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Israel's Economic Problem

John Foster Dulles, leader of the U. S.
delegation to the United Nations, told Abba
S. Eban, Chief of the Israeli Mission to -the
UN, before leaving Paris, that "the existence
of a free and independent Israel was the
premise of U. S. policy in the Middle East."
This is accepted as renewal of assurances of
early de jure recognition of Israel by the
United States and of the extension of econ-
omic relations between the two countries.
Israel's recognition by Canada, the im-
pending similar action by Australia, New
Zealand and other states and the progress
that is being made by the Jewish Sate on
the • political, economic and military fronts,
provide great encouragement to all who hope
for an end to the problem of Jewish home-
lessness and for triumph for the reborn State
of Israel.
There remain, however, many intermin-
able issues which have been handed down
to us as problems from the British manda-
tory power. By supplying arms to Egypt,
Iraq and Transpordania, Great Britain alone
is responsible for the continuation of the war
in Palestine. The encouragement given to
the Arab aggressor nations by the British has
interferred with the implementation of the
When Israel was fighting for life, the reborn Jewish
UN truce orders and has deferred peace ne-
State. gathered its major strength from the cooperative forces
gotiations between Jews and Arabs.
of Jewish labor. The disciplined ranks of Histadrut made it
possible for the fields to be harvested while the workers
Particularly -shocking is the manner in
divided their energieS between productive pursuits necessary -
which Great Britain treats her financial obli-
gations to the Jews in Israel. A serious prob- . for the life of the people and the defense fronts which became
equally necessary for existence because of the aggression of
lem has been created for Israel by the refusal
of the British government to redeem Pales- invading armies and. the vacillation of the United Nations.
The story of Histadrut, told in a special section in this
tine,bonds issued in the last few years in the
issue of The Jewish News, is one of the most thrilling chapters
value of approximately $40,000,000. These
in Jewish history. It is the record of devotion to an ideal, of
bonds are held by small investors who pur-
a people's determination to perpetuate the principles of so-
chased the debentures as a means of effect-
ing savings. The Jewish Agency had encour- cial justice which are our heritage from the Phophets, of a
aged Palestinian Jews to purchase these will to live that has defied injustice and persecution.
bonds on the strength of the mandatory pow-
Without Histadrut Israel could not have triumphed. The
er's promise to earmark the proceeds for spirit which was instilled in the entire- Yishuv by the co-
Jewish projects. Now, the British appear to operative policies of the labor colonies has dominated and
be showing no desire either to meet interest
inspired the People Israel to make the State of Israel a
payments or to redeem the bonds. A JTA reality.
cable from Tel Aviv describes the problem
Detroit's annual campaign f'or the Histadrut commences
of the small investors as follows:
Sunday evening at a rally which traditionally draws over,
Some of the small investors have given up
flow audiences. Histadrut's forces in Detroit have grown
hope of recovering their money and are sell-
from strength to strength. From an initial community gift of
ing the bonds at almost any price to specu-
$2,500, 15 years ago, Histadrut last year advanced its strength
lators. Some of the buyers are acting in
to an income of $278,000. Encouraged by such growth, the
behalf of a group of local financiers, who
intend to take legal action on the issue in
local forces now are asking Detroit Jews for $375,000 in
British courts. A number of the bond-holders
1949. Judged by past performances, it is our conviction that
proposed that the Israeli Government assume
this sum will be raised—primarily because Histadrut has
the old mandatory bonds by accepting them
earned such support. It is sincerely to be hoped that the re-
as part payment in various Israeli war loans,
but the Cabinet rejected the suggestion. The
quired sum will be secured speedily, as a tribute to labor,
Cabinet is prepared, however, to make official
the builders of Israel.
representations to the British Government,

Histadrut--Israel's Bulwark

in conjunction with other financial claims
Israel has against Britain.
The Israeli Government, furthermore, has
forbidden local businessmen to negotiate in-
dependently with the British concerning the
payment of trade accounts in these bonds.
The Cabinet here does not wish individuals
to reach financial settlements on these bonds
to the possible detriment of less fortunate in-
vestors. The Governmenthas promised to
treat the bonds as of equal importance with
the question of Israeli's holdings of Palestine
pounds and plans to arrange for a general
registration of all holders of bonds issued by
the mandatory.

Thus, Israel's major problems remain as
an inheritance from a government which was
to have been our honored partner in the re-
vival of Jewish statehood and in the settle-
ment of hundreds of thousands of displaced,
dispossessed and homeless Jews in their an-
cient homeland. With due credit to Great
Britain for having given modern Israel her
start through the Balfour Declaration, the
record will prove that nearly everything that
has been achieved is the result of Jewish
effort. The battle for economic independence
from the obstatles placed in Israel's path is
far from over. Perhaps the UN will yet act
not only to end perfidy but also to compel
the former mandatory power to honor her
obligations to investors in her debentures.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent Jewish
Press Service. Seven Arts Feature Syndicate. Palen!
Agency, King Features. Central Press Association.
. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg.. Detroit 26. Mich.. WO 5-1155
Subscription. $3 a year: foreign. $4.
Entered as second-class matter Aug 6. 1942. at Post Of-
nee. Detroit, Mich.. under Act of March 3 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor

VOL. XIV—No. 17

Page 4

January 7, 1949

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
_
This Sabbath, the eighth day of Tebet, 5709, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in our

synagogues:

Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 44:18-47:27.
Prophetical portion—Ezek. 47:15-28.

Fast of Tebet Scriptural Sleetions to be
Read at Services Tuesday
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 32:11-14; 34:140.
Prophetical portion—Is. 55:6-56:8.

Pro-Nazi Egypt—Threat to Peace

Egypt, beaten on the Negev battlefields, apparently re-
mains under the influence of the former Mufti Haj Amin el
Husseini, in spite of the selection by King Abdullah of a new
Jerusalem Mufti, Sheikh Hussan Meddin Jaralla, the former
chief justice of Palestine's Moslem religious courts. Flouting
the authority of United Nation's observers, Egypt periodically
forces the renewal of warfare with Israel.
While it has been established that Israel's warriors do
not fear the consequences of new battles with' the Egyptions,
- it is becoming daily more evident that the flouting - of inter-
national decisions by the Arabs is a matter for consideration
by the nations of the world. Egypt is a menace to world
peace and her background of pro-Nazi activities should serve
as a warning to the world at large. Only recently, it was re-
vealed that the U. S. State Department has in its possession
a document, taken from secret Nazi archives, showing that
King Farouk had supported the Axis. The expose was in the
form of a report, entitled, "The Record of Collaboration of
King Farouk of Egypt with the Nazis and Their Ally, the
Mufti," and was signed by Hitler's emissary, Ettel. Farouk
had authorized giving the Nazi High Command valuable
military information and on July 28, 1942, sent two Egyptian
military planes with military maps and information to Field
Marshal Rommel. The full text of the Ettel report reads:

"Secret Reich Matter

March 24, 1943.
"The confidential agent who transmitted a message from
the Reich to King Farouk has, in the meantime, returned from
Egypt. During his stay he had two lengthy conversations with
King Farouk. In these conversations the King gratefully ack-
nowledged the security measures which the Reich had taken
for his person and the manner in which this delicate question
had been handled. King Farouk instructed the confidential
agent to convey the King's gratitude to the Foreign Minister of
the Reich.
"The King also informed the confidential agent that, as in
the past, he was still hoping for an Axis victory. Specifically,
the King declared that the rumours which were being circulated
about a rapprochment between him and the democracies were
nothing else but a matter of political expediency and shrewd-
ness, necessary for the then prevailing circumstances.
"Finally, the King instructed the confidential agent to con-
vey his best wishes to the Mufti of Jerusalem and to all those
who work with him for the success and the victory of the Axis.
"Submitted to the Foreign Minister of the Reich.
"(Signed) Ettel."

Here is proof of the Farouk-Nazi tie-up. The pro-Hitler
ideology continues to dominate Egypt and is reflected in the
renewed battles with Israel. The menace to the peace of the

Middle East emanates from Egypt. It is an international
responsibility to check this menace, even if Great Britain
chooses to become a partner in crime.

Sholom Aleichern's 'Tevye'

d•
Great Yid ish Humorist s
Tales Published-in English

Frances Butwin has emerged as one of Ameri-
ca's chief authorities on the works of the greatest
Yiddish humorist, the late Sholom Aleichem.
Melech Grafstein Hof, London, Ontario, and Maurice
Samuel - have produced significant books on Sho-
lom Aleichem. About three years ago, Mrs. But-
win, in collaboration (with ,:; •
her husband, the late
Julius Butwin published
a volume of Sholom
Aleichem stories that at-
tracted wide attention. It
was published under the
title "The Old Country"
and earned commenda-
tions from non-Jewish as
well as Jewish review-
ers.
Mrs. Butwin fortun-
ately has . not stopped
working on the Sholom
Aleichem theme. Her
newest book, "Tevye's
Daughters by Sholom
Aleichem," like "The Old
Country" produced by
Crown Publishers (419
Sholom Aleichem
Fourth Ave., New York
16), is a magnificent addition to the library on and
about the Yiddish wit and humorist.
The theme of the book is well known to many
Jews. It is the story of Tevye the Dairyman ("der
Milchiger"), who was blessed with seven daugh-
ters—no sons—whose laughter mixed with' their
own and his tears. Jewish traditions, the relation-
ship of Jews with their Christian neighbors, the
force of environment upon Jewish living and num-
erous other problems are reflected in the Tevye
stories. The Tevye tales reveal Sholom Aleichem•
at his best and Mrs. Butwin has rendered an im-
portant service by making this book available in
her excellent translation.
Enhancing- the book are several other short
stories, including "The Littlelest of Kings," the
famous "If I Were Rothschild," "The German" and
numerous other fascinating tales. A splendid glos-
sary is appended to the work to help the readers
understand the Yiddish and Hebrew terms.
"Tevye's Daughters" will be talked about for
many months and will be reviewed before scores
of organizations. It should have an unusually
large circulation, having earned it by its genuine
qualities. Once again, Sholom Aleichern rightfully
is in the limelight through the publication of a
great series of stories in a good translation.

Epic of Harry and Eddie

Truman and Jacobson:
An American Partnership

By DAVID SCHWARTZ

The scene the other week at which President
Truman was a guest at a dinner honoring Eddie
Jacobson of Kansas City reflected something which
could only have happened in the Unitediitates.
Eddie and Harry had been business partners
together. They had been haberdashers. Just plain
haberdashers. One of them had risen to be Presi :-
dent of the United States. He had not aspired to
greatness. It had been thrust on him. It was like
the Biblical story of Saul, who had gone looking
for his cattle and had been chosen king. Such
things, I believe, happen more often in America,
and America is the more beautiful for it.
But there is another part of the picture.
Eddie and Harry are Jewish and non-Jewish,
respectively. But that seems to make no dif-
terence to them. There are many anti-Semites
who would try to make you believe that the
chasm between. Jew and non-Jew is an im-
passable one, that the . two cannot live to-
gether, much less work together. Yet' Eddie
and Harry went into business -together. In a
business partnership, mutual trust must be
at its highest. Business partners must trust
each other as a man confides in his wife, yet
non-Jewish Harry and Jewish Eddie formed
such a business' partnership.
Then along comes the first World War and
Eddie and Harry close- their shirt business and go
to war together. They are "buddies" in war as
they were partners in business.
They return from war and the fates finally part
them. Harry has had enough of the shirt business.
They hadn't fared so well in it and he gets tangled
up in politics and lands in the White House. Eddie
goes back to selling shirts. But Harry and Eddie
remain firm friends. During the recent campaign,
when so many fair weather friends were deserting
Harry, Eddie ,clings all the stronger to his former
partner.
When the story is fully told, it will be found
that during the Weizmann interview in the White
House, Eddie Jacobson was the intermediary.
If Harry was a haberdasher who became Presi •
dent, it was no more unusual than the case of
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincorn. John-
son was a tailor and, they said, a very good one.
And if President Truman, and Eddie Jacob-
son, have been buddies in peace and war, well,
there is something of an analogous situation
_ in the relationship of Abraham Lincoln and
Abraham Jonas. Compared to Abraham Lin-
coln, Abraham Jonas was an obscure figure,
yet the two Abrahams were warm friends.
The two Abrahams both come up to Illinois
from Kentucky. Abraham Jonas was the
grandmaster -of the Masonic lodge of the state
of Illinois. It is said that he and his non-
Jewish lawyer partner, Asbury, were the first
to suggest Lincoln as a Presidential possibil-
ity. When Lincoln came to Quincy, where
Jonas lived, he always made his headquarters
at the law offices of Jonas and Asbury, and
Jonas presided at one of the famous Lincoln-
Douglas debates.
The children of Jonas remained in the south
when their father moved - north, and served in the
Confederate army. - Abraham Lincoln's last rela-
tionship with Abraham Jonas was to order the
release of one of the Jonas boys who had been
taken prisoner by the Union forces, in order that
he might visit his father who was dying. .

-

(Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)