Page Two
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
THE JEWISH NEWS
Two Views of Passover
T4e Freedom of Our Own Children
Challenges Help for Needy Overseas
That we should be compelled to speak
of freedom with tongue in cheek, as we
usher in the Passover, is one of the major
tragedies of our time.
A typical example of the abuse of
human rights is to be found in the DP
camps in Europe.
Even in the American zone of occupa-
tion, justice is being trampled in the
dust and the "poor Germans" are getting
preference over the Jews. The selection
of Germans to police the DP camps was
one of the most stupid outrages of the
Victory which was to have ushered in an
area of peace for the Jewish survivors.
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THE U. S.-1911 VERSUS 1946
A typical example of abuse of Jewish
rights is recorded in the following letter
which was published in the Palestine
Post:
"I should be grateful to you if you will
We recall the days of 1911, when Presi-
dent Taft broke off U. S. treaty relations
with Czarist Russia in protest against
Russia's refusal to admit American tour-
ists of the Jewish faith. The fact that our
government is a party to such abuses in
Arabic countries is cause for deep con-
cern. Is it possible that 1946 will see the
undoing of the courageous act of Presi-
dent Taft?
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THE ARABS' "ABADAN"
The inflated Arab-Jewish controversy,
which is in the main inspired by the
British, serves to recall a most amusing
incident which was reported after World
War I by Haretz of Tel Aviv. The story
concerns the arrival at Gaza of the
American commission under the leader-
ship of Charles Crane. Arab politicians
had told the villagers to reply to any
questions that might be placed to them
by commission members with the word
"Abadan" ("Never").
When the commission arrived, the
townspeople were asked a number of
questions:
"Do you want Britain to have the Man-
date?" "Abadan!" was the roared re-
sponse. "Do you want Jewish immigra-
tion?" "Abadan!" came the chorus. "Do
you want independence?" There was no
hesitation at all—the unanimous reply
was chanted, "Abadan!"
From all indications, however, when
the Arabs are approached privately, not
under duress, they express admiration
for Jewish activities and utter the hope
of being able to live at peace with the
Jews. Some do not hesitate to endorse
Jewish demands for a Commonwealth.
If only the disturbing elements could
be kept out of- the picture! What a glor-
ious peace could be effected between
Jews and Arabs!
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1946, Seven At
Feature Syndicate, Inc.
FREEDOM ON THE SCAFFOLD
kindly allow me some space to express my
indignation as an American citizen. I just
arrived in Palestine on a business trip and
intended to proceed to Syria and Lebanon
as well, in the capacity of manufacturers'
representative. When i called at the Syrian
Consulate in Jerusalem I was politely asked
whether I was a Jew, to which the reply,
of course, was is the affrmative. I was fur-
ther asked whether my trip was in any way
connected with Palestinian goods, and the
reply was that I represent American manu-
facturers only. To an American such ques-
tions appear as awkward as they sound. But
the greatest shock came to me a few min-
utes later on my visit to the Lebanese Con-
sulate, where the same questions were re-
peated and topped with this one: 'Are your
principals in America Jewish?'
"This was more than I could 'digest' and
I demanded my passport back immediately.
The Syrian and Lebanese Consuls are prob-
ably acting on orders but I would like to
assure them that the above-quoted Nazi-like
question,s will be reported back in the United
States to trade and export circles to which
I belong, and will, I hope, have the proper
effect on Syrian-American trade relations."
Friday, April 12, 1946
PITY THE POOR GERMANS
Great sums of money are being spent
to secure help, pity and soft treatment for
the Germans . . . In line with this wide-
scope effort much paper and ink is ex-
pended to nullify the Russian and Polish
administration of occupied territory in
Central Europe. This is very serious .
This propaganda paints the poor Germans
as victims of a ruthless reprisal ... It for-
gets that Germany is on trial . . . It does
not mention the 6,000,000 Jewish victims
of Nazi atrocity.
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PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY
The Princeton Theological Seminary is
permitting itself to be used in this pro-
Nazi propaganda . . . Otto A. Piper, Th. D.,
D. D., professor of New Testament litera-
ture and Exegesis at Princeton, is sending
out thousands of letters on Princeton Uni-
versity Stationary . . . The envelopes used
are blank, no mark of identification . . .
Every Christian ordained minister in the
Greater New York area has been receiv-
ing Dr. Piper's strange epistles.
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POOR GERMANS ARE GETTING
HITLER TREATMENT
The Children of Israel are shown here as they celebrate Passover
in two worlds.
On the left is one of our own happy children who shares the abund-
ance of America.
On the right is one of the tragically afflicted European children.
The American child has freedom, security, home and the love of his
dear ones. He celebrates Passover in the midst of happy family sur-
roundings.
The European child is an orphan. He is one of the 150,000 Jewish
children who survived Hitler. But 1,350,000 Jewish children perished at
the hands of the Hitlerites.
Is a new exodus in store for the unfortunate child as famine, home-
lessness and destitution haunt the Jews of Europe?
This year the Jewish children of Europe will mark the Passover with
the help of American Jewry's $100,000,000 United Jewish Appeal for
Refugees, Overseas Needs and Palestine.
Detroit's share in this drive is being provided by our Emergency
$2,000,000 Allied Jewish Campaign.
To be true to our heritage, we must strive to provide a share of
happiness for the Jewish children of Europe.
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright. 1946, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
AMERICA VS. PALESTINE
Although the Zionist Organization of
America has come forward with a de-
mand that the forthcoming World Zionist
Congress not be held in Palestine, but in
the United States, it is safe to predict
that the chances of it being held in Pales-
tine have not diminished . . . This de-
spite the fact that it would be more
logical to hold it in the United States .. .
The reason for this prediction should be
sought in the tug-of-war which is now
developing between the ZOA and the
Zionist Laborites over the question of
where the congress should take place .. •
The General Zionists believe, among
other things, that if the congress is held
in the United States, American Zionists
will gain more strength in the world
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Zionist movement and more places on
WILLIAM J. CAMERON'S "FAME"
the World Zionist Executive .. . The
The retirement of William J. Cameron Laborites feel that if the congress is held
from the Ford Motor Co. revives interest in Palestine, the control over the World
in the Dearborn Independent, the part Zionist Executive may remain in the
played by Henry Ford in the dissemina-
hands of the Histadruth leaders . . . And,
tion of the infamous "Protocols of the
of course, there is also the question of the
Elders of Zion" and the Ford-Sapiro case. presidency of the World Zionist Organ-
Cameron had absolved Mr. Ford of ization . . . There may be strong com-
guilt in the spread of the anti-Semitic petition for this post between Dr. Abba
"Protocols." As editor of the Dearborn Hillel Silver and David Ben Gurion, and
Independent, it was natural that major it is taken for granted that if the con::
gress is held- in the United States the
guilt for the spread of the libelous anti-
Semitic forgeries should have been pin- . scales may tip in Dr. Silver's favor, while
in Palestine Ben Gurion would have the
ned on him.
advantage . . All indications point to
The famous Ford Apology ended the
the fact that the ZOA, although anxious
celebrated Sapiro case.
to have the congress in America, will not
But the Cameron case has not closed
precipitate a battle over it . . . Its recom-
with his resignation from the Ford or- mendation to the World Zionist Execu-
ganization.
tive that the congress be held in the
The fact that the "Protocols" continue United States may remain only a matter
to have a circulation places Mr. Cameron
of record, rather than an issue over which
in a bad light, and he will never be ab-
a fight will develop ... That is why it
solved of guilt for having fanned the
looks as if those wanting Palestine to be
flames of hatred against the Jews.
the scene of the congress may have their
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
WHAT MAKES NEWS?
Items culled from one edition of a New
York newspaper: Gerald L. K. Smith,
notorious anti-Semite, sentenced on dis-
orderly conduct charges; Cardinal Spell-
man aids United Jewish Appeal; Mrs.
Roosevelt deplores fact that DPs have no
rights; Attorney General Clark to address
Jewish labor group; City's Chinese join
fight on race bias; Dr. Jay Fox awarded
Hebrew scrolls and Chinese tapestry;
Judge Rifkind urges evacuation of DP
camps; "Battle for Survival," UJA film
narrated by Orson Welles, released; Henry
Epstein outlines program to eradicate
discrimination; kosher beef price rises
slightly.
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CAPSULE COMMENT
"The Arab League's council kept busy
at its fall meeting in Cairo issuing state-
ments about the Arabs' plight while Arab
mobs were killing Jews."—Count Byron
de Prorok in a peculiar article in True
Magazine, entitled "World's Greatest He-
Man"—something about the virility of Ibn
Saud, husband of 246 wives.
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THE PENDULUM SWINGS
One of the most ironical twists since
the advent of Hitler is this one: 100 Jewish
youths, survivors of Hitler's worst terror,
are learning farming preparing to emi-
grate to Palestine on—of all places!—the
estate of the world's Number One Jew-
baiter, Julius Streicher!
own way . . . At best a compromise de-
cision to hold the congress in Geneva
may be reached . . . This would be a kind
of symbolic continuation of the last World
Zionist Congress which was interrupted
by the outbreak of the war in Septem-
ber, 1939, without election of a new
executive... • •
Writes Dr. Piper: . . . We believe in
inalienable rights imparted to every hu-
man being by his Creator and which
friend and foe have to respect if they in
turn want to be worthy of the respect of
mankind. But the Germans living east of
the Oder and Neisse Rivers and in the
Sudetenland are denied all basic human
rights. A policy of deliberate starvation
is applied against them to force them ei-
ther to "emigrate voluntarily" or to ex-
terminate them. All the horrors that Hit-
ler's concentration camps revealed to the
Allied armies can now be found every-
where in Eastern Europe where Germans
live. The picture that Life Magazine (Jan.
7, 1946) published of four German women
and three children, the only survivors of
a group of 150 who set out from LodZ,
Poland to Berlin, was termed by a high
official of the State Department as being
mild. in comparison with the gruesome
conditions -under which these people have
been placed. The Germans still living in
the East and in Czechoslovakia enjoy no
legal protection; everybody has a right
to harm and. kill them with impunity.
We also hold that slavery is incompati-
ble with the dignity of man and that "in-
voluntary servitude shall be inflicted up-
on a person only as punishment for a
crime whereof the party shall have been
duly convicted" (Amendment Article 13).
But when you take the trouble to study
the reports of the expulsions of the Ger-
mans from the East, you will find that
they speak only of children, mothers and
old and sick people. Where are the hus-
bands, the young boys and girls? They
are held back as slave workers for the
Russians, Poles, and Czechs. No -body de-
nies that the Germans should be com-
pelled to help in the rebuilding of those
parts of Europe which they wantonly de-
stroyed. But they are not held for this
purpose in Czechoslovakia or Western
Poland.
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PIPER'S MORAL INDIGNATION
if the- moral conscience of this country
does not become. vocal and public opin-
ion does not rise in protest against the
inhumanity in Eastern Europe, UN is
doomed as a house built upon shifting
sand. If anything, justice and morality
certainly are indivisible.
May I suggest that you ask the editor
of your newspaper and your favorite mag-
azine, but above all your representatives
in Congress, the Secretary of State. and
President Truman if by their continued
silence they intend to condone the crimes
against humanity and the moral law com-
mitted in Eastern Europe .
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INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE
Well, Dr. Piper ... Has it occurred to
you, that millions of Jews are roaming
the high and by ways of Europe . .
starving, and without homes . . . Dr. Pi-
per! . . What are you trying to do . , .
Do you mean that we should take up arms
against the Russians and Poles in defense
of the poor Germans . . . Have you spoken
personally to our returning G. I.'s? . .
Have you heard some of them enthuse
about the beautiful clear-skinned Frau-
leins, so chic and charming in their furs
and jewels? . . . Even the non-fraternizing
G. I.'s will tell you how healthy and
strong the Herrenvolk are . . . He will de-
scribe their clean, well-furnished homes
. . And where do you think these provi-
sions come from . . . Dr. Piper, your let-
ter has the wrong masthead ... It should
be adorned . by a Swastika.