Page Two
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 16, 1946
1 •■••-•-•.-
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
TO PRESDANT TRUMAN:
IN RE NEW YEAR CARDS.
August 1, 1946
President Harry S. Truman,
The White House,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. President:
Rosh Hashanah is approaching, and I
assume that the President of the United
States will, on the occasion of the Jewish
New Year 5707, follow the tradition pur-
sued by our Presidents for more than a
quarter of a century, and will issue a New
Year Greeting to the Jews of America.
I wish personally to thank you, Mr.
President, for the very good wishes you
have expressed to us in the past and for
the kind thoughts that will come forth
from you on the occasion of the approach-
ing New Year.
These are crucial times for our people,
Mr. President, and I therefore ask you to
permit me the liberty of suggesting to you
a new type of Rosh Hashanah Card to
the Jews of America.
We know that you are a good man, that
you are a very kind man. We value your
friendship and the sincerity with which
you have acted in recommending - the
immediate admission of 100,000 Jews to
Palestine. But immediacy has proved rela-
tive, and nearly a year has passed since
you first made your proposal—with no
results!
A Rosh Hashanah message of good will
is important—and encouraging. But we,
in free America, need it much less than
the unfortunate displaced Jews in Europe.
They need your help ! They await word
which will give them courage to carry on
in spite of all the difficulties to which
they are subjected.
May I, therefore, suggest to you, my
dear Mr. President, that firm steps be
taken, before Rosh Hashanah, to force
implementation of the positive recom-
mendations of the Anglo-American In-
quiry Committee on Palestine — recom-
mendations that are being flaunted by
the British government. When you are in
position to announce that your requests
have been honored, you will have sent
forth the most powerful • type of Rosh
Hashanah. Greeting Card that can pos-
sibly be worded as a message of good
tidings for the Jewish people.
I appeal to you, Mr. President, not to be
Irritated with requests for action in be-
half of the Jewish survivors from Nazism,
or with suggestions like ours for firm
demands that your proposals to the British
government be honored. I was deeply dis-
turbed to read that, two days ago, you
called the efforts of the Congressional
delegation "political". It is understandable
that the flood of requests in behalf of our
people should disturb you, but we ask you
to consider the human aspects of this
issue and to be as patient with us as we
have been with those who have sought
the destruction of Israel.
We humbly submit this suggestion to you.
We pray that your next Rosh Hashanah
Card to us will be in the form of a great
Deed. We have read and listened to many
Words. NOw, we need Deeds. May your
appeals in behalf of our sorely-stricken
people be transformed into action!
Yours faithfully,
Philip Slomovitz, Editor.
*
*
*
THE RULE OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Remember when Jews were unable to
travel anywhere, having been hemmed in
by ghetto walls?
Do you recall that glorious page in his-
tory which marked the Era of Emancipa-
tion after the French Revolution?
It was partial emancipation, and it held
out some hope for Jews everywhere.
But even only a generation ago, Jews
were persecuted in Romania and American
Jews were barred from entering Russia.
President Taft acted courageously and
broke treaty relations with Russia in pro-
test against discrimination practiced
against American citizens.
We fought two wars for liberty.
You know how the first ended.
By now it is general knowledge how the
second has ended.
Jewish servicemen who sought entrance
into Arabian countries were taken off
planes during and after the war, because
of their faith. It did not matter that they
wore the uniforms of the U. S. Army.
American Jews are to this day deprived
of the right enjoyed by other Americans
to enter several countries in the Middle
East.
Are these the fruits of a war for free-
dom?
It is high time that America's conscience
awoke to protest against such conditions.
Partition Should Be Rejected
By SUMNER WELLES
Former Under-Secretary of State
Excerpts from an Article in the N. Y. Herald Tribune
The proposal of the Anglo-American Cabinet Committee for the partition of
Palestine, initiated by the British Cabinet, should be summarily rejected. It deserves
denunciation by public opinion throughout the world.
It would leave the Jewish residents of Palestine at the mercy of a British
central authority for an indefinite period. It would gerrymander Palestine in such a
way that the Jewish National Homeland promised by the Balfour Declaration could
never be established. It would eliminate the opportunities for economic development
envisaged in Dr. Lowdermilk's report. It would impede the ultimate establishment
of a regional economic federation in which the Arab republics and an independent
Jew
_ish state in Palestine might profitably take part. ,
The partition proposed would forever prevent numbers of European Jews from
finding a permanent home in Palestine. The area of 1,500 square miles allotted to
the Jews by this proposal is far smaller even than that suggested by the Peel com-
mission in 1937.
Rabbi Silver's characterization of the proposal as "a plan for the ghettoiza-
tion of the Jews in their own homeland" is thoroughly justified.
The British government is patently using the desperate plight of the Jewish
refugees in Europe as a club over the Jewish communities to force their acceptance
of this plan.
No condemnation can be too severe for the outrages committed by the Irgun
and Stern terrorists.
But the policies carried out by the British authorities in Palestine offer con-
vincing evidence that the British mandate over Palestine should immediately be
terminated by the Assembly of the United Nations. The British government has
demonstrated that it can no longer be considered an impartial trustee for the
inhabitants of Palestine.
The miliary orders issued by General Barker, by which he held all of the
Jewish people responsible for the recent acts of terrorism and directed his troops
"to show contempt" for the Jews, might have been issued by one of Hitler's lieuten-
ants. Can we expect any fair or constructive settlement of the Palestine question, or
one which will be in harmony with the principles of the four freedoms, if it is
to be undertaken under such auspices as these?
If the British government persists in maintaining that the determination of
the future of Palestine rests solely in its own hands, an exceedingly grave threat to
world peace will thereby be raised.
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1946, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency. Inc.)
THE PALESTINE ISSUE
The Palestine issue has now reached a
point where antagonism is developing not
only between Britain and the Jews, but
also between Britain and the United
States . . . And within the United States
there are strong disagreements between
the alternate members of Truman's Cabi-
net Committee on Palestine and the
American members of the Anglo-American
Inquiry Committee on Palestine . . . The
latter are of the opinion that the alter-
nates sold them out to the British by en-
dorsing the British-proposed "federaliza-
tion" plan . This plan may also lead
to serious differences of opinion among
various Jewish groups interested in the
solution of the Palestine problem . . .
Some see a possibility for negotiations
with Britain, providing the plan is sub-
stantially amended to secure more rights
and land for the Jews in the federalized
Palestine . . . Of course, the admission of
100,000 Jews to Palestine is a prerequisite
to any negotiations • . . Others, including
a leading member of the executive of the
Jewish Agency, are seeking to influence
Washington to demand outright partition
of Palestine . . . The American Zionist
Emergency Council, however, opposes the
present plan and is backing the recom-
mendations of the Anglo-American Inquiry
Committee.
The attitude of the World Zionist Ex-
ecutive to the "federalization" plan has
been officially - expressed in a resolution
stating that this plan does not offer any
basis for negotiations . . • However, a
parallel decision taken last week by the
session of the executive in Paris—which
was not made public—emphasizes that the
Jewish Agency is under obligation to dis-
cuss any partition plan with Britain if
such a plan provides for the establishment
of a Jewish State .. . A resolution to this
effect was adopted l'y the World Zionist
Congress in 1937 .. The Agency will,
therefore, be ready to discuss any such
plan if offered.
*
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THE DOMESTIC SCENE
With the $100,000,000 campaign of the
United Jewish Appeal nearing its end, the
UJA is quietly conducting an extensive
scientific survey in major Jewish commu-
nities throughout the country to establish
the extent to which each community can
contribute to the forthcoming drive . . .
This study is being carried out by experts
under the supervision of a noted American
economist who occupied an important post
in Washington The idea behind the sur-
vey is this : if any community believes that
it cannot raise the quota which will be as-
signed to it, its leaders will be presented
with the findings resulting from the study
. . At present, the survey is being con-
ducted in cities on the Pacific Coast, and
in the West . .. A special team of experts
has been assigned to concentrate on mak-
ing such a study in Nev. York, which will
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish
Press Service. Inc.)
IS IT TRUE?
Is it true that Arab propagandist Hou-
rani, their slickest, shrewdest and most
suave emissary to London and Washing-
ton, has met with American Council for
Judaism crowd? Is it true, also, that he
has met some New York editors and has
influenced their reaction to the King Da-
vid bombing? Hourani's glib tempered
testimony before the Anglo-American In-
quiry Committee made a strong impres-
sion on some members, including Ameri-
cans. Hourani's job here will be to speak
to university audiences.
*
*
*
TRIBUTE
Modest, hardworking, ebullient Leo Kohn
of the Jewish Agency staff in Jerusalem,
has been doing a bang-up job in Washing-
ton, although few have heard about it.
Kohn, a brilliant legal mind, is the co-
author of some of the major political mem-
oranda submitted by the Jewish Agency in
the past decade, he is a master of English
style and author of a standard work on the
Irish Constitution. His was the first book
on the subject.
* a
*
ELECTIONS
The Democratic
canvassers are out
soliciting campaign contributions. We
know some people, generous in the past,
whose reply this year has been a firm
"no." The canvassers were advised to so-
licit Standard Oil, or send an S-O-S to
King Ibn Saud, who should be able to
peel off some bills from the bankroll
our government has just given him.
Some Jews we know are disturbed by this
and are frantically assuring the Demo-
crats that they need not fear Zionist
retaliation,
*
*
*
INFORMATION OFFICER
When Richard Stubbs took over the du-
ties of Information Officer for the Pales-
tine government sometime last March,
the news hawks were impressed with him.
He seemed a good enough fellow, amiable,
clear-eyed, in every respect the direct op-
posite of his predecessor Holmes, an ich-
thymic creature reportedly responsible for
the rigid wartime censorship regulations
in the country. Holmes just about toler-
ated the Arabs, and was less than tolerant
of the Jews. It now appears that there is
more to Mr. Stubbs than his surface con-
viviality. Very vicious tales about Palestine
Jewry have emanated from Mr. Stubbs'
office in recent weeks, only to be exposed
as fabrications. The lie, however, seeps in
deeper than the refutation. There is a
mischievous Goebbels beneath Stubbs'
genial exterior.
of the survey ever become public, they may
throw an interesting light on Jewish eco-
nomic life in the United States in general,
and on local Jewish economic possibilities
in each of the major American cities in
be the most difficult job ... If the results particular.
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate, Inc.
THE TIME IS NOW
We agree with L. M. Birkhead of
Friends of Democracy . . . He is urging
Henry Ford, Sr., to clear himself complete-
ly of his anti-Semitic past . . . Birkhead
says that Ford should carry out an inten-
sive campaign in the press and radio coun-
teracting the use of his name by Fascist
groups abroad and in this country . . .
Birkhead writes: "A campaign of this kind
could easily be carried out by a man of
Mr. Ford's means . . Furthermore it
should be launched now while Mr. Ford
is alive and can speak for himself
After he is gone the Ford family can do
nothing to prevent his name from being
linked with the sinister racial and religi-
ous passions of our time." . . • Yes, THE
TIME IS NOW!
*
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*
YOU'RE WELCOME, MRS. ROOSEVELT
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt asked us to
give space to the following letter .. .
"Since my return from Europe at the
beginning of this year I have been deeply
concerned with the problems of the people
for whom the United Jewish Appeal must
raise a minimum of $100,000,000.
"In Germany I visited four displaced
persons camps, where I. saw Jews—men,
women and children—crowded together in
tiny rooms or in underground shelters,
without any privacy, living on a diet based
on potato soup, the prey of all kinds of
disease. In the short time I was there
I became more conscious than ever before
of what human misery can be.
"Seeing how these people must live to-
day gave me the feeling that we Americans
have been saved untold misery, and that
we must have been saved for a reason.
That reason must be that we were exxpect-
ed to give leadership—spiritual, moral and
physical leadership. We have the capacity
to see that they get the things they need,
Wecan help them to get to Palestine—
this uprooted people who have no other
home to return to; and we have the added
responsibility of helping some of them find
a home here among us.
"I think that the most important thing
for us to realize is that a great responsi-
bility lies upon our shoulders and that we
must give beyond what we have ever
given in other years. I have - attended
United Jewish Appeal meetings and seen
men and women give as much as ten times
what they gave last year, aware that only
sacrificial giving can help these unhappy
people find a future.
"I do hope you will send in a contribu-
tion in keeping with the tragic needs . .
Eleanor's appeal istbr
,
the United Jewish
Appeal and if you feel like sending an
extra contribution mail it to her at 29 W.
Washington Square, New York.
"OF THESE OUR PEOPLE"
Hats off to Vicki Masson, former dan-
cer, who save up $9,000 and spent all of it
to make a film against anti-Semitism . .
Vicki's film "Of These Our People" is a
survey of the Jews in America . . It is a
documentary film presenting evidence that -
the history of the "children of Israel" in
our country is inseparable from the his-
tory of America itself . . . Some of the
notables who appear in the film are : Al-
bert Einstein, Marc Chagall, Misha Elman,
Howard Fast, Leonard Bernstein .
Schools, Trade Unions, religious groups,
could make good use of Vicki Masson's
film.
,
THE INSIDE STORY
Harold L. Ickes, in one short newspaper
column, has told the real story behind the
headlines from Palestine . . . He revealed
that oil interests are calling the tune in
Near Eastern policies . . That in itself
could not make news . . Ickes however
very definitely says that the good will
statements by President Truman are
meaningless . .. Ibn Saud, King of Saudi
Arabia is being well oiled with millions by
the U. S. government and Washington will
do nothing to alienate him .. . And since
Ibn is the spearhead of British opposition
to Zionism, the 100,000 Jewish refugees,
knocking at the gates of Palestine are
doomed ... It is high time that the Zion-
ist leadership start thinking • in realistic
terms. •
Appeal to U. S. Conscience
"I appeal to the conscience of America:
Do not let Palestine be divided. The Arabs
already have seven homelands of their
own—six of them underpopulated and un-
developed. Palestine is the only homeland
that the Jews have ... Until every national
group in the world has at least one place
in which it may enjoy majority status, the
right to a homeland takes precedence over
the right to territory through inheritance.*
—Letter to N. Y. Herald Tribune by Prof.
Jose* S. G. Bolton, Skidmore College.
Saratoga Springs, N. Y,