Friday, July 19, 1946

THE JEWISH NEWS

Page Two

Purely
Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

"UNFINISHED BUSINESS"
Much is being made at conventions of
"unfinished business" yet to be attended
to with relation to the issues affecting
the Jewish people.
In the meantime, American citizens are
denied visas to go to Palestine to investi-
gate the existing humiliating conditions.
And Egypt refuses to issue transit visas
to Jews who are on their way to Palestine.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is UNFIN-
ISHED BUSINESS.
The "business" began in the days when
President Taft, back in 1911, had the
courage to break treaty relations with
Russia because the Czarist government
had refused to admit American citizens of
the Jewisl_ faith.
What's wrong with our government?
We were resentful when Russia was
tyrannical, but we permit the great Brit-
ish Empire to conduct a war against the
- Jews and to deny American citizens ad-
mission to Palestine.
It was perfectly right for Dr. Stephen
S. Wise and Louis Lipsky, together with
men like Moshe Shertok and his asso-
ciates in the Jewish Agency who lan-
guished in the Latrun and Athlit detention
(concentration?) camps to urge Palestine
Jews to enlist in the British armed forces
—at a time when Arabs were playing the
Nazi game.
Apparently it was acceptable policy for
Dr. Wise and Mr. Lipsky to beg for funds
fbr the upbuilding of Palestine and the
incidental strengthening of the British po-
sition in the Middle East, but it suddenly
becomes wing for the builders of Zion
to become the investigators of wrong-
doing in a territory that is NOT BRITISH.
The time for a showdown is not over.
On the contrary it has only begun.
This is the time to demand of our leg-
islators and of our President that he
should, if necessary, follow the brave ex-
ample that was set by President Taft and,
break relations with governments which
choose to say that American Christians
and Moslems may go there but American
Jews will be barred.
* * *
NO TIME FOR CLOWNING
Of course, the battle is not an altogether
external one. It also is an internal strug-
gle for self-respect and for solidarity.
It is not enough to protest and to picket
consulates.
We must build up courage and dignity
within our ranks.
THIS IS NO TIME FOR CLOWNING!
Let's erase elements of comedy from
gatherings which are intended for ex-
pression of the innermost feelings of our
people.
Jewish hearts are bleeding, but some
Jewish leaders choose to mix lightheart-
edness with pressing efforts to arouse pub-
lic feelings in defense of our position.
The detainees in Latrun and Athlit
camps in Palestine, the aged Rabbi J. L.
Fishman, and other Jewish Agency leaders
some of whom at last have been released,
and the Jews of Yagur are in no mood for
humor.
Those who desire "fun-sessions" can
create circuses. But they must not be
mixed with serious efforts at this time.
Jewish leaders must not turn into buffoons.
This is a war—and our weapons are
high motives and strong factual argu-
ments.
* * *
''ANTI-DEFAMATION HYSTERIA"
Allen Lesser's article "On Anti-De-
famation Hysteria," in the current issue
of Menorah Journal, is certain to cause
a great deal of panic in the ranks of our
civic-protective organizations.
Mr. Lesser writes at 'length, exposing
what he charges as an unwise policy to
inject fear in the hearts of American
Jews relative to the actual extent of anti-
Semitism in this country. • -
"Restoring perspective to a people so
driven by fear is not easy," he warns.
The conclusion to his interesting analy-
tical essay is sufficiently important to
deserve the following quotation:
"American Jews who have been
frightened Dy the protessionai anti-
defamationists will not readily believe
that the United States has successfully
fought and overcome far more serious
problems of prejudice than the anti-
Jewish agitation inspired by the Nazis.
The facts are that America has fought
prejudice against Quakers, against
Catholics, against Irishmen, against
Poles, against Chinese, against Italians
—and is still fighting prejudice against
Negroes, in every respect a. problem
far more serious than prejudice against
Jews. America has fought these bat-
tles consciously, in the full knowledge
that she was thereby defending the
democratic way of life. In many re-
spects, America has made greater

,

Bevin Likened to Dollfuss

By RICHARD H. S. CROSSMAN

British Laborite MP, Member Anglo-American Inquiry Committee
on Palestine, in Article in Reynolds News

Doilfuss had a perfect legal case against Austrian Socialists who also
collected arms with which to defend their liberties, but we condemned
him when he shelled the workers' flats.
The Jews of Palestine are a small people—we are a great power
and our Government is a Socialist Government. Let it show the mag-
nanimity which alone can prevent ruin in Palestine.
When I returned from Palestine, I saw many members of the Cabinet
and begged them not to make disarmament of Haganah a precondition to
the admission of 100,000 Jews. If they were determined on this course
I begged the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to invite the Chairman
of the Jewish Agency Executive, David Ben Gurion, and ask for his
cooperation in suppressing violence. So far as I know neither Ben Gurion
nor any other member of the Jewish Agency was invited. If they had
been, the tragedy might well have been avoided. Instead, they were 'delib-
erately cold-shouldered.

Vacation: Jewry's

Gift to the World

By DAVID SCHWARTZ

(Copyright, 1946. Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate, Inc.

FLASH . . .
The White House is seriously consider-
ing sending an American Expeditionary
Force to Palestine as a move to force Brit-
ain to open the gates of Palestine to the
100,000 refugees . . . There is a possibility
that the U. S. War Dept. may permit the
recruiting of a Jewish military contingent
instead of detailing men from the regular
forces .. . The impending visit of Premier
Attlee to America is directly connected
with Palestine problems.
* * *
IT PAYS TO FIGHT .. .
In the editions of Feb. 7 and May 7 "Ger-
many Today"—a weekly published news-
letter reported that A. Frowein had been
made a member of the Rheinish Prov-
incial Assembly and later Minister of
Economics of the British Zone by the
British occupation authorities . . . "Ger-
many Today" revealed that Frowein, one
of the officials of the Bemberg rayon con-
cern and vice-president of the Interna-
tional Chamber of Commerce, had used
government ordinances against the Jews
in 1938 to take possession of those depart-
ment stores of the Tietz concern that were
in Jewish hands. . . The disclosure by
"Germany Today" was reprinted in the
American and European press . . . A few
weeks ago the British authorities announc-
ed that the German Economic Council is
to be reorganized and that Frowein is to
be eliminated . . . "Germany Today" kept
up the fight against Frowein and finally
won . . . If our big press would fight on
the right side, fascism could be swept out
from the British and American Zones of
occupation.
* * *
MAN SUNNING HIMSELF . . .
On the lawn of Chester's Zunbarg, (Sun
Hill) near Woodbourne, N. Y. . . . Young-
sters—to a man of 50 everything under
40 is young—browning themselves in the
sun . . . Trying" to forget their problems of
tomorrow . . . it's nice to forget tomorrow
but it's not easy . . . That youngster over
there, teasing a girl's neck with a grass
blade does not look much different from ..
the Irgunist who walked to his execution
with a song on his lips . . They're one-
no—a thousand worlds—apart . . . All this
so
talk and ink about ONE WORLD
If newspaper headlines wouldn't
silly .
But they do—Palestine-
haunt one .
India—Bilbo—OPA—France — one endless
reel of current events leading into a to-
morrow that insists on ignoring yester-
day . . It's a hot sun that lulls . you to
sleep ... Why worry ... Tomorrow is not
tomorrow . . It may be a few years away
. . . Meanwhile enjoy your freedom in the
sun . • . Did - the Jewish expectant mother
sunning herself in a resort near Warsaw
in the summer of 1939 brush away the
thoughts about tomorrow as we do on
Chester's lawn today?

,

Heard in
The Lobbies

By ARNOLD LEVIN

(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish

One of the unheralded contributions
Press Service. Inc. )
which the Jew made to • the world was REP. MAY—A "JEWISH" ISSUE?
the matter of vacations. To the Jews we
We resent the attempt by Rep. May to
trace much of the whole idea of vacation. drag in the anti-Semitic herring in his
The Christian and Mohammedan worlds reply to the grave charges against him
make rest one day of the week a pivotal broadcast by the Mead Committee. Evi-
point of their faiths, taking the idea from dence produced at the hearings of this
the Jew. The commandment for Sabbath group piles up into allegations that Rep.
observance said in effect, "Thou_ shalt take May assisted in obtaining war contracts
existence of which at the time they were
a vacation once every week."
awarded, was purely fictitious. We are not
The Jews made this commandment al- too happy, in view of the anti-Semites'
most the core of their faith and the other attempt to make all Jews responsible for
faiths took it over in much the same spirit. the slightest transgression of any individ-
Sometimes the rigidity with which this ual Jew, that Jewish names are involved
commandment was enforced seems to us with the firms investigated. But we resent
to be exaggerated, yet seemingly the world Rep. May's contention that he intervened
has been made the better by the exaggera- for these firms in a gesture of friendship
tion. It was no easy thing to procure a toward the Jews, knowing that the War
one-day vacation during the week. As Department discriminated against firms
late as the 17th century, we know that headed by Jews. We don't like that, Rep.
the feudal lords looked with sour eyes on May. We don't want to serve as a pretext
labor's abstaining from work on any day. for your doings and alleged misdoings.
Queen Elizabeth, history tells us, directed Leave the Jews out of it, Mister!
the curates of the church to spread the
*
*
idea among the workers that God would
POLES
be pleased, if on the Sabbath, after com-
Maj. Nathan Reubner, Chief Jewish
pleting the morning prayers, they returned
to work. It was only the tenacity with Chaplain with General Anders' Polish 2nd
which the Puritans clung to the idea of Corps in an apparent attempt to counter
complete Sabbath rest,, that saved the day. the anti-Anders propaganda emanating
from • the Polish Government, has told
* *
the Rome correspondent of the New York
The need to change off is basic in life. Post that not a single Jew with the And-
It is as important as the need of vitamins, ers' forces "will return voluntarily to the
of sunshine and air. We know a good deal. Polish homeland under present condi-
now about the nutrition and hygiene of tions," and thus implied that they would
the body, but we haven't yet recognized return under other conditions, for instance,
the perhaps greater importance of the with anti-Semite • Anders' heading the
hygiene of the mind and spirit. The mind government. - Maj. Reubner's statement
grows by rest and change as much as it must be viewed in the light of a quotation
grows by exercise.
from the N. Y. Post—" 'We are Poles,' he
It was a great day when Moses on Mt. (Reubner) said proudly." Most Jews in
Sinai proclaimed to the world the need of Poland don't feel they are Poles any more;
a day of vacation. It seems to me that it they hoped that they would be safer under
was in something of the same spirit that Prime Minister Osubka-Morowswki than
the late Justice Louis D. Brandeis appear- they had been under Anders' colleagues,
ed before the Supreme Court some 25 years but they knew better now. Major Reubner's
ago in a case for one of the large labor views of Anders should be placed along-'
unions. Those whose minds go back to side the unwavering testimony from the
that day will remember the stir which Middle East during the war, pointing to
that episode created. Mr. Brandeis was General Anders' personal anti-Semitism
doing nothing new in urging a shorter and to that of his corps. Even in wartime
work day. The striking part of the Bran- Palestine,, his soldiers reverted to tradition
deis incident was the brief submitted by and dared assault Jews in Tel Aviv. These
Mr. Brandeis. It had almost nothing in it attacks caused Tel Aviv to be declared out
about court 'decisions and precedents. It of bounds for his troops -. . . Even leftist
was almost wholly a scientific study of Poles are suspect after what has occurred
the ill effects of fatigue. It was the kind under the present. Polish Government,
of brief that might have been submitted but as for what Anders' Poles represent,
by some scientist rather than by the train- the ghotto benches and the pogroms on
Jewish students in prewar Poland are suf-
ed lawyer Mr. Brandeis was.
ficient testimony, Maj. Reubner!
* * *
strides in this struggle against bigotry
QUERY IN THE NIGHT
and intolerance than any other nation
How long will some top people maintain
jn the world.
their private wars even as Yagur burns?
"Since early colonial days American
* * *
Jews have rendered valuable services
in that fight. But until we clearly see
ADS IN THE DAYLIGHT
our own special problems against the
How. they spring up, these mushroom
larger perspective of American history
organizations and action committees,
and ideals, until we realize that Amer-
which live by the newspaper ads and
ica has actually scotched organized
duped readers' donations. In recent weeks
anti-Semitism and that many of us are
there have been quite 'a crop, which makes
being kept in a constant state of agi-
especially urgent the formation of a spec-
tation by a blown-up bogy—until then
ial committee, including representatives of
we American Jews will hardly be able
all responsible Jewish bodies, Zionist and
to contribute our fullest share in the
non-Zionist, to meet with the editors of
struggle for complete democracy at
the general press and explain to them that
home and in the post-war world."
despite disception in Jewish life, it is
We believe that Mr. Lesser, while jus- still fairly easy to ascertain who is an
tified in taking the stand that too much authorized representative of each principle
fear exists in our ranks on the score of cause and who is not . . . It is an urgent
anti-Semitism, is, nevertheless, a bit too matter which can prevent humiliation,
optimistic. Bigotry, after all, is more embarrassment and confusion among Jews
rampant today than it has ever been. and non-Jews.
The seeping into our continent of Nazi
* * •
ideas has not been helpful.
THESE MODERN GIRLS
But his criticisms deserve deep study.
Lovely Bess Myerson, Miss America
It would be wrong to wave aside his
analyses with flat denials, without proof. 1945, is touring the country making tol-
erance speeches instead of seeking movie
And the burden of proof is upon the
contracts.
anti-delamationists.

'

*

*

*

VACATION HOTEL .. .

Interesting woman that Ann Chester,
owner of Zunbarg . . . A tiny, wiry little
woman . . . Greying hair, but a young,
smiling face . . . Her late husband, Her-
man, built Zunbarg as a retreat for hard-
working men and women . .. Gave it the
atmosphere of a Soviet Cultural Recrea-
tional Center in a set of English country-
estate buildings . . . Now Ann carries on
maintaining the same atmosphere .
The waiters are college students back from
the war . . . One wears a Mezuzah .around
his neck, a good luck piece from his Mama'
. , and that modest dark-haired young-
ster with a Mogen David on his chest is
Bernie Kleinman, war hero, six times
battle starred, who shrugs off his exploits
with an embarassed smile . . Yesterday
after supper, a well-known radio com-
mentator appealed for help for. Spanish
refugees . • A bashful girl who the night
before jitterbugged herself to a frenzy
contributed ten dollars .. . "I'll work two
weeks overtime" she whispered to her
surprised escort . . . It was dark outside
and the easy going guests were aware of
tomorrow.

* * *

•

QUESTION " '

Eddie Kramer, comedian, wants to know
whether the Manishewitz Brothers sub-
sidized Jo Sinclair, author of "Wasteland"
as a preliminary move to a slogan "Use
Matzoh instead of psychiatry."
* * *

WARNING .
A few months ago we warned against a
number of German relief organizations
sponsored by soft peacers and former
bundists . . . "The American Relief for
Germany" is growing and attracting wide
support ...Their ads are carefully penned
and avoid anti-Semitic language . . . Don't
be deluded . .. Theodore Katzmann, one
of its leaders is a notorious pro-Nazi

-

anti-Semite.