Page Two
Purely
Commentary
I By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 23, 1946
Aid for the 'Tempest-Tossed'
An Editorial From the New York Times, Aug. 7, 1946
The plight of Europe's refugees comes close to Americans in the persons of the
2,000 immigrants now reaching these shores every month in accordance with Presi-
dent Truman's directive of December 22, 1945. These are quota immigrants. We
have not let down the bars of our vast continent. We are, however. doing something
to encourage the full use . of the quotas by qualified persons, and Mr. Truman's
directive called upon the Secretary of State to "perfect appropriate arrangements
with welfare organizations in the United States which may be prepared to guar-
antee financial support to successful applicants."
Two such organizations have been the National Refugee Service and the
National Service to Foreign Born of the National Council of Jewish Women. These
have now combined to form the United jpervice for New Americans, with Joseph E.
Beck as executive director and headquarters at 105 Nassau Street. This merger will
strengthen a program which includes assistance to Americans in aiding friends and
relatives who wish tb migrate; help and guidance for immigrants on arrival here;
assistance in getting jobs, training for jobs, naturalization and Americanization;
special aid for children; and cooperation with communities which have or should
have programs for new Americans.
This immigration, and the help we can give, may not be much in the vast ocean
of Europe's woe. But the help is real to those who receive it, as much as though
they were millions instead of thousands. Once more, as in the noble words of
Emma Lazarus, it lifts again the "lamps beside the golden door," welcoming the
"homeless" and the "tempest-tossed."
'PALESTINE AT VALLEY FORGE'
Great Britain does not like the idea of
Americans financing the settlement of
Jews in Palestine.
Exception is taken particularly to the
insertion of advertisements in American
newspapers exposing British trickery in
Palestine.
The American League for a Free Pales-
tine, chief target of these protests, retali-
ates with a full-page advertisement in the
N. Y. Post declaring that "Palestine Stands
at Valley Forge," that—
"As before, the British will ultimately
lose this war. It is a repetition of Amer-
ica's fight in 1776 and Ireland's in 1920.
Once the British leave, there will be no
strife between the Arabs and the He-
brews."
We agree with this League's appeal that
"This is no time to relax. This is no
time for silence."
On the contrary, this is a time for un-
relenting action.
By ARNOLD LEVIN
In the coming few days, there may be a
(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish
partial settlement of the problem. Some
Press Service. ,Inc.)
Jews may be admitted to Palestine. The THAT LOAN
arrested leaders in Athlit, Latrun and
About that $300,000,000 loan that has
Raffae camps may be released. The Jews
been
• proposed by that Anglo-American
may even be brought back from Cyprus.
But the problem will not be solved by "grandiose sell-out" committee of cabinet
temporary measures.
deputies: That loan may constitute inter-
As long as there is interference with national financing of a Middle East Gars-
Justice—and this is definitely a war for
right against British might—the fight son brothers debacle. HoW will the money
be administered? For what specific pur-
goes on.
It is a battle for freedom of speech and poses will it be used? Will it be used to
the press in Palestine. It is a struggle for bribe that whole rotten gang of feudalists
free traffic of Jews to Palestine. It is a
who have grown fat on American dollars,
battle against forced deportation of Jews
British pounds and—yes, don't forget it—
to British-built concentration camps.
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German marks and Italian liras, when that
currency still had its value? Will it be
ARABS vs. JEWS AND BRITISH
Allen Raymond, who wrote his impres•
used—and that is something for our Jew-
sions of Palestine and the Arab countries ish leaders to consider—to implement Brit-
from Beirut for the N. Y. Herald Tribune,
painted gloomy pictures of the prospect for ish plans to undermine Jewish industries
by dumping, indiscriminately, ruthlessly,
peace in the Middle East.
Those who are under the impression British products on Palestine's markets?
that the Jews now are suffering from a Will it be used for so-called works proj-
sudden obsession of anti-British feeling in
ects—British military works projects?
PaleStine, should read Raymond's articles
which reveal that the Arabs are even more American taxpayers are asked to loot that
violent in their opposition to British rule. bill, just as they have been footing for
Such feelings were in evidence during the many years now Ibn Saud's harem bill,
war, when the Arabs were quite openly and they have a right to ask—who will
supporting the Axis.
really get all that mazuma.
Mr. Raymond relates a conversation he
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had with an Arab waiter, from whom he
OBITUARY
learned that there is skepticism among
Sleep, fascist, forgotten under the stone
some of the Lebanese about the new Arab
. . Arturo Posnansky, author of a book
League.
"It is very beautiful to look at," the called "What Is Race?" died July 28, in
Las Pas, Bolivia.
waiter said. "But it reminds me of a rose
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bush with a snake under it."
WORST SELLER
"A snake?" I asked.
Former Congressman Ham Fish's book
"The British," he replied, and with the
thumb and forefinger of his right hand he is a putrefying piece of ham, according to
Tribune book reviewer.
pinched his left arm. "One bite of a ser- a New York Herald
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pent and you're dead."
CHOICE OF WORDS
This corresponds with the charge made
Dr. Olga Lengyel, pretty 27-year-old .
in Jewish and Christian circles in this
who says actually she has lived thousands
country, that the Arab League is the crea-
of years, has reached our shores. Dr. Leng-
tion of the British. It also supports the
yel, who saw her husband and their two
contention that the Arabs are violently
children killed by fiendish Nazis, and
anti-British.
who lived in hell for a long time, became
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known after her liberation as the Dor-
ARABS AND ZIONISTS
othy Thompson of Paris. Recently she
Mr. Raymond is not so correct, however, published a book in Paris which may be
in his pessimistic view of a violent feeling translated into English shortly, if pub-
against Zionists in Palestine. While it is lishers can print' her burning words on
true that strong anti-Jewish feeling has asbestos. "Wouldn't you like to get re-
been engendered as a result of British pol- venge for all you have been through?"
icy, among Arabs outside of Palestine, it she was asked. "No," she replied quietly.
is a matter of common knowledge among "Justice will satisfy me."
all who are well informed on true condi-
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tions in Palestine, that the Jews' neighbors WHATEVER BECAME OF
are their friends, that the Palestinian
The British Labor Party's platform on
Arabs co-operate with the Jewish settlers Palestine . . . The trial of that group of
and are anxious to see the Jewish commu- alleged seditionists . . . The recommen-
nity grow in the interest of their own dation of the Anglo-American Committee
economic safety.
of Inquiry that 100,000 Jews be admitted
It is a matter of record that Arabs not to Palestine at once . . . The effort to
only are selling arms to Jews for self-pro- make public utilities employ Jews . . .
tection, but that they have assisted Jews The Daily News' apology for O'Donnell's
in bringing visaless immigrants into the anti-Semitism . . . The fight against in-
country.
flation . . . The promise to eradicate anti-
While the British are referring deliber- Semitism in Germany . . . The settlement
ately to "illegal" Jeteish immigrants and of Jews in Santo Domingo, Australia, Bi-
have poisoned the thinking of American robidjan and points South, East, North
correspondents in Palestine to speak in and West?
similar terms, the masses of the Arabs in
Palestine have another view of the situa- STATE UNIVERSITY
tion. They know that a large Jewish popu-
We believe that some of the gentlemen
lation will strengthen their economic posi- pressing for the establishment of a New
tion and will raise their standards of liv- York State University are off the beam in
ing. in spite of contrary feelings among stressing the bias angle. There are more
the large Effendi landowners.
positive angles to stress. New York State,
Here is hoping that Mr. Raymond will because of its very size and population,
go back to Palestine—provided the British, should have a university of its own; New
after his expose of their machinations, will Yorkers desirous of studying at a univer-
admit him—and will make further study sity should not be compelled to wander
of the situation. We are confident that he all over the map of the United. States, and
then will write a new story of Arab friend- even go overseas. These are sufficiently
ship for Jews. It exists in fact, and it may compelling reasons, and once a New York
as well be made known as a matter of State University is established these dis-
record.
abilities, whatever their cause, will cease.
Heard in
The Lobbies
Strictly
Confidential
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate. Inc.
EXPLANATORY FOOTNOTE
Lt. Gen. Sir Evelyn Barker, British Com-
mander in Palestine, whose anti-Semitic
remarks about fraternization with Jews
were repudiated by his country, used to
command occupation troops in Sclhesswig
Holstein . He was removed from Ger-
many because he was too friendly with the
Nazis.
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PAINTER OF SADNESS
Max Band, one of the world's outstand-
ing contemporary painters, writes: "You
call me the painter of sadness . . . the
artist paints what he loves . . . I love the
color, light and shadow of trees, rivers and
mountains .. I love the beauty, sensual-
ity, and texture of flowers and fruit . . .
As for human beings, the oppressed, the
sad are nearest to my heart—I paint only
what I love."
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NOT FIT TO PRINT
Newspapers did not report one of the
most disgraceful anti-Jewish incidents. It
happened in Liberty, N. Y. . . . Two ex-
GIs in uniform stormed into a tavern and
administered a cruel beating to the owner,
an elderly Jew . . . While demolishing the
place they shrieked: "We'll finish the job
for Hitler . . ." The police took the two
soldiers into custody . . . Everybody in and
around Liberty tries to shrug off the inci-
dent as an unfortunate affair • . . The
press is being kept away . . . "Nothing
really happened," the Jewish friends of
the tavern ,keeper answer to all inquiries
. . . But the tavern keeper's face and body
tell a different story.
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THE FIGHT MUST GO ON
The Rev. Ben Richardson delivered a
stirring address recently before a breathless
audience at Lake Mehegan . . . When he
concluded his speech, calling upon Ameri-
ca's Christian leadership to take up the
case for persecuted European Jewry, the
men and women who surged forward to
shake his hand noticed his deadly pallor
. . . They never knew that just before
Richardson mounted the rostrum, he had
received a wire reading: "Rheubie (his
wife) in Copely Hospital critical condition
result of automobile accident" . . . Rheu-
bie Richardson is a brilliant dental re-
search worker and a militant anti-fascist
. . . Our hat is off to Ben, who knows that
the fight must go on.
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ATTENTION, MR, ATTLEE
Karl Kaufmann, Adolf Hitler's extra-
ordinary deputy in Hamburg, who is de-
tained as a war criminal in the camp of
Neuengamine (British Zone) is now giving
lectures to his co-prisoners from SS gangs
on "Nazi Race" and "Nationality Ques-
tions" . . . Kaufmann, an ordinary thug
and a Nazi of long standing, is a' notorious
murderer .. . His record shows more than
40 executions of Jewish and non-Jewish
anti-fascists Ordered by him before the
outbreak of the war . . . During the war
he multiplied this record . . , Why is this
gangster permitted to spread Nazi doc-
trine with the official sanction of the
British command?.
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RECOMMENDATION
We recommend "Pathways Through the
Bible" by Mortimer J. Cohen, with 25 two-
color illustrations and a five-color frontis-
piece by Arthur Szyk . . . The price of
$3 is a real bargain . .. Any other pub-
lisher would have charged* $6 for this
deluxe edition .. . The Jewish Publication
Society of America is rendering a great
service by making this beautiful volume
accessible to the public.
Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1946, Jewish Telegraphie
Agency, Inc.)
THE PALESTINE ISSUE
There will be a lot of fireworks
at the forthcoming World Zionist Con-
gress in November over the Palestine par-
tition plan submitted by the Jewish Agen-
cy . . . This plan was decided upon in
Paris at the executive session of the Jew-
ish Agency and was adopted by 10 votes to
one, with two abstaining , . . The sole
member who voted against the plan was
Dr. Emil Schmorak, head of the economic
department of the Jewish Agency . .. Da-
vid Ben-Gurion was one of the two ab-
stainees . . . Some of the Jewish Agency
leaders actually had tears in their eyes
when they voted for partition . However,
they declared that "the Yishuv is tired"
and under such circumstances the estab-
lishment of a Jewish State in a partitioned
Palestine seemed to be the best solution.
The American delegates at the meeting
of the Jewish Agency, including Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise, and the representatives
of the American Laborites, Mizrachi and
the Hadassah, all voted in favor of parti-
tion . . . big fight will develop in American
Zionist ranks when these delegates re-
turn to New York, since Dr. Abba Hillel
Silver and his followers are definitely op-
posed to the partition scheme decided up-
on in Paris . . . All indications point to
Truman taking into consideration Dr. Sil-
ver's opposition to this plan . The Pres-
ident apparently feels that he ought to
consider the feelings of American Jews
before pressing Britain on the Palestine is-
sue beyond the demand for the immediate
admission to Palestine of 100,000 Jews
from Europe . . . The President also be-
lieves that the partition plan involves
the establishment of commissions to es-
tablish boundaries and would result in
other delays while Jewish refugees clamor
for immediate entry to Palestine . . . At
least this is what he said at a private
dinner talk to intimate friends interested
in the Palestine question a day before he
left for vacation.
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THE AMERICAN SCENE
Jewish welfare funds will raise no less
than $150,000,000 this year . . . This is the
conclusion to which the Council of Jewish
Federations and Welfare Funds came af-
ter a careful study of the response of the
Jewish communities throughout the coun-
try to the emergency needs of 1946 . . .
More than 13.0 Spring campaigns alone
have raised over $82,000,0000 thus far,
with only 35 complete . . . The average
increase over 1945 results is a little over
145 per cent, but in many cities the in-
crease is much larger than the average .. .
In Buffalo the increase is • over 600 per
cent, in Dayton it exceeds 400 per cent,
and likewise in numerous other cities . . .
On the cultural front a terrific shortage
of Jewish teachers is reported from many
cities ... At least 64.2 pet cent of the 962
principal Jewish communities in the United
States, each having one or more congrega-
tions, will need teachers for their Jewish
weekday schools . . . The minimum number
of teachers and principals these communi-
ties will need for the coming school year
is 503 . . . The eight major teachers' sem-
inaries graduated 52 teachers in 1946 . . .
Speaking of figures, it is interesting to
note that thirty-five Jewish social service
agencies in twenty cities in the United
States are participating in the National
Retirement Plan . . . Persons covered by
this plan can withdraw their contributions
prior to retirement should they leave their
positions.
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THE ENEMY'S CAMP
Jewish organizations engaged in com-
batting anti-Semitism in this country
would do well to look into the activities of
a group which operates under the name
"International Science Committee" . . .
This group is now flooding the country,
through the U. S. mails, with post cards
repeating the forgery that Benjamin
Franklin spoke strongly against the Jews
at the Constitutional Convention of 1789
. . . In addition to falsely quoting Benja-
min Franklin, the postcard claims—with-
out giving the source—that "67 million
voters favor all persons of Jewish birth
must leave the United States no later
than Dec. 30, 1948" . . . It urges that a
national vote be taken on this question
and concludes with highly inciting anti-
Jewish allegations . . The postcards are
being mailed from Los Angeles . . . They
bear all the marks of the anti-Jewish
propaganda conducted by the Nazis against
American Jews.
The New York Herald Tribune, one of
America's leading newspapers, will exclude
advertising which is discriminatory as to
race, creed, color or national origin.