered . .
Complaints have- been made by numer-
ous members of Congress that these firms
are taking advantage of people who do
not know that the best way to send par-
cels to Europe is through the post office
. . . As of this month, the post office any-
where in the United States accepts pack-
ages weighing up to 11 pounds with de-
livery guaranteed by the U. S. Govern-
ment . . . And the post office charge is
only about $1.50 for a parcel as compared
with the charge of anywhere from $6 to
$35 by private firms • . . These private
firms will have to prove to the authori-
ties that they can really guarantee de-
livery to the person to whom the parcel
is addressed and not merely to the port
of entry . . • Otherwise they may be
charged with misleading the public in
their advertising and with taking money
under false pretenses . . . The insurance
refund which some of these firms pay in
case of non-delivery of the packages is
not considered satisfactory, since there is
ground to fear that the relief parcels will
find their way not to the persons for
whom they are intended, but to the black
market in Europe, at prices far higher
than the insurance .. . Jews in America
are naturally interested in this problem
. . . One of the investigators reported
that $80,000 worth of packages were ac-'
cepted in three days alone at the office
of an East Side enterprise in New York.
Friday, December 7, 1945
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1945, Seven Arts
Features Syndicate, Inc.
REPORTAGE . . .
Defense organizations should investi-
gate the consistent reports that Mon-
treal, Canada, is once more the scene of
violent anti-Semitic incidents . . News-
papers don't pay any attention to these
occurrences, but recent happenings are
revolting symptoms of rampant anti-
Semitism . • . Among other things, syna-
gogues have been vandalized.
David Fried of New York, has sent in
the following apt quotation: "After the
war the center of anti-Semitism will
shift from the European continent to
North and South America" . . . This
prediction was penned by Prof. Salo Ba-
ron of Columbia University.
We don't like the slant of the article
"Rich 'Refugees'-18 Karat Headaches,"
in the Nov. 27 issue of Look magazine.
It is untimely . . . The editorial box
above the article reads: " 'Refugees' is
quoted in the title of this article be-
cause the few emigres cited here are
smearing thousands of honest refugees
who have fought for the U. S., paid
taxes, contributed richly to our culture"
. .. But even this box will not undo the
bad effect which the article will have
on the average reader.
* * *
THIS AND THAT
More power to the Chronicle-Star of
Pascagoula, Miss. It blasts Senator Bilbo
in realistic political language that will
do his re-election hopes no good.
The poster "These Immortal Chap-
lains," available through the Institute
for American Democracy, 369 Lexington
Ave., New York, should be placarded all
over the country.
Prof. Albert Einstein, whose home
near Berlin was confiscated by the Nazis
and later became the home of a promin-
ent Gauleiter, received a huge case from
Berlin the other day. An accompanying
letter informed him that the Russian
commander of the occupied zone in which
Einstein's home is situated was very
happy to return to him the books which
were found intact in the scientist's home.
When the professor opened the case he
found in it a most complete collection
of Nazi literature. Einstein's own books
had been burned, and replaced by Nazi
propaganda volumes.
* * *
ZIONIST NEWS
Harry S. Kruger, chairman of Balti-
more's Shaarei Zion Congregation, calls
our attention to Rabbi Israel Tabak's
letter on "The Palestine Issue" published
last month on the editorial page of the
Baltimore Sun. It is the best answer yet
published to Rabbi Lazaron's interpreta-
tion of Zionism.
The saga of the Palestine workers'
theater Ohel is a true epic. This year
Ohel celebrates its 20th anniversary. An
American tour by Ohel would do more
to help the cause of Jewish Palestine
than thousands of speeches by profession-
al propagandists.
"British Labor and Zionism" is a
splendid, very enlightening little book-
let issued by the American Jewish Trade
Union Committee for Palest ine. The
organization's address is 245 Fifth Ave.,
New York.
READER'S GUIDE
The best-selling non-fiction book is
"Atomic Energy," by Henry' DeWolf
Smyth.
The publishers are expecting Sol
Hurok's autobiography, "Impressario," to
become a best seller, the more .so since
Hollywood is already working on the
film version.
INTERESTING- PEDIGREE
Who is Aaron W. Davis, president of
Temple Israel of New Rochelle, who in-
itiated a Foundation for the benefit of
the rabbis occupying the pulpit of that
congregation? We have the dope direct-
ly from the pen of Dr. Stephen S. Wise,
who writes us: "Aaron W. Davis bears
the full name of Aaron Wise Davis. He
is the grandson of my father and my
nephew, his mother having been my old-
er sister. His father, Edward Davis, was
one of the founders and most generous
supporters of the Free Synagogue of
New York. Mr. Davis has the name of
his grandfather, Aaron Wise". Thank
You, Dr Wise. Aaron Wise Davis bears
a proud name and is a worthy descendant
of the Aaron and Stephen Wise tradition.
ABOUT PEOPLE
Henry Morgenthau, Jr., has signed a
contract making him a radio commen-
tatbr on a national hook-up.
Dr. Robert Goldenson, author and
lecturer on psychological subjects, who
conducts the radio program "When He
Comes Home" dealing with the problems
of returning war veterans, is the son of
Dr. Samuel Goldenson, rabbi of New
York's Temple Emanu-EL