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414.11111111510PRINNIMING
Page Two
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
CANADA FOR JEWISH PALESTINE
This column has already quoted from
the•Roper and Gallup Polls indicating that
the overwhelming majority of Christian
Americans favor unlimited Jewish im-
migration to Palestine and that more
than 80 per cent of the Jews of America
are in favor of a Jewish Commonwealth.
What is the attitude of Canadian
Christians?
The Gallup -Poll of Canada has just
made known• some interesting facts and
figures. Canadian national public opin-
ion on the question of unlimited Jewish
immigration to Palestine is represented
by the following figures in the Canadian
Gallup Poll:
. Settle Freely
49%
Limited number
20%
No more allowed
'7%
Undecided
24%
Thus, another chapter is added to
Christian endorsement of our appeal for
justice. The Canadian Gallup Poll is
prefaced by the following statement:
"If the violently clashing Jewish and
Arab peoples are each hopeful of getting
world opinion to support their case in
their fight for supremacy in Palestine,
there can be no question but that that
segment of world opinion represented by
Canadian attitudes is more favorable to
the Jewish argument than to the Arab—
at the present time."
Those who are frightened by frequent
reports of the rise of anti-Semitism,
please note. The sane elements pre-
dominate—"at the present time." May
they remain the dominant force, for the
sake of all just causes and the safety
of the world and humanity.
*
*
*
RESPECT FOR JEWISH PRESS
Ben Tousman, editor of Irving G.
Rhodes' (former Detroiter) Wisconsin
Jewish Chronicle, became hot and
bothered recently because a Jewish worn-
en's group in his community saw fit to
send a story to the daily papers before
submitting it to his excellent newspaper.
Ben wrote a note to the ladies, taking ex-
ception to the actions of publicity writer
"Mrs. Yenteh Yifnif" of "Ladies' Aid So-
ciety for Congregation Knish Tzibelis."
Ben certainly got uduly excited over a
Very unimportant matter. Jewish life is
teaming with tragedy, and the job of
Jewish newspapers ought to be, as so
many are, to guide their readers to the
path of serving best where service is
needed the most. But to get excited over
a trivial incident like "Mrs. Yifnif.' Even
when a responsible Center blunders in
releasing stories to non-Jewish news-
papers before sending it to its Jewish
newspaper it is healthier not to become
too excited about it. The rescuing of
Jewish lives is much more serious than
internal conflicts of this nature.
Mr. Tousman is justified, however, in
advising that trivial Jewish news items
be omitted from non-Jewish newspapers.
After all, • the non-Jewish community is
not too keenly interested in what some
fraternal groups may be doing on gin
rummy night.
Somehow, we have confidence that
American Jewry, having attained the
status of the most important Jewish com-
munity in the world, will not be judged
by the trivialities, but rather by the great
things our people accomplish in fields of
creative efforts, in education, in art and
literature, in relief and rehabilitation.
The unified people is greater than some
small component parts.
*
* *
CONTRASTS IN PREJUDICES
The Negro Digest last month carried
two most interesting stories on pride and
prejudice.
One, which the editors chose to label
"Pride Without Prejudice," credited to
Dan Parker of the New York Mirror,
reads:
When Harold Parrott, secretary of
the Brooklyn Dodgers, called on Jackie
Robinson, the Dodgers' new Negro
rookie, at the Hotel Woodside in Har-
lem, he planned to come with a camera-
man to get pictures for the press.
Jackie left word with the desk clerk
that he expected a caller and asked
that the visitor be shown up to his room
when he arrived.
"Is the visitor white or Negro?"
asked the clerk.
"White," replied Jackie.
"I'm sorry," said the clerk with just
a trace of hauteur. "We don't allow
white folks in this hotel."
Jackie thereupon checked out, prov-
ing that he, at least, has no racial
prejudice.
The other story, reading in reverse,
,411111PMPEONSIMMIMPIPMFRIMMIIIINNW- 4-77- Apppyippwwwww
THE JEWISH NEWS
The Palestine Problem
Editorial in Collier's Magazine of March 2
Americans naturally feel a bit diffident about volunteering advice to Britain
in regard to its Palestine mandate. However, the British have asked our counsel
and co-operation on Palestine, so here's what Collier's thinks about it.
British hesitancy to reopen the Holy Land to unrestricted Jewish immigration is
politically understandable. Palestine is a strategic area with reference to the
Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and the oil of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Britain does not want to ruffle the Arabs' feelings any more than it can help,
especially inasmuch as Russia, since the war, has been muscling into northwest
Iran, ogling Middle East oil fields, and demanding that Turkey hand over to Russia
the Black Sea areas of Kars and Ardahan.
Yet there are the frightfully decimated Jews of Europe, menaced by wide-
spread anti-Semitism; and there is the long-standing British promise to make
Palestine a national Jewish homeland.
Our own feeling is that Britain would be well advised to reopen Palestine to
the Jews; to take definite steps to make the country either a Jewish state or an
Arab-Jewish one; and to use all its influence to make these measures stick. A re-
ported 70,000 British troops are in Palestine, and Britain came out of the war with
a great deal of high-class fighting equipment of all kinds. We have a hunch that
the Arabs talk a much fiercer "holy war" than they could fight.
We're not advocating the oppression of the Palestine Arabs, or their whole-
sale eviction from Palestine. But we cannot see how it can pay the British,
strategically or economically or morally, to keep indefinitely postponing settlement
of the Palestine problem in substantial conformance with their promises since the
time of- the Balfour Declaration of 1917:
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1946, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate, Inc.
LEST WE FORGET .. .
Last week we all celebrated Washing-
ton's Birthday . . . but in all the cele-
brating speeches little mention was made
of the contributions of patriotic Jews to
the victory of the War for Independence
. . . On the eve of the Revolution there
were approximately 3000 Jews in the
American colonies . . • Few among them
were young enough to bear arms . . . Of
this number more than 100 did . . . Re-
cords of the armed forces during the
Revolution show there were 27 Jewish
officers in Washington's forces . . . In
Captain Lushington's South Carolina
Company there were so many Jewish
soldiers that this unit was called "The
Jews' Company" . . . The financial con-
tributions of kindly Jews guaranteed the
success of Washington!s campaign . . .
Phillip Minis of Georgia gave more than
$7,000 to feed southern troops . . . Hayrn
Salomon celebrated Jewish patriot, gave
"Prejudice Without Pride," credited to in excess of $200,000 to Washington's
army . . . for clothing, fOod, and wages
Ben Burns of the Chicago Defender, is:
. . . When Salomon died in 1785, a tu-
Famed author Gertrude Stein tells
bercular bankrupt, he left his, wife and
the story of meeting a French doctor in
four children penniless . . . casualties to
a small town where white American
his patriotism . . . General Washington
troops were quartered during the last
expressed his ' appreciation to the Jews of
war. There had been a rumor that
the colonies for their patriotism in a
Negro troops were to arrive and Miss
letter to the Jewish congregation . of New-
Stein expressed fear that there might
port, Rhode Island . . . "May the children
be some trouble. The doctor asked why.
of the staff of Abraham who dwell in
She, explained American feelings about this land continue to merit and enjoy the
Negroes and then added:
good will of the other inhabitants, while
"You see everyone is considered a
everyone shall sit in safety under his
Negro who has a single drop of Negro
own vine and fig tree, and there shall
blood."
be none to make him afraid . . ."
* * *
The French doctor's answer was:
"But doesn't that show a singular lack
IN MEMORY .. .
of racial pride? Certainly the French
We haVe received scores of letters from
would not admit that 10 per cent of all parts of the country asking us to
better
than
90
per
Negro blood was
publish the text of the symphonic poem,
cent of French blood."
"The Warsaw Ghetto" . . The world
We present these to our readers for all premiere of this important work took
their value as a marked contrast in the place a few weeks ago in Carnegie Hall
study of bigotry and as a commentary on . • . A few days later it was broadcast
the viewpoint of people who think from the Municipal Radio Station . . .
straight. Perhaps the engraving of these Next week the British Broadcasting Com-
stories on the walls which are usually pany will beam the poem to Warsaw and
defiled with appeals to bigotry by per- European countries . . . because of lack
verts may do a bit of good in re-estab- of space we shall devote today's column
lishing decency in the world.
to the reproduction of highlights of
*
*
*
Harry Granick's text . . . the music as
you know was composed by Sam
THE SLURS OF THE BIGOTS
The latter story is an especially good Morgenstern . . .
* * *
commentary on the slurs contained in the
acts of bigots against the non-Jewish EXCERPTS FROM THE WARSAW
communities.
GHETTO .. .
When an anti-Semite raises a howl With greedy nails he scrapes them up from
ancient homelands.
that Jews control this or that, he abuses Children of Israel and Sara,
Sons
of Heine, daughters of Mendelssohn,
the intelligence of all Americans by as- French.
Austrian, Belgian, kin people,
suming that the Jews-4 per cent of this The old, the young, the slow, the wise,
and artisan, artist and scientist, the
country's population—dominate over 96 Farmer
poor, the mansioned:
Jews—Jews of Europe—
per cent of the people.
Hurrying
them, sweeping, stuffing them into
This applies in equal force to the hor-
the dripping ghetto maw,
rid and stupid charges frequently heard The secret coffin pit of Warsaw.
that Jews were responsible for the war.
Cry out Jews! You cry in your own ears only.
Is it possible that intelligent Christians Hold out your infants for pity—
These walls are herafetic.
will admit that a handful of Jews forced Beat,
beat, beat upon the lid—
them into a world conflict?
The blackness feeds the nibbling grass
the grass looks to the sun.
Read the above stories again. And pass But
You are apart, sundered, contained in
them on to your non-Jewish friends.
unbelonging,
Concealed in separation,
They should help clarify many misunder- Ripe
for the deed.
standings on the American Brotherhood Six hundred thousand human beings—
With friendliness, enough to make a heaven;
Front.
Alone—enough to make a hell.
*
* • *
To the last man,
WERFEL'S POSTHUMOUS WORK
To the last woman,
Franz Werfel believed that his "Star of To the last flag-defiant child, they are
consumed.
the Unborn," published this week by Vik- The ash is cold.
But
the incandescence—the incandescence will
ing Press, was his greatest work. It is re-
not fade!
grettable that his memory cannot be hon- It hangs in the air of time
clarion flame against all oppressors,
ored by agreement with his opinion ex- A
A glowing handclasp to all common men,
pressed before his death. It is one of his A beacon on the bridge to the belonging
together of all humanity!
worst works, a rambling novel which does
not measure up to the great writer's abili- Jews of Warsaw, you live!
You live in us!
ties. More about it later.
Forever Ave&
DETRIMENTAL PREJUDICE
Speaking of colleges and universities
which are discriminating against Jewish
students "on the quiet," it is worth while
to mention that many of these institu-
tions of learning enjoy millions of dollars
of bequests, gift fellowships and scholar-
ships from Jews . . . One can find Jewish
benefactors to American college and uni-
versities back 150 years ago . . • In the
Jewish-populated Eastern cities, where
these institutions seem to be deterthined
to limit the enrollment of Jews, the col-
leges and universities also benefit from
tax-exemption . . . Thus, for instance,
Columbia University saves more than $1,-
500,000 a year in taxes which are borne
by New Yorkers, a third of whom are
Jews . . . By preventing Jews from study-
ing various professions these institutions
are actually acting against the economic
interests of the country.
Friday, March 1, 1946
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
INQUIRY COMMITTEE BULLETIN
Reliable reports from overseas confirm
the prediction by your reporter some
moons ago that the Anglo-American
Committee of Inquiry will issue majority
and minority recommendations. But a
better-than-average rumor goes beyond
that, stating that there will be two min-
ority. reports—a one-man report by Judge
Crum blasting the procedure of investi-
gation and chastising the two chairmen,
especially Britisher Singleton, and an-
other minority report, less contentious,
but firmly for the Jews, which will be
filed by James G. McDonald, American,
and Sir Frederick Leggett, Britisher,
with the likely concurrence of American
member Buxton, Boston publisher.
* * *
SITTING TIGHT
There is some tight sitting among
Jewish leaders here in fear of the
terrorists' going on a spree during the
Anglo-American Committee's hearings in
Jerusalem. The behavior of the com-
mittee's chairman (Britisher Singleton
and American Hutcheson, from the oil
state of Texas) and of some of its British
members, especially in Vienna, has con-
versely helped the Jewish case. The Am-
erican correspondents were especially
angered by the offensive attitude of
Singleton to alert genuinely humanitarian
Judge Crum, probably the keenest legal
mind on the Committee. Therefore utmost
self-policing will be instituted by Pales-
tine Jewry to keep the terroists from
upsetting the odds and from doing more
harm than they have done already by
their acts in the past.
* * *
CONGRESSIONAL NOTE
Rep. Arthur G. Klein, Tammany can-
didate of New York City's Lower East
Side, had some rough sledding in his
home district against radio commentator
Johannes Steel, Communist-supported
American Labor Party candidate. But he
did make the home stretch. Nov it is
time for some of his 'constituents to ask
Mr. Klein how he stands on certain issues
of paramount importance to Jews and
liberal thinking non-Jews. Reason for
this suggestion lies in the fact that an
American Council for Judaism biggie was
his public relations advisor, which
doesn't necessarily mean that the adviser
offered also opinions on Jewish matters
or that Klein took them.
*
* *
WORLD JEWISH RADIO
Bigwigs of Jewish organizations are
reported to be burning up the telephone
wires of Aron Neumann's room at Hotel
Commodore to get in on the ground floor
of a world wide radio project he is re-
ported to be considering. It is said that
Mr. Neumann is beyond the mere con-
templative stage, and has already begun
equipment negotiations. However, he is
reluctant to permit his plan . to become
the monopoly of any single organization
or grouping of organizations. He wants
it . to be independent—a true public utility
of the Jewish people.
The White Paper
And Jewish Rights
By LORD CHORLEY
Speaking in the British House of Lords
The White Paper is just one of the
milestones along the route by which the
government of •that time brought this
country, in respect to its foreign policy,
to the nadir of its history. There were
Abyssinia, Spain, Munich and the White
Paper.
I think on an objective analysis it
would be difficult to decide whether 'Mu-
nich or the White Paper brought us the
lower. There is this to be said for Mu-
nich, that in one way or another the gov-
ernment of Czechoslovakia was induced
to submit, but while the White Paper de-
parts just as much from the Balfour Dec-
laration and the Mandate, the Munich
settlement departed from the treaties
which this country . had solemnly. con-
cluded with Czechoslovakia. The Jewish
people and the Jewish nation who were
the beneficiaries of the Balfour Declara-
tion and the Mandate had never in any
sense agreed to the abrogation of the
rights which had become theirs as a
matter of right under international law.
It is not to be wondered at that these
people in Palestine and their co-religion-
ists throughout the world feel very hotly
about these things.