Page Two

Purely
Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

APOLOGIST FOR TERRORISTS

Last week, your Commentator rec-
ommended as must reading Ira Hirsch-
rnann's "Life Line to a Promised Land"
(a Vanguard publication). Mr. Hirsch-
mann was faced with the tragedies that
resulted from the sinking of the Struma
and Patria, and his book ended with an
excoriation of British
rule in Palestine.
Ai t h u r Koestler's
"Thieves in the
Night," published by
the Macmillan Co., is
a companion volume
to Mr. H irschmann's
Mr. Koestler
great book. It is the
most important book written on Palestine
since the problem of the upbuilding of
the Jewish National Home became aggra-
vated by betrayals and by Nazi laws
which sought to deprive Jews of the right
of settling in their ancient homeland—
promised to them again by 52 nations of
the world after World War I.
Koestler's novel has been described as
confusing, and its approval of terrorism
rightfully is arousing resentment. Never-
theless, it is an unusually strong book
which has the elements of genius in eval-
uating the positions of Jews, Arabs and
British in Palestine.
•
•
•
GAMUT OF SUFFERING
The entire gamut of Jewish suffering,
the views of the British and the Arabs,
the attitudes of a "Mah Yofis" Jewish
professor—all conflicting opinions affect-
ing the Jewish position are incorporated
in this great book.
Joseph, half-Jew half-English, is the
hero of the hook. Faced with the tragedy
of anti-Semitism, he abandoned his non-
Jewish environment to go to Palestine.
He participated in the creation 6f a Jew-
ish colony in the face of great danger,
witnessed not only growth and develop-
ment achieved by Jewish settlements at
great cost but also death and destruction
wrought by Arabs and encouraged . by
British officials. He was especially stirred
by the death of one of the pioneer girls,
("The trouble with Dina was that
she could not bear to be touched . . .
When Dina was seventeen the Nazis ar-
rested her, and kept her for six months
. .. During those six months, when they
kept trying, methodically, scientifically,
ingeniouslyr -to make her betray her
father's hideout, happened the Things to
Forget.")
The views of the major characters in
the book—Joseph, the Arab, the terror-
ist, and others—present a picture of con-
flict arising from despair and from stub-
born interference with Jewish efforts.
Here are some of the opinions:

JOSEPH: "I shall join Baunian's terror
gang. One can reach a point of humiliation
where violence is the only outlet. If I can't
bite-, my wrath will bite Into my own bowels.
That's why the whole race is ulcerated in
the bloodiest literal sense. Fifteen hundred
years of impotent anger has gnawed our
intestines .
BAUM AN, leader of the terrorists: "I
don't hate the English, but we have to force
them to take us seriously. Then they'll do
business with us. To achieve that we have to
speak the only language they understand.
The gun is the new Esperanto. Surprising how
easy it is to learn. Everybody understands
it, from Shanghai to Madrid."
SMITH, British official: "We are extreme-
ly sorry for the Jews. and it may not be ir-
relevant to point out that in aiding Jewish
refugees Great Britain has played a larger
part than any other country in Europe—or
outside Europe, if It comes to that .. . How-
ever, we cannot afford to antagonize the
Arab world for the sake of the Jews . . ."
M.ATTHEWS, American newspaperman:
"I've been down the Jordan Valley and up in
Galilee and in the Jezreel Valley and in the
Iltilah swamps. Those are some guys. They're
a new type. They've quit being Jews and be-
come Hebrews . . . I haven't seen the Arabs
producing anything worth showing off. ex-
cept cabarets and filthy postcards, from Tan-
gier to Teheran—not for the last thousand
years."
KANIEL EFFENDI. the Arab: This is
our country, you understand? We want to
live our own way and we want no foreign
teachers and no foreign money and no for-
eign habits and no smiles of condescension
and no pat on the shoulder and no arrogance
and no shameless women with wriggling but-
tocks in our holy places."
•
•
•

POWER OF ARGUMENT

These quotations do not tell the whole
story. But they lead the reader to an un-
derstanding of the power of keen analy-
sis and of complete argument without
prejudice on the entire issue.
Some Zionists may resent the frank-
ness with which some of the Arab and
British arguments are introduced. They
certainly will feel aggravated by the
frankness with which the social standards
of the Jewish settlers are explained. But
by the time the book is finished, the ar-
guments of anti-Zionists are demolished,
the oringing Jewish professor appears in
a very disgusting light and there is real-
ization that even in an ultra-free society
there is pressure upon communities from
established and accepted social standards.
Th' one point which unfortunately re-
mains', dominant is the author's approval
of teitorism. He is convincing, out of

THE JEWISH NEWS

Zionism and the Arab World

Summary of a Statement by the Jewish Agency

1. The historic rights of the Jewish people to Palestine existed long before
the Balfour Declaration and the League of Nations Palestine Mandate. The Pales-
tine Mandate, ratified by all members of the League of Nations and by the United
States, gave, however, international recognition to these rights. This was merely
an act of pure human justice in accord with the principle of self-determination and
the right to national freedom of every people, big or small.
2. The Balfour Declaration was part of a general Middle Eastern settlement
offering a great continent to the Arabs and a tiny corner to the Jews. In terms of
general equity, the Arabs were not wronged by such a disparity. To neglect their
vast estate and covet the smaller opportunity available to the Jews is an un-
liberal attitude at any time; and especially now, when the remnants of anti-
Jewish massacre have their eyes and hopes fixed upon the Jewish National Home.
3. A Jewish State in Palestine does not deprive the Arab people of their
political and international rights, which are based upon their possession of six
independent sovereignties and a generous measure of representation in diplomatic
and international organizations. The two parties are not equal in their possessions
or their needs. The Arabs are sated with national opportunity; the Jews are
grievously injured by possessing none.
4. An Arab minority in Palestine could depend upon six sovereign states
for the defense of its status and immunities. It would not, therefore, be in the
same situation as a Jewish minority in an Arab Palestine, whose elementary rights,
in the absence of Jewish sovereign power, would be unprotected and insecure.
5. All authoritative inquiries, and especially that of the Royal Commission
under Lord Peel, prove that the development of the Jewish National Home to its
fullest extent presents no threat bat the possibility of much advantage to t,he
economic prospects of the Arabs in Palestine.
6. Economic and scientific progress in Palestine would be of advantage not
only to the Palestine Arabs but to the surrounding countries, which are faced
with urgent problems arising from their need of assimilating a modern spirit and
technique.
7. The social and cultural aspirations of the Zionist Movement are not alien
in spirit to the outlook-of the modern Arab world, which is assimilating itself
rapidly to European forms.
8. The United Nations—and especially Great Britain—which have made great
effort and sacrifice to create and sustain the independence of the Arab world,
have a right and a duty to make a similar provision on a smaller scale for the
Jewish people, whose need of political independence is no less" great, whose suf-
ferings are immeasurably more acute, and whose cultural capacities are at least
as worthy of finding free expression in the shelter of a national sovereignty.

Heard in
The Lobbies

By ARNOLD LEVIN

(Copyright, 1946, Independent Jewish
Press Service. Inc.)

FOR THE RECORD
The following information is culled
from John Roy "Undercover" Carlson's
new book, "The Plotters":
John H. Hoeppel, a Californian, editor
of the native fascist National Defense,
who maintains that "the alleged (?) per-
secution of the Jews by Hitler pales into
insignificance compared with the atroci-
ties which we are committing against
men, women and children because they
are of German blood," is a former jail-
bird. An ex-Congressman, he served a
prison sentence for selling a West Point
cadetship for $1,000. A cheap punk, too.
John P. Moran, another hateist, was
"arrested January 8, 1927, on charges of
issuing a check to defraud but was re-
leased; February 24, 1930, he was arrest-
ed for embezzlement . .•. and sentenced
to one year in the Ohio Penitentiary;
Moran was disbarred as an attorney for
allegedly keeping $2,500 he collected for
a client. .

necessity, and a Zionist reading the novel
will utter sincere prayers that there will
be an early solution to the problem so
that there may be an end to the horrible
struggle necessitating force, murder and
destruction. Terrorism is not the Jewish
way, and the despair which has created
a state of terror calls for human treat-
ment.

•

•

•

Between
You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

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

DR. HERZL AND SPINOZA

- Coinciding with Jewish Book Month,
the Philosophical Library has published
two books of special interest to Jews....
One is Josef Patai's "Star Over Jordan,"
which is the biography of Dr. Herzl, the
father of political Zionism.. . . The other
is Rudolf Kayser's "Spinoza," the biog-
raphy of the great Jewish philosopher.
Born and raised in Budapest, the home
town of Dr. Herzl, the author of "Star
Over Jordan" reveals more details of
Dr. Herzl's early life than other biog-
raphers who concentrated chiefly on his
political activities.
Mr. Kayser's book on Spinoza is an
exhaustive study of the life of the great
Jewish Philosopher, his way of thinking
and the surroundings in which he lived.
. . . The ban which the synagogue im-
posed on Spinoza, his banishment from
Amsterdam which was -ordered by the
municipal council of the city, his suffer-
ings from persecution because of his
philosophy—all this is vividly described
by the author, as are the influences that
made Spinoza's idea of God clash with
the Jewish religious idea. . . . But the
author, of course, does not justify the
anathema which the Jews in Amsterdam
proclaimed against Spinoza. . . . He
points out that Spinoza's faith was like
that of his ancestors' purest monotheism,
and that no religious tradition was clos-
er to him than Judaism. . . . The book
was a preface written by Prof. Albert
Einstein' which emphasizes the fact that
although Spinoza lived 300 years before
our time, the spiritual situation with
which he had to cope resembles our
own. . . . The book brings Spinoza's
personality nearer to our present gen-
eration and will be welcomed as a sub-
stantial contribution to the literature on
the great philosopher.
•
•
•

THE AUTHOR
Mr. Koestler, recognized as one of the
world's greatest living novelists, had his
first experience in Palestine at the age
of 21. He worked with an Arab architect,
edited a weekly in Cairo and was a cor-
respondent for the Ullstein publications
in Germany. He joined the Communist
party in 1931, traveled through Asia and
Russia, settled in France in 1933 and THIS AND THAT
wrote his first novel in that year. He
The Chicago Public Library marked
covered the Spanish Civil War in 1936
for an English newspaper, was arrested Jewish Book Month by publishing a spe-
by the Fascists who condemned him to cial list of the 100 best books dealing
death on a charge of espiopage and he with Jewish subjects in all fields of lit-
lived for three months in the prisons of erature published in the last three years.
Malaga and Seville. The British Foreign
A Jewish music month will be held
Office secured his exchange for a Valen-
next year from Feb. 7 to March 6. . . .
cia government prisoner.
In 1938 he was in Paris again—this time It will be called the Jewish Music Fes-
as an anti-Communist and anti-Nazi wri- tival. . . . More than 50 national organi-
ter. He was sent to the Le Vernet de- zations, members of the National Jewish
tention camp in 1939, was released in Music Council, sponsored by the Jewish
1940 only to be detained again at Pen- Welfare Board, will assist in promoting
tonville for entering the country without the festival throughout the country. . . .
a permit. Upon his release six weeks la- The Music Council is now sponsoring a
ter he joined the British army as a pri- contest to encourage the writing of mu-
vate. He now is 41 and lives on a sheep sical works of Jewish content reflective
of the spirit of the Jewish people.
farm in North Wales.
A $1,000 prize is offered for a work of
To write "Thieves in the Night," he
spent more than a year recently in Pal- symphonic dimensions for orchestra, or
a concerto with violin, piano or cello as
estine.
His background explains why he is so solo, or a work using a solo voice, durat
resentful against British policies in Pal- tion between 15 and 30 minutes. . . . A
estine. His novel does not reveal him to second prize of $500 is offered for a
be a very warm Jew. In fact, there. is chamber orchestral work, duration be-
admission of self-hatred as a Jew. To tween 10 and 15 minutes. . . . A third
understand the novel, however, it is award of $500 is being offered for a
necessary for the reader to have the musical play suitable for performance
background we have just outlined.
by young people.

Friday, November 29, 1946

Strictly
Confidential

By PH1NEAS.J. BIRON'
Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts

Inc.

NOT INNOCENT

Many American Jews are today in the
unique position, ludicrous were it not
so tragic, of protesting the imprisonment
of a leading collaborator with the Nazi
hordes that massacred 6,000,000 of their
brethren . .. This man controlled a press
from which we quote the following: "The
movement for the restoration of man's
dignity is the movement for freeing the
world from the Jews." . . . That state-
ment appeared in the Croation "Catholic
Weekly" of May 25, 1941 . . . As supreme
head of the Catholic Church in Croatia
and Archbishop of Zagreb, the Croatian
capital, the man who controlled this press
was Aloysius Stepinac .. . In February,
1942, Stepinac became the apostolic chap-
lain of the Ustash army . . . The crimes
of the Ustashi against the Jewish people
are fully documented in the American
Jewish Yearbook, issued by the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee.
• • •
SUGGESTION
People who claim to oppose irrespons-
ible journalism should keep their own
houses clean . . . We suggest that PM,
New York's "progressive" newspaper,
take a look at their Billy Rose . . . When
we call your "political" column of Nov.
19 irresponsible, we're being nice. Bill
It isn't funny to pour fuel on American-
Soviet relations just for the sake of a
Broadway wisecrack .. . That sort of
stuff is strictly from hunger.

• • •

POLITICAL ACTION
Now that the CIO convention at Atlan-
tic City has moved towards Political Ac-
tion to make anti-Semitism illegal. tribute
should be paid to the defunct National
Committee to Combat Anti-Semitism
It is this committee, chartered a few years
ago by a small_ group which included
Joseph Brainin and Johannes Steel, which
carried on an effective campaign among
labor organizations to back a bill to out-
law Jew-baiters . . . If the CIO and the
AFL can get together on this program,
no Congress could resist them.

• • •

HAND IN HAND
Some of the gentlemen of the American
Action Incorporated must feel sick today,
after the public expose of their recent
dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel . . .
It was only a few weeks ago that the
leaders of American Action, Inc., denied
that their group is anti-Semitic. How
will they explain the featured distribu-
tion at their dinner of a pamphlet de-
manding the investigation of the Anti-
Defamation League of the Bnai Brith
Reaction and anti-Semitism go hand in
hand.

* • •

THE ZIONIST FRONT
Those who expect Rabbi Abba H. Silver
to fight Dr. Chaim Weizmann at the
forthcoming World Zionist Congress at
Basle, Switzerland, are due to be disap-
pointed . . . Silver will staunchly sup-
port the policies of the venerable leader,
but will demand complete autonomy for
the Zionist Organization of America for
political work in Washington . . . In the
meantime, former Congressman Joseph
Clark Baldwin, now in London as repre-
sentative of Peter Bergson's League for a
Free Palestine, is doing a bang-up job in
converting Members of Parliament to a
more liberal Palestine policy.
• • •

POT POURRI

Arthur Koestler, whose best-selling
"Thieves in the Night" has aroused such
a storm of controversy, will be featdred
in a new magazine that Henry Luce, pub-
lisher of Time, Life and Fortune, has
ready for the printers.
Aside to Phil Murray: A lot of people
are saying you'll accept a medal from the
British government this week . .. We're
sure your indignation at the British ter-
ror in Palestine won't permit it.
City College (of New York) mementos
of its 100-year history include a picture
of the class of 1889 . . . That tall, sallow
lad in the back row is Bernard M. Baruch.
Leonard Bernstein, well known com-
poser-conductor, will score a ballet ver-
sion of "The Dybbuk," a classic Chassidic
drama. .
Groucho Marx will be starred on a
full-hour coast-to-coast hookup..•
Roger de Koven, who toured- the
Borscht circuit with Danny Kaye in the
early thirties, is outstanding in the new
Ingrid Bergmann hit, "Joan of Lorraine."

