Page Two
THE JEWISH NEWS
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. 'BIRON
Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts
Feature Syndicates Inc.
ATTENTION: ATTORNEYS-GENERAL
Horace A. Demarest, who was ousted
.recently by New - York State- spovernor
Dewey as Deputy Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles of Queens County, after N. Y.
State Attorney General • Nathaniel . L.
Goldstein uncovered' the fact that Dem-
arest was one of the incorporators of an
outfit called the Knights. and Women of
the Ku Klux Klan claims he didn't know
what kind of organization it was . . . He
says that when he incorporated the group
in 1923, it was known as Alpha Pi Sigma,
Inc., a Greek letter fraternity .. . Dem-
arest knew all the time what Alpha Pi
Sigma stood for It was just .a facade
to avoid prosecution under the terms of
the Walker Anti-Ku-Klux-Klan Law
which had just been passed at that time
. . . But we have discovered that Mr.
Demarest • is listed as one of the incorp-
orators of a group called the "White Col-
' lar Action 'Committee, . . . Do you
know What kind of an organization that
is? . . . The "White Collars" are using
the present-day 'Klan line "Free the
Slaves of 1946—Abolish Labor Unions"
. . . If Attorneys-General of Georgia,
Michigan and California would scrutin-.
ize closely the activities of groups using
fraternity facades, they would be in for
a big surprise.
-
•*
*
*
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
It's a laugh—or maybe it isn't—but it's
nevertheless true . • . Gerald B. Winrod,
notorious anti-Semite is conducting a na-
tion-wide campaign in defense of the -
Committee on Un-American Activities
. . . Yes, the editor of the Defender; who
is in the front -ranks of American hate-
mongers, is circularizing his supporters to
petition Congress to maintain and ex-
pand Congressman Rankin's Committee
.. How does Rev.. Winrod know that he
has nothing to fear from the Congres-
sional Conimittee financed by our taxes
to expose undemocratic groups? . . . That
question we leave to Mr. Rankin to an-
swer.
*
*
*
DESERVE MEDAL
From the Congressional Record, May 7,
1946: Mr. B. B. Komaiko writes for Sen-
tinel .. . Mr. Komaiko was asked if he
approved referring to the Congressional
Committee (House COmmittee on Un-
American Activities) as the "Un-Ameri-
can Gestapo" . . . Mr. Komaiko said "the
Committe is un-American in spirit" . . .
We know Mr. Komaiko as a forthright
anti-fascist fighter . . . Congratulations to
a worthy representative of the Anglo-
Jewish press.
A medal to Benjamin Marks of Corpus
Christi . . . Ben ran a Zionist radio pro 7
gram three years locally before the na-
tional Zionist leadership was convinced
that it had possibilities for a Coast-to-
Coast hook-up_. . . Now that the Z. 0. A.
leaders boast of it, Ben is forgotten.
*
*
HIGH LEARNING
Two of Pierre van Paassen's books
have just appeared in Hebrew in Pales-
tine . . . He was the only "Goy" who this
year received an honorary degree of He-
brew letters from Dr. Wise's Jewish In-
stitute of Religion . . . Zalman Shneour,
the distinguished Hebrew poet who re-
ceived the same degree, is the third great
Hebrew poet to be thus honored by Dr.
Wise . . . The late Hayim Nachman Bia-
lik and Saul Tchernichowsky were also
recipients of the Doctor's degree.
Hebrew Union College, the oldest rab-
binical seminary in the entire American
continent, is recasting its curriculum in
such- a manner as to make it possible for
students to obtain their full training for
the Rabbinate in six years or less instead
of eight or nine as heretofore . . . Rabbi
Joshua Bloch is receiving an Honprary
Doctor's degree from Hebrew Union Col-
lege next week . . . Joshua Bloch is right-
ly regarded as one of the outstanding
Hebrew scholars in America.
*
MISCELLANY
*
*
There will be -repercussions from Dr.
Philip K. Hitti's trip to the Near East in
behalf of the State Department's office
of Cultural Affairs . . . Dr. ilitti is a fer-
vent Arab Nationalist whose `"cultural"
interests are primarily political.
Fran
_ k L. Weil, president of the Na-
tional Jewish Welfare Board, can be
proud of the 1945 annual report of his
organization . . . An impressive record.
It is rumored that the resignation of
ex-Ambassador Carleton J. H. Hayes as
National Catholic Co-Chairman of the
National Conference of Christians and
Jews is due to resentment of his pro-
Franco sentiments on the part of many
American Protestants.
Friday, June 7, 1946
The Flag With the Hebrew Letters
Between
You and Me
A Forgotten Chapter in American Jewish History
BY BERNARD POSTAL
"Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid;
neither be- thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou
goest." (Joshua 1.9)
This verse is singularly appropriate in con-
nection with the 169th birthday of the Amer-
ican Flag, which will be observed on June 14,
because it is associated with a long forgotten
episcode in the history of the American Flag.
In the community observance of Flag Day in
the 288 JeWish Community Centers and Y. W.
H. A.s with the help of special program material
prepared by the National Jewish Welfare Board,
the story of that flag, of the man who made' it,
why he - made it, and to whom he presented it
will be re-told.
Abraham Kohn, a merchant, was actively ident-
ified -with the beginning of the Chicago Jewish
community. When the Jewish community held
Yom Kippur services in 1845 in a vacant store
Artist's conception of Amer-
room above a dry goods emporium on what is
now Lake Street, Kohn officiated. A year later ican Flag with Hebrew letters
he helped organize the Hebrew Congregation prepared by Abraham Kohn
Anshe Maariv, Chicago's first • synagogue, of of Chicago and' presented to ,
which he was president for several years. ' He Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
was a prime mover in. the Jewish. mass meeting
convened in Chicago on the outbreak of the War Between the States. This rally
recruited a company._ of Jewish volunteers which distinguished itself with the
82nd Illinois Infantry.
Then a man of 42, Kohn took an active part in the establishment oT the
. Republican Party. He was a #rm opponent of slargery and a strong supporter
of Lincoln for the presidency. In 1858 he was elected city clerk of Chicago.
During the presidential campaign of 1860, Kohn met Lincoln.
Kohn's popularity and influence were brought to Lincoln's attention by his
advisors who recognized in the Jewish merchant an ally whose acquaintance
would prove a valuable asset in the coming election. Lincoln was introduced to
Kohn by Congressman Isaac N. Arnold who took him to Kohn's store. This
meeting inspired Kohn with a feeling of admiration for his distinguished visitor.
Years later, Kohn's daughter, Mrs. D. K. Adler, said that Lincoln, in the
course of his conversation with Kohn, spoke of the Bible as their book, and Kohn,
being a devout Jew as well as an ardent patriot and. Republican, conceived an
intense admiration for Lincoln. This found expression in his sending to Lincoln,
shortly after his electiori)and before his departure from Springfield to Washington,
a silk American flag, the work of his own hands, painted in colors. In the folds
of the flag were the Hebrew letters quoting the third to the ninth verses of the
first chapter of Joshua.
In appreciation of this unique gift, Lincoln wrote to Kohn to thank him.
The President's letter was sent through a mutual friend, John Young Scammon.
Kohn's flag is. mentioned by Admiral George H. Preble in his standard work
on the American flag, "History of the Flag of the United States," which was
published in 1894.
The late Ben Altheimer, New York and St. Louis._ philanthropist and com-
munal. leader, is credited with having inspired the first public observance of
Flag Day in St. Louis on June 14, 1912, while he was president of the St. Louis
Y. H. M. A., a constituent of the National Jewish Welfare Board. Through the
efforts of Senator Spencer, of Missouri, whom Altheirner had interested in Flag
Day, President Wilson issued the first national. Flag Day proclamation in 1916.
.
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
BIRO -BIDJAN AND PALESTINE
'
Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky,
avowed friend of the Zionist cause, has
been announced as a speaker at gather-
ings in support of efforts to revive inter-
est in' the settlement of surviving Euro-
pean Jews in Biro-Bidjan, the autonmous
Soviet, "Jewish republic."
This movement recently gained the
limelight in advertisements in New York
newspapers and in a newly-inaugurated
fund-raising -campaign.
Such a 'movement would deserve
strong support, providing we knew def-
initelya that Russia is prepared to open
Biro-Bidjan's doors to large-scale Jewish
immigration.
At a UN session in London a few weeks
ago, when the question was raised, the
Russian delegate promised to take _the
matter up with his government. but a
large question mark continues to hang
over the entire issue.
In the meantime, some Jews who would
otherwise have participated in efforts to
assure the speedy creation of a Jewish
homeland in Palestine are diverting in-
terest to non-existent colonization.
schemes.
It is possible that the uncertainties sur-
rounding the Biro - Biajan issue may
serve to harm the great projects of set-
tlling the Jewish survivors in Palestine.
Thus far, pressure for an Ambidjan
fund for the settlement of Biro-Bidjan
appears to come only from New York
committees, and has additionally been
mentioned in a report in the Cato news-
paper, El Ahram, which quoted the Arab
leader Jamal Husseini as saying that Rus-
sia proposed "a first-class solution to the
Jewish problem by assigning the. Russian
province of Biro-Bidjan as an autonomous
Soviet republic."
Such sources are and will remain ques-
tionable, especially in view of exagger-
ated claims made in behalf of Biro-Bid-
j an.
.
AN AUTHORITY'S FACTS
In a recent issue of the Yiddish Kern-
fer, of New York, Prof. Jacob S. Jaffe,
noted agricultural authority, exposed the
vagueness of claims in behalf of • Biro-
Bidj an.
Reporting on his discussions with Rus-
sian agronomists during two visits he
made to Soviet Russia—in 1927 when the
Biro-Bidjan project was initiated, and
in 1930—Prof. Jaffe declared that the
findings of Soviet scientists regarding this
territory were in the main negative. He
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1946. Independent Jewish
_
Press Service. Inc.)
GAG OF THE WEEK
A noted Palestinian, whose name
(which begins' with Hoofian) we shall
not reveal and who is'--visiting this coun-
try, was describing the superior eggs laid
by the hens in Palestine that are Jewish-
owned. He told* of how many more eggs
the "Jewish hens" lay and of how much
larger they are. "Of course," he explained,
"the Jewish hens are better cared for
and better fed. You might say the Jewish
hen in Palestine is a kept woman."
*
*
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
The United States is playing host to a
delegation of 10 distinguished' Poles,
headed by the venerable Emil Somer-
stein, a man of rare presence and brilli-
ance. The delegation will visit several
cities to describe the catastrophic situa-
tion in Poland. of 150,000 repatriates. The
sight of them gives one renewed hope for
the Jewish people, for despite all they
have endured, the fight has not been
taken out of them; their eyes still can
twinkle with humor and they still can
tell a funny story. The' Jews have a word
for it: UNDAUNTED.
* • *
KRUEL KLUXERS KONTINUE
Ku Klux Klanism is breaking out like
a rash all over • the United States. The
appearance of the Klan always is a --symp-
tom of sickness in the 'body politic, just
as red spots are a symptom of sickness in
the body human. But Dr. F. B. I. is tak-
ing a hand and he may be able to ac-
complish something, despite the fact that
a quack, Dr: Rankin, has been called in
for consultation - by some of the relatives...
reports that the winters there are severe
—sometimes 42 degrees below zero—but
are dry and not uncomfortable; and that
the summers are moist and cloudy.- The
claims that there are 115,000 Jews there
are questioned—more likely the actual
Jewish population is about 20 per cent
of that figure. .
In the main, it is believed that the pro-
posal is not. based on definite promises
to settle Jews there in large numbers,
and that the Russian authorities are mum
on the subject.
The entire scheme is being compared
with the Freeland proposal in Australia
—a movement based upon hopes, not
realities.
It is a fable which may do greet harm
to the Jewish people.
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1946, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
ACTION WANTED
An all-out campaign against the State
Department will soon be launched by
Zionist groups in the country, if action is
not taken' by the Government to move the
100,000 displaced Jews to Palestine. "This
was obvious from the mood of the 400
Zionist leaders who assembled last week
in Washington for an urgent closed con-
ference to voice their attitude on the rec-
ommendations of the Anglo-American in-
quiry committee . . . Zionist feaders in
this country feel that the State Depart-
ment is "double-crossing" the Jews and •
the members of the .Anglo-American
Committee' on the question of the 100,000
displaced Jews . . . While President Tru-
rn.an is sincerely desirous of having them
transferred from Europe to Palestine as
soon as possible, the State Department' is
delaying the matter and following 'the
British line of sabotage . . . The policy
of the State Department is' all the more
regrettable since it clashes with the ac-
tion of the War Department which has
made all the necessary plans-to transport
the 100,000 Jews to Palestine in the short-
est possible time . . . The War Depart-
ment is especially interested in corn-
pleting the transfer soon because the less
DPs in the American zone, the less head
aches for the American Military Govern-
ment . . . Especially as U. S. troop-DP
relations are deteriorating . . . When Dr.
Abba Hillel Silver and Dr. Stephen Wise
visited the State Department last week
they minced no words in talking to Dean
Acheson, Under-Secretary of State . ,
And they were, according to all reports,
not very polite, even on the surface.
*
*
*
BUSY INTERMISSION
Now that the World Zionist Congress
has been postponed until December,
American Zionist leaders are pressing
their demand that the congress be held
in the United States after all . . . One
added argument they advance is that
the American delegates, with the .exeep
tion of paid Zionist professionals, are not
in a position to leave their private inter.
2sts at - home during the winter. months
. . . It would be different, they argue, if
the congress took place in the summer
. . . A trip to Palestine or to Europe in
the summer would not interfere with the
private affairs of the delegates, and would
be in the nature of -a vacation . . . But
most of the delegates cannot afford•a va-
cation during the height of business and
social activities . . • Between now and
December, quite a lot of very important
developments will definite& take place
with regard td PaleStine . . . It can be
safely predicted that the outcome of these
developments will influence the final de-
cision 'as to where the Zionist Congress
should be held ... As matters stand now,
Zionist leaders have more serious matters
to worry about than the iodation of the
congress . .- . They must concentrate on
bringing the 100,000 Jews from Europe to
Palestine . . . 'They must prepare for of-
ficial discussions with the British and.
United States governments ... They must
mobilize their forces for the forthcoming
session of the' United Nations Assembly
in September, at which the Palestine
question will be taken up, and they must
be on guard against the intrigues of the
Arab kings and maximum energy and in-
volved strategy.
.*
*
*
-
COMMUNAL NOTES
Even the most outspoken pessimists
who never believed that . the Jews in
America would respond fully to the call
of the' United Jewish Appeal for the un,-
precedented sum of $100,000,000 are now
of the opinion , that this sum will be
raised . . . It is only too bad that many
of our communities are "freezing" their
contribtitions to other highly important
national organizations and institutions,
in order to be able to contribute more
to the United Jewish* Appeal . . . This
brings to the forefront the question of
what is going to happen next tuyear, since
the Zionist leadership has announced that
$120,000,000 will be heeded to settle the
100,000 displaced Jews in Palestine and to
readjust the demobilized Jewish soldiei.s.
It is almost certain that the Jewish Agen-
cy' will _receive through the Intergovern-
mental Committee for Refugees $20,000,-
000 in German reparations for the 'settle-
/bent of the displaced Jews . . . But even
so, the Jewish Agency will need another
$100,000,000—the highest sum it' has ever
requested . . . And the Joint Distribution
Committee will certainly' need more next
year than this year, since the situation
of • the Jews in Hungary, Poland; Slova-
kia, Romania and other countries is going
frorn bad to worse 45