Crossroad in Palestine

Purely
Commentary

By BARTLEY C. CRUM

American Member of Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry
Excerpts from an Article in the Current Issue of Collier's

I sought to get a clarification of the British point of view on Palestine from
Harold Beeley, a member of the British Foreign Office who had been assigned to
the Committee as a Near East expert. The Palestine issue, Beeley, said, must be
seen in the framework of strong Soviet expansionism. The Russians planned to
move down into the Middle East. The United States, therefore, would do well to
join Britain in establishing a cordon sanitaire of Arab states. If Palestine were de-
clared an Arab state, it would be a strong link in this chain.
Beeley was frankly pro-Arab. He had tremendous influence with the British
committee members.
I may say that I never dreamed that when we finally produced our report urg-
ing that 100,000 Jewish displaced persons from Europe be permitted to enter Pal-
estine immediately, our entire report would be discarded by Mr Bevin and Mr.
Attlee. Here, after all, were the unanimous recommendations of a joint commission
of investigation representing two great nations and set up at the invitation of the
British government.
Yet, I suppose I should have suspected that there was more truth than fiction
in Beeley's casual observation toward the end of our stay in Lausanne, Switzer-
land, where we wrote our report. He made it with a twinkle in his eye—an off-
hand remark—"Well, after all, we certainly won't implement any such program
as this."
And I remember Sir John Singleton's repeated warning with a hesitant cough
and clearing of throat, "You know, Crum, these are only recommendations."
Yes, they were only recommendations, but they were made in good faith and
in the belief that governments base their acts on decency and morality. Our Com-
mittee had gone through the crowded displaced persons' camps in Germany, Aus-
tria and Italy. We had seen the unspeakable conditions in Poland. We had heard
the testimony of competent Jewish, Christian and Arab witnesses. We had studied
Arab-Jewish relationships on the spot in Palestine, and had realized that the
political conflicts on high levels did not affect the relations between the men on
the street.
We had conferred with British military authorities in Cairo and in Jerusalem,
and we had been assured that it was feasible to allow 100,000 Jewish refugees into
Palestine, that the repercussions likely on the part of the Arab world were highly
exaggerated and no great trouble was anticipated; and it was our unanimous
opinion that it would be consonant both with human decency and the best interests
of the peoples of all the Middle East to make the recommendations. Our report was
filed with President Truman, who endorsed it. He said there was no reason for
the British to delay further the issuance of these 100,000 certificates.
Every newspaper reader knows the bitterness and disorder that have followed.
Unrest in Palestine is part of the troubled pattern of the entire Middle East, and it
is our own interest as a nation to work out a democratic policy which will keep that
area from being a springboard to new wars.
I am convinced that the free development of the Jewish community of Pales-
tine is the key to the democratization of the Middle East. We must support that
program whose wider implications were first seen by the great statesmen who
framed the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate for Palestine. If Britain now does
not have the vision, the strength, to take the path to tomorrow rather than that to
yesterday, we must point the way for her. She needs our help. Her burdens are
many. For our own protection and hers, we must contribute our thought and our
energy to that end.

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

A GAME WITH JEWISH LIVES

One day, a headline in newspaper ad-
vertisements proclaimed that "Nobody
Brings Jews Into Palestine." This was
signed by the Political Action Com-
mittee for Palestine. The next day ad-
vertisements, including one in a De-
troit, daily, made the conflicting claim
that "More Ships Are Coming . . . Do
It Again . . . and Again . . . and Again!"
The latter was sponsored by the League
for Labor Palestine.
All such propaganda is the work of
organizations that filiaction outside the
sphere of Zionism. While Haganah,
operating with the encouragement of
the official Zionist bodies, has been
bringing boats into Palestine —some
having evaded the British blockade
while others were intercepted — all
of whose passengers eventually are
admitted to Palestine—we have wit-
nessed interference which has .con-
fused the minds of Jews and non-Jews
alike and has proven harmful to discip-
line in the great humanitarian work
of the Zionist cause.
The Political Actions Committee has
a novel scheme: a proposal to transport
Jews to Palestine by planes, the intention
being to unload them by parachutes. At
the same time, the Free Palestine League
—the movement headed by Peter Berg-
son and receiving the encouragement of
men like Johann Smertenko—are giving
the impresOon that they have done and
are doing the bulk of rescue work.
Using numerous organizational names
to suit its purpose, the Bergson-Smer-
tenko organization is seeking member-
ships and funds, ignoring the existence
of the organized Jewish communities
which are laboring to build a strong
Jewish community in Palestine. De-
troit was the latest community to be
invaded by Smertenko. Fortunately, De-
troit Jews gave him the proper answer.
His meeting was a failure, apparently;
in spite of the newspaper and mail ad-
vertising, the response was limited, and
Zionist spokesmen knew the answer to
numerous questions that were raised here.
We doubt whether Smertenko
reached out very far in his attacks
upon Zionist leadership. His appear-
ance here was marked by infamy. It is
good to know-that several spokesmen
for the labor Zionist movement knew
how to call his bluff when he under-
took to berate the entire Zionist and
Jewish Agency leadership and to ac-
cuse responsible Jews of having con-
spired against Jewish interests with the
British government.
Smertenko's introduction of the Berg-
son philosophy that there are religious
Jews in the United States, France, Eng-
land and elsewhere who have no right
to act in behalf of Palestine and the
Zionist cause, and that only they, who
claim to be nationalistic Hebrews, have
the authority either to conduct such
activities or to proclaim a Jewish State
in Exile, would be a laughable matter
if it were not such a confusing bit of
demoniacal trickery.
The arrival in Palestine two weeks
ago of the Ben Hecht boat gave the Berg-
son-Smertenko group an opportunity to
claim that they have rescued Jews whom
they transported to Palestine. At his
meetings here Smertenko admitted that
his group has done less than a fourth
of the rescue work sponsored by Ha-
ganah. Actually, he has failed to supply
names of other boats that were financed
by his group.

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

By ARNOLD LEVIN

(Copyright. 1947, Seven Arts)

(Copyright. 1947. Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)

• • •

News from Jesse Zel Lurie, whose ex-
pose of the Bergson-Hecht group defin-
itely places responsibility for befuddling
Zionist issues where it belongs: on the
shoulders of the so-call Free Palestine
League.

In truth, Jews everywhere ought to
recognize the fallacy of unity-splitting
efforts on the part of organizations
that stand outside the organized Jewish
community and seek to promote wild
• schemes which do no good either in
the immigrant-transporting programs
or on the political front.
The Jews of America must recognize
that we can not afford division of our
ranks. Politically, our efforts in behalf
of Palestine must be left in the hands
of the Jewish Agency. The financial ends
belong to the United Palestine Appeal,
through the United Jewish Appeal. Only
by working together, in the presenta-
tion of our case to the nations of the
world and in our fund-raising, do we
have any sort of a chance to ,,win our
case. If we are to encourage any other
course, we shall be giving comfort to

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Between
You and, Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1947, Jewish Telegraph' -
Agency, Inc.)

POLITICAL TRENDS:

A new line of political action is be-
ing considered by Zionist leaders in
the United States . . . It is based on the
U. S. determination to actively assist
Greece and Turkey and to establish a
firmer American grip in the Mediter-
ranean . . . Since this signifies direct
American participation in the Mediter-
ranean zone, Zionist leaders feel that
there is no reason any longer why the
U.S. should not take a leading part in
the Palestine question, beyond the stand-
ing request of President Truman for the
admission of 100,000 Jews . . . Up to now,
the U.S. claimed that it could influence
the Palestine situation only from the
outside . . . But now that it is taking
over in Greece and Turkey and discuss-
ing the establishment of an Anglo-Ameri-
can base in Libya, the U.S. government
is no longer an "outsider" in the Near
and Middle East . . . And Palestine is
certainly an important point in that part
of the world.
Secretary of State Marshall, prior to
leaving for the Moscow Conference,
suggested t h a t State Department
officials meet in a group from time
to time with one of the American
Zionist leaders to secure his views
on Palestine developments . . . The
first such meeting took place recently,
with Dr. Emanuel Neumann outlining
Agency
the 'attitude of the Jewish
toward various aspects of the Pales-
tine situation . . . Secretary Marshall
also met with Moshe Shertok prior
to leaving for Moscow.
The FBI raid on the Arab office
Washington had nothing to do with th-
anti-Zionist propaganda which the office
is conducting. The FBI was interes •
in discovering certain connections whi
some persons in the Arab Office are -
leged to maintain. but which have no
ing to do with Palestine.

•

•

•

EDUCATIONAL NOTES
There are now about 200.000 Jew
students in American universities .
colleges . . . This is about twice t.
number that attended schools of highe
education before the outbreak of th -
war . . . The increase is due to the fa
that the G.I. Bill of Rights enables war
veterans to study in accredited colleges
. . . While more than fifty American
poor
universities and colleges have
records with regard to accepting Jewish
students, there are about twenty which
have a commendable record . . . Thes
include Boston University, Brooklyn Col
lege, -Brown University, City College o
New York, Hunter College, Universit
of Illinois, University of Michigan, New
York University, University of Penn-
sylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Rut-
gers College, New School. for Social Re-
search and Cooper Union.
The number of all-day Jewish schools
is constantly increasing in the United
States . . . At present there are 55 such
schools in New York City . . . Of them,
46 are elementary schools with about
8,000 pupils and nine high schools with
about 1,700 students . . . Baltimore has
four Jewish parochial schools ... Boston,
Philadelphia and Chicago have three all-
day schools each . . . Newark and De-
troit each have two schools . . . Then
there are ten other cities having one
parochial school . . . They are Minneap-
olis, Bridgeport, Cleveland, Los Angeles,
St. Louis, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Cin-
cinnati, Paterson and New Haven . . .
The total enrollment in all the paro-
chial schools throughout the country is
12,235 this year as compared with about
10,000 last year . . . Most of the children
in N. Y. Jewish parochial schools bene-
fit from the National School Lunch Pro-
gram which was placed on a permanent
basis by an act of Congress in June 1946,
but which is now threatend by the Con-
gressional "economy drive" . . . In New
York State this program is administered
by the. State Education Department . . —
The Jewish Education Committee of New
York acts as intermediary between the
Jewish all-day schools and the State
Education Department . . . The total
State subsidy for this purpose to the
Jewish day schools during the past year
amounted to over $75,000.

MUSIC
Lauritz Melchior, the opera star, sang
for a New York . Yeshiva last week, and
got a fee of $1,500. Five hundred dollars
he immediately gave back to the Yeshiva,
and $1,000 he sent to one of his favorite
charities, a Jewish Home for Aged near
Los Angeles in which Mrs. Louis B.
Mayer is interested. On his key chain
Melchior carries a little mezuzah in gold
with an inlaid Mogen David in rubies
and diamonds. It is a present from the
rabbi of the Home for the Aged. Melchior
says he is not superstitious, but he knows
SCOOP
that he has been saved from fatal acci-
Hebrew Committee of National Liber- dents twice since he put the mezuzah on
ation (Peter Bergson group) will an- his key chain.
nounce in the near future that it has
• • •
established a Provisional Hebrew Gov-
ernment for Palestine . . . The "Govern- PUBLIC DEFENDER
In an article in Pageant, a monthly,
ment" will function with headquarters
in Switzerland and will issue "visas" for Eugene Lyons, one time pro-Soviet en-
Palestine. . . . One of the many dangers thusiast and now an anti-Soviet crusader,
that will result from this move is the has come to the defense of Jewry against
racketeering that will be done with those the charge that Jews are communists.
visas. Poor DPs looking for liber- Frankly, we are not particularly happy
ation will be easy victims, and strip about his defense, which follows the
themselves for official looking papers fashion of "the Jews are not capitalists,
the Jews are not agnostics, the Jews
that will at best land them in Cyprus.
don't throw paper on the beach and bana-
nas on the sidewalk" and similar effete
POT POURRI
B. Z. Goldberg, of the Yiddish Day, and humiliating apologia. The Jew has
just returned safely from an exiciting as much right as his neighbor to be a
trip that took him to the USSR, Palestine communist or an anti-communist. Just as
and most of Europe. . . . So the other we would take no special pride in listing
day he slipped in front of his New York the Jews who are communists, we take
no special pride in Mr. Lyon's listing of
home and broke his right arm.
Tyron Guthrie, noted English director, Jews actively engaged in fighting com-
is working for the Habimah Palestine munism.
Among the Jews in the anti-com-
theater group.
Lauritz Melchior, Metropolitan Opera munist crusade, Mr. Lyons lists himself,
star, refers to the mezuzah he wears as a George E. Sokolsky (who is listed
'touch of God's little finger" ... Melchior, by Lawrence Dennis, America's Alfred
Danish and a Lutheran, sang for the resi- Rosenberg, as a "white Jew"), Benjamin
dents of a Jewish. Home for the Aged in Stolberg (who has wandered from Stal-
his section of Los Angeles. . . . He was inism to Trotskyism and further right,
made an "honorary Jew" and presented but never has managed to wander to the
with the mezuzah in a gesture of appre- cause of his own people, the Jews), Louis
Fischer (whose statements about Jewish
ciation.
•
• •
Palestine haVe not been too helpful to
Zionism), Sidney Hook (who only recent-
MUSICAL NOTES
Record collectors will welcome RCA" ly has begun to identify himself, through
Victor's new release of "Monlight Son- the American Jewish Committee, with
ata", which features an irresistible com- JeWish causes, and Simon Strunsky
bination—Beethoven's classic piano com- (New York Times' editorialist) whose
position played by Vladimir Horowitz ... apologia for the Jews is predicated on the
Horowitz plays with marked restraint in principle that Jews should deny respons- issue to the wholesome Jew, then it is to
the first two movements achieving a ibility for anything constructive, includ- the wholesome non-Jew. Lyons and his "
quality of exquisite lyricism and supreme ing the introduction of decidedly non- ilk are obsessed by communism. The aye- -
delicacy.. .. In the concluding movement communist genius Dostoievsky to Amer- rage Jew bears no guilt on the subject,
where forbidding arpeggios and great ican literature, the establishment of the and would be grateful to Jewish anti- -
masses of chords constitute a challenge New York garment center, etc. Mr. communists as well as to communists if
to every pianist, Horowitz works a mir- Lyons and his ilk embarassed us at one they would just leave us alone. Mr.
acle.. . . In his hands the music emerges time, with their pro-Sovietism, -and em- Lyons, Jews as a group have nothing to
as a jewel with innumerable facets of barass us now with their anti-Soviet apologize for and nothing to explain '
.Ao;
,.3„wAyl
,dazzling light,,„ ,„,.
■ srusading._, con- v:941*m

• • •

We call the attention of our readers

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Heard in
The Lobbies

FLASH
The next important exposure of a
fascist organization, which will over-
shadow the stuff dug up on the Georgia
Columbians, will be the forthcoming un-
veiling of the activities of the Democra-
tic Nationalist Party. . . D. N. P. has
important names on its sponsor list. .. .
A number of politicians from Minnesota
who had the effrontery to play a liberal
make-believe role will be involved.

to a letter in this issue of The Jewish

Our. enemies— —

Friday, March 21, 1947

THE JEWISH NEWS

Page Two

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