Page Two Purely Commentary THE JEWISH NEWS A Letter to the President Great Britain's Crime in Palestine By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ `UNHAPPY AND UNHOLY LAND' The British are making much of "evi- dence" that a cache of arms was found in the, Tel Aviv synagogue. There may be "another side" even to this fanastic story. If terrorism, for which the British alone are responsible through their autocratic and human acts in Palestine, is to be uprooted, Britain must stop perpetuating a "police state" in the "Holy Land." We now call as our next witness Allen Raymond, who, writing from Beirut to the N. Y. Herald Tribune, in an article under the heading "Unhappy and Unholy Land," exposes the frightful censorship imposed upon Palestine by the British military authorities. Mr. Raymond, presenting the gist of his studies of Palestine regulations, charges: "An office of censorship exists which may require editors of newspapers to sub- mit all matter prior to publication. When the censor has finished editing a publica- tion's copy the publisher may not print it in such a way as to show that it has been censored, or refer to this censorship in any way except by the censor's own permis- sion. There is complete censorship of the mail . . . Added to all these censorship regulations is the general censorship over every inhabitant of Palestine by which any person deemed objectionable or a sus- picious character is liable, under the law, to be thrown into a concentration camp for an indefinite period without ever hav- ing a charge brought against him, or being brought to trial for any offense." `NO MORAL AUTHORITY' Mr. Raymond's expose is a challenge to the immorality of British actions on the score of censorship. There is much more to be challenged. The virtual arrest of an entire Jewish community of 200,000, in Tel Aviv, has its comparison only in Lidice, or in mass ar- rests of Jews and anti-Nazis by Nazis in Poland, Germany, Austria and other tern- . tories that were taken over by the Hitlerites. Referring to an underground press in Palestine and the establishment of a clandestine newspaper, "Hebrew Combat Front," Mr. Raymond states in his Herald Tribune article: "After a quarter of a century of rul- ing by League of Nations mandate, the Palestinian government finds itself today with no moral authority whatever over Jew or Arab. Maybe, because of con- flicting interests and commitments, or because all its authority flows down from a distant government in London, instead of up from the people, the Palestinian government could not possibly have obtained that authority. But until some Palestinian government can obtain such authority, resting on the consent of the people, this desperate underground press is going to continue, accompanied by sporadic violence. And Jewish refugees, helped into Palestine by Anglo-American benevolence, are going to live in one of the unhappiest and unholiest lands on earth." This is an indictment of British rule. It is a condemnation of a lack of moral law. It is a challenge to the conscience of the world not to permit the perpetuation of a police state. We hope for the day when Jews and Arabs, acting together, will repel the im- moral law. And we look to the day when an awakened world conscience will fight for the restoration of holiness to the Holy Land. 'I SHALL NOT HOLD MY PEACE' Acting Chief Secretary Scott of Palestine tt few days ago summoned to his office Gershon Agronsky, editor of the only Eng- lish-language daily in the country, the Palestine Post. According to a Jewish Tele- graphic Agency dispatch, Mr. Agronsky was told that a recent editorial in his newspaper criticizing . the requisitioning of Jewish shops, offices and homes was re- garded by thee-government with disfavor. Interesting, isn't it? John Bull's representatives in Palestine arrogate unto themselves the right to requi- sition (does that mean confiscation?) Jew- ish property andto order Jewish businesses to dissolve. But Jews are deprived of the right to criticize! Poor John Bull does not seem to realize that without vision a people must perish —and Britain's muddlin - officials are cer- tainly lacking in vision. Else, as a Bible- loving people, the British would remember the admonition to Israel by the Prophet Isaiah (62:): - Friday, August 9, 1946 By WILLIAM B. ZIFF By BORIS SMOLAR (Excerpts From a Letter Addressed to President Truman) Dear Mr. President: In addition to the blatant anti-Semitic laws which disgrace the statute books of that country, His Brittanic Majesty's Government has raised for service in Pal- estine a group of the worst Fascist followers of Oswald Mosley. They have brought there the same Black and Tans who once operated in Ireland, and are now con- ducting in Palestine a terrorism infinitely more intensified than any against which the Irish rebelled: Every concept of Anglo-Saxon law has been vacated in Palestine, where any soldier or policeman may arrest a Hebrew on sight without reason and, if he feels like it, beat him to a pulp. To the underground Hebrew soldiers, the sane type of deadly anti-Semitic provocation which has left seven 'million dead in the crema e toriums in Europe is now guiding British policy. Beneath the pious words uttered by British statesmen, they see a bitter and active anti-Semitism which to the fight- ing young Hebrews of Palestine makes Bevin fully as dangerous as Hitler. It is under the desperation engendered by this situation that the so-called outrages in Palestine have been taking place. The underground Hebrew soldiers are not "desperadoes" or "terrorists" in the sense that the British authorities would like to have us believe. Though they may be misguided in the determination to answer terror with terror, these young Hebrews are as admirable as any other patriotic group in history. According to historic British definition, George Washington was a terrorist. So was Patrick Henry. So was Eamon DeValera. Today there are rumors that Great Britain will seek to create a small Hebrew ghetto in Palestine, locked in tight under the over-lordship of the present anti-Semitic colonial officials. Mr. Attlee himself has made an amazing statement that collective punishment must be made upon the entire Jewish people for the acts of a few. Whether these acts are right or wrong, it is impossible to concede that the 100,000 displaced Hebrews of Europe, or the many hundreds of thousands of others, who are waiting to enter Palestine, should be made to suffer for a single act committed by individuals whose very names they have never heard of. This constitutes a total abandonment of any concept of law or justice hitherto held by decent men everywhere. It finds its counterpart only in the German action at Lidice. To the desperate underground troops of Pales- tine such statements are proof-positive of the nature of British intentions. The question before America is this: Are we to stand with truth, justice and decency, or with the right of armed privilege to do what it pleases as the sole judge of its own actions? In Palestine, the British must be held accountable for their actions as well as the Hebrews and Arabs. There will have to be other considerations weighed besides the cold sinister business of imperial profit. • I respectfully submit, Mr. President, that it is proper that the so-called terror- ists be tried before some world tribunal called for that purpose. In my personal judgment, they will be more than willing to appear and to stake their lives against the reply which will be given by the world conscience. However, the British authori- ties who are conducting the present official reign of terror in Palestine must also appear to answer, in the same court, for the crimes of which they themselves stand accused. A very real precedent exists in the case of the Nuremberg trials. Strictly Confidential By PHINEAS J. MON Copyright, 1946. Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Inc. ABOUT PEOPLE Sidney Matz, son of Israel Matz, was killed two weeks ago when his private plane crashed near Seattle ... Sidney's father is well-known throughout the world as a generous philanthropist and Hebrew scholar . . . He is the founder of Ex-Lax, Inc., and has made wise use of his wealth . . . Sidney, we knew him well, was the dashing type . . . he loved action and ad- venture . . . He had definite convictions on Jewish matters . . . He, the son, was much more conservative than the father . . . but neither ever argued about helping a good cause . . . We remember once dis- cussing with Sidney a Jewish organization which was labelled leftwing . . . He ob- jected vehemently to its ideology . .. But after • stating his case, he agreed to help . . . Yes, we believe that Sidney, the rest- less sportsman, and intimate of celebrities, would have developed more and more into a very useful Jewish community leader .. . notwithstanding his reluctance to accept many symptoms of a new changing world . . . His passing is a genuine loss. 4, * * ANSWERS Is it true that John Foster Dulles, dis- tinguished adviser on Foreign Affairs; con- tributed money to America First? . . . The records of America First credit a contribu- tion from one "John Foster Dulles" of $500 ... The date was Nov. 5, 1941 ... Just one month before Pearl Harbor. World Zionist leadership is divided on the .question of partition .. . Weizmann is for it and so are Lipsky and a number of Palestinian big shots . . . Rabbi Silver is opposed to anything short of a Jewish state . . . David Ben Gurion will accept partition if the Negev is included in the Jewish region. * * * REMEMBER THE 176 . Henry W. Levy, publicity director of Union of American Hebrew Congregations, writes "that a commission was not the easy road to personal safety in World War II is indicated by a glance at the honor roll of the 176 service men, members of the 34 Reform Congregations of the New York Federation of Reform Synagogues . . . Of the 176 young men who lost their lives in the service, over 50 per cent, 93 in all, were commissioned officers . • ." * * LAST MINUTE FLASH "For Zion's sake will I not hold my It has just been confirmed that Paul peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will Muni will appear in "A- Flag Is Born" . . not rest; until her righteousness will go pageant written by Ben Hecht for the forth as brightness and her salvation as American League For a Free Palestine . . . of burning torch." Quentin Reynolds will be the narrator. Between You and Me Heard in The Lobbies By ARNOLD LEVIN (Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish Press Service. Inc.) CHAPLAIN A Chaplain's duties with the army for- bid his participation in warfare. His duties revolve only around the spiritual aspects, so called, of warfare. He is to console the soldier and give him moral guidance. In Tel Aviv, an Anglican chaplain gave other kind of guidance to his soldiers when he led them into the Great Synagogue. He now claims that he accompanied them, (earlier dispatches reported that he. led them) to make certain that they did not "mess things up" at the house of worship. It has been established, however, that the chaplain was "gun-toting" when he. en- tered the sacred edifice. The chaplain could well have advised, without entering the building, officers in charge of the search, of the requirements of decent be- haviour in searching a synagogue. Like many Britishers who have ostensi- bly become Moslems to woo the trust of Arab kings, the chaplain in question was serving Empire and not God, when he led the tommies into the synagogues. Would they have dared to enter a Mosque? And may we be permitted to express our sus- picions about the discovery at the Great Synagogue. The Synagogue authorities are not to be blamed for what has been put under the synagogue edifice even if the discovery was genuine. It should be noted that in the past, according to the Hebrew underground newspaper Eschnab, British searchers have often discovered what they themselves had planted several hours or days before. * * * DOROTHY THOMPSON Dorothy . Thompson's below - the - belt punches at Zionist leadership should not be mistaken as the kindly criticism of a -friend. Her record ever since V-E Day shows that the lady, whose past popularity and success was attributable to her anti- Nazism, has now become the most fervent champion of the German people. In her heart, overflowing with compassion for the Germans, there is but little compassion to spare for the Jews. But her ignorance of the facts, regarding Palestine as well as regarding Germany, is amazing. Miss Thompson ascribes all the militancy and justified wrath of the Jewish Agency to executive members in Palestine. She should have known that American Zionism has been active in formulating these militant demands and has been pressing for their immediate implementation: She should have known, but the lady knows so little, which should, but does not, prevent her from writing and speaking as though she did. (Copyright, 1946, Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Inc.) THE PEACE CONFERENCE American Jewish groups who, during and after the war, were competing for the prize of representing the Jewish cause be- fore the Peace Conference, now are real- izing that there was nothing for which to compete . . . Very little can be done at the Paris Peace Conference from the point of view of protecting Jewish rights . . . The draft treaties for the former enemy coun- tries definitely secure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons "without distinction as to race, sex, lan- guage or religion." . .. They also stipulate that no discriminatory legislation or re- strictions can be imposed by the govern- ments of any of these countries ... . The net result is that Jewish delegations, will have little or nothing to do at the Peace Conference . . . The situation was differ- ent at Versailles after World War I, when Jewish leaders had to conduct a hard fight to secure national minority_ rights for Jews in the smaller European countries . . . But no Jewish group is interested any longer in the principle of national minority rights . . . As to the principle of human rights, the way was paved a year ago in San Francisco at the first meeting of the United Nations, so that it became an auto- matic part of all post-war international documents . . • Some of the important Jewish leaders in the United States are now asking themselves whether their trip to the Peace Conference in Paris was worthwhile . Leaders like Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Louis Lipsky and Dr. Nahum Goldmann went to Paris primarily to at- tend the session of the World Zionist Ex- ecutive . .. Their interest in the proceed- ings of the Peace Conference was of sec- ondary importance. * * * THE PALESTINE SITUATION Britain is anxious to present the United Nations with a fait accompli with regard to Palestine, just as she did with regard to Transjordan . . . In this way the British fear of a collective UN Trusteeship over Palestine—a trusteeship in which Russia might claim a share—will be allayed . . . Whatever status Britain may give to Pal- estine under the proposed "cantonization plan," the more will be made with a view to preventing the United Nations, especial- ly Russia, from having any say in Pales- tine affairs in the future . . . And this can be achieved only if speedy action on the part of Britain is taken and if the move is made before the General Assembly of the United Nations opens at the end of Sep- tember . . . This explains the stand by Prime Minister Attlee that Britain will go through with its "federalization plan" even if the United States does not support it . . . Under the terms of the mandate, there is only one country which has to be consulted by Britain with regard to any change in the status of Palestine—the United States .. . With Palestine now be- coming the center of British military forces in the Middle East, it is obvious why Britain is so afraid of the possibility of Russia's becoming one of the trustees. THE WASHINGTON SCENE Credit should be given to Herbert H. Lehman and to the untiring efforts of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver in Washington for the fact that President Truman temporarily reversed his intention to support the Brit- ish "federation plan" - for Palestine . . . Only a day prior to changing his mind, the President was very rude to delegations of Senators and Representatives who came to the White House to appeal to him not to support the British plan . . . He made it clear to them that all he was interested in was that his request for the admission of 100,000 Jews to Palestine be complied with and, therefore, any plan which satisfied this demand was acceptable to him . . For a while the situation looked very bad in Washington, the President clearly indi- cating his anoyance . A personal appeal wired to him at the last minute by Herbert Lehman from his summer home in Massa chusetts, fortified by influential leaders of the Democratic Party whom Dr. Silver contacted, made the President revise his decision . . . A respite has thus been won during which the opponets of the British plan hope to mobilize all forces possible to block the British move . . Dr. Silver refused to proceed with Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Dr. Nahum Goldman and Louis Lipsky to Paris to attend the session of the World Zionist Executive there . . His argument was that the fate of Zionism is now being decided in Washington and it would, therefore, be much wiser to hold the session of the World Zionist Executive in the United States rather than in Paris . .. His remaining in the U. S. prevented the blow which Palestine_was about to receive from Truman.