Histadrut Campaign Closes;
Rabbi Feinberg Will Speak
At Rally on Sunday Evening
Austria: No. 47
Haiti: No. 48
Greece: No. 49
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Malcolm W. Bingay's 'Of Me I Sing'
Bach in 1920, Managing Editor Malcolm W. Bingay (then) of
the Detroit News was our first boss. Much of what he has to say in
VIENNA, (JTA)—Austria ex- his
fascinating autobiographical story "Of Me I Sing" (published by
tended de facto • recognition to Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis) therefore has a familiar ring and
the Government of Israel, be-
is of particular interest to this reviewer.
coming the 47th nation to do so.
Some personal reminiscences were aroused
Kurt Lewin, Israeli representa-
by the reading of this book, which should be
placed on the "must" list in •preparatory
tive here, will shortly leave for
work of all cub reporters. Editors will quite
Tel Aviv to discuss the probleni
naturally and instinctively turn to Bingay's
entering Israel.
of establishing an Israeli consul-
book for guidance and pretty good advice.
Keynote speaker of the eve- Yiddish, and Rabbi Morris Adler ate in the Austrian capitaL
Bingay caused a chuckle when I read
ning will be Rabbi Abraham L. who will speak on behalf of the
his comment that "not until 1940, after 40
ATHENS (JTA)—The Govern-
Feinberg, of Holy Blossom Detroit Jewish community.
years in the business, did I arrive at a
Simon Bermanis, young Vien-. ment of - Greece extended de facto
position where I did not have to fight with -
recognition
today
to
the
state
of
office boys and reporters about their raises
nese tenor, will make his first De-
and their troubles." In 1920 it was different.
troit appearance in a program of Israel.
This Commentator then was writing most
(In Tel Aviv no official con-
Hebrew and Yiddish melodies.
of the pieces for a column, "By the Way,"
• Reports' on the campaign firmation of the Greek announce-
which was used as a regular feature on the
ment
of
the
granting
of
recog-
activities will be rendered by
last page of the Detroit News. It was one of
M. W. BINGAY
nition
to
"Tgrael
was
available.)
Harry Schumer, chairman, and
most •popular features of the paper 30 years ago. I was horrified
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The the
Sam Rabinovitz, director.
one. day to find a notice on the bulletin board that the head of my
Republic of Haiti has officially department was awarded a $5 prize for an especially good piece I
recognized Israel.
had written in that column. I rushed in on my M. E. with a com-
srael Ministry Okays
plaint and with a "request" for a raise. If I did not merit the prize
HAVANA,
(JTA)—The
Cuban'
I wrote, at least I wanted my meager salary increased. I was turned
Yiddish Conversations
Government has extended de down, for a moment forgot my love for my work—especially the joy
For Foreign PhOning
jure recognition to the state of. with which I wrote the Sy the Way" items, and quit my first job on.
Israel. Cuba granted de facto re- a metropolitan newspaper. I did not begrudge the interloper the five
bucks, but for years I regretted my hot-headedness. ,
Yiddish is one of the languages cognition to Israel in January.
*
*
*
approved for telephone conversa-
HELSINKI, (JTA) — Pull de Kosciuszko, Villard, the Guild, Etcetera
tions between Israel and other
countries, according to a cable jure recognition was given to the
One of the items I wrote for the "By. the Way" coltimn caused the
received by the Labor Zionist or- state of Israel by Finland. De Detroit News a bit of embarrassment. I wonder whether you re-
ganization of • America from 'Da- facto recognition was granted member it, Bing?
Somewhere, I had gotten the information that Thadeusz Kosci-
vid Remez, minister of communi- last June.
usko (1746-1817), the Polish hero who aided the American Revolu-
cations of the Israeli government.
tionaries:was not Polish at all, but Lithuanian. A delegation of Polish
RABBI A. L. FEINBERG
Remez's wire was in response
leaders came to Bingay to protest. (Jews aren't the only ones to
Temple in Toronto. A graduate to a cable from- Hayim Green-
protest against stories they dislike—or those that malign them—in
the daily newspapers). The Detroit News adhered to a sensible policy
of the Hebrew Union College, he berg, editor of the Jewish Front-
of refraining from placing on the spot the writer or reporter who
also studied at the Universities of ier and member of the executive
wrote what some readers considered "objectionable." The Polish
Chicago and Columbia and the of Jewish Agency, pointing to the
delegation was treated courteously and an answer in the Letters to
American Conservatory . in Fon- absence of Yiddish from the list
the Editor column ended the controversy.
All
intense,
personal
campaign.
of
approved
languages
for
tele-
tainbleau, France. He has gained
surely remembers the visit to the News of Oswald Gar-
distinction for his leadership in phone conversations with other to prevent the U. S. Military rison Bingay
Villard, then editor of the Nation, who wanted to unionize the
Government from granting free-
the Jewish community and in countries.
staffs. We were gathered at a staff meeting at which Mr.
Remez further stated that_ the dom to use Koch, the "witch of newspaper
inter-racial work.
Bingay presided. We took ,a vote by secret ballot. on the attitude of
Other speakers at the- - demons- prior list was an incomplete one Buchenwald," was launched ' in the reporters and editors. Sentiment was strong for a union, but the
tration will include Isaac Hamlin, and that no inference of any kind Detroit this week by Al Atkins, idea did not materialize. Union-minded newspaper men had to wait
national secretary of Histadrut should be drawn from the ab- a non-Jewish former Royal for the formation of the Newspaper Guild before organizing. I then
Canadian Air Force pilot who pulled one of my first blunders—by making it too bluntly evident for
campaigns, who will speak in sence of Yiddish on the list. •
spent six months as a prisoner a neophyte that I was for unionization and by acting as a teller during
at the notorious concentration the balloting. When I asked for a raise I thought the M. E. had it in
for me. I have learned since that it didn't make a bit of difference.
camp. '
To this day, Bingay disapproves of unionization of newspapermen
Atkins is speaking .before local and is not too keen on the Guild.
(Copyright, 1949. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Inc.)
group's in an effort to arouse
*
NOTE: PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, president of the American Asso=
public opinion against the libera- Devlin, Catlin, Mirick, Nancy Brown, Kelsey
ciation of English-Jewish Newspapers and editor of The Detroit
tion of Frau Koch, who was pre-
Jewish News, this week contributes this guest column for Boris
"Of Me I Sing" is an enchanting .work, full of stories which will
viously convicted on charges 'of be quoted
Smolar, author of the "Between You and Me" column, who is on
for decades to come by Detroit historians. It is replete with
barbaric treatment of prisoners, reminiscences which describe the development of this great industrial
vacation.
extending
to
the
use
of
human
Clannishness and Reason
community. For this Commentator, some of the personalities men-
Richard H. S. Crossman, brilliant Parliamentarian, leader of skin for decorative purposes in tioned in this book bring back memories of interesting early news-
paper years which grew into a labor of love.
the opposition to Ernest Bevin in the British House of Commons, her home.
friend of Israel who, some say, went to Palestine to jeer (as a mem-
He is urging his hearers to
Jim Devlin, George B. Catlin and Charles Mirick are three
ber of the Anglo-American Committee on Palestine) and came back• write to their Congressmen, de- names I'll never forget. Catlin was all Mr. Bingay says about him.
to cheer, has some interesting views on anti-Semitism • . . In this manding that Frau Koch be kept He was a great 'scholar who guided me to important works in the
country to study labor conditions and to gather material for his- in prison. Unless sufficient pres- field of history, journalism, religion, the social sciences, Zionism
fortlicoming book, he made interesting comments on anti-Semitism
and Christological interpretations of Judaic lore. He once chided
• . . Every non-Jew, he told us, has in his system the bacillus of sure is brought to bear in Wash- me gently for marking up a book by a missionary with whom I viol-
ington;
he
points
out,
she
will
be
anti-Semitism . • Approaching the issue from this point of view,
ently disagreed. When he Purchased Nahum Sokolow's "History of
he made another interesting comment: that the anti-Semites in Eng, freed on April 18.
Zionism" for the Detroit News Library, he secured a set for me
land have greater respect for Israel than for Jewry .. .
He particularly urged the at a discount.
This, in itself, might be dismissed as a personal observation of Jewish Community to write to
Catlin was devoutly religious, and his Christian loyalties and
a brilliant man who knows hoW to fight off prejudice and who re, - Washington. Jewish organizations
interests were rooted in a thorough knowledge of Jewish .history.
cognizes the value of a people's triumph against great odds • . . It wishing to hear Atkins' personal
He was a walking encyclopedia, His Jewish associates (the for-
is the conclusion of .a man who, - like his contemporaries in England,
mer Julia Wine was among him) adored him.
report
on
Buchenwald
or
to
ob-
has witnessed the rise of prejudice against an entire people and
The late CharleS Mirick never failed to give me a by-line and an
has seen bias evaporate against a portion of- the same people who tain further details on this pro.-
have succeeded in building a statein the face of antagonism in ject may contact him at 15653 eight-column streamer headline for my stories for .his church page. a
It did not matter whether it was on Tisha b'Ab or Theodor Herzl or
which his own government' has played a rather unsavory role .
Crescentwood, East Detroit.
Zionist convention or Dr. A. M. Hershman's anniversary. He always
But there is much more to the story . . . Mrs. Crossman, too,
give my articles preferred positions. He, more than any other man,
made a comment: that she was disappointed to find American -Jews
gave me the encouragement I needed at that time, when I had just
in a clannish state, fraternizing only with Jews . .
come off the desk of the (U. of) Michigan Daily and came here as a
We have heard the charge of clannishness so .often; .
even
total stranger. James L. Devlin, still the favorite among newspaper-
while backing . . . and financing- . . brotherhood and good will
men in the Federal Building, continued that policy when he suc-
movements ... But some of us who know the background of Ameri-
ceeded to the church editorship upon the death of Mr. Mirick. Catlin,
can-Jewish relations, are in a position to offer some sort of ex-
LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y., (Pal- Mirick and Devlin did more for me than all the professors at the
planation .. .
cor)—Israel's admission to the
If only we could induce the Crossmans to take time out to read United Nations drew- one step University of Michigan combined.
I was happy to note the complimentary reference in Bingay's
the late Heywood Broun's famous book, "Christians Only." . .
Perhaps it would solve their problem .. . Because they seemed to nearer as the Security Council book to Bill (W. K.) Kelsey, who, to my mind, remains the ablest of
be puzzled by conditions . . . Mr. Broun -Made one very important forwarded its recommendation all Detroit newspapermen. (When will you write your book, Bill?)
point in his book—that there is such a thing as "five o'clock anti- for admission to Dr. Herbert V. - Bingay's story about Nancy Brown (Mrs. James E. Leslie) and the
Semitism" ... Even where Jews and non-Jews mingle well in busi- Evatt, of Australia, president of column he established for her under the title "Experience" is well
ness, in banking, on Wall Street (what an exaggeration!), in schools, the General Assembly. Prompt, known to me. I recall the objections to this type of column among
their fraternization seems to end at five o'clock, when the offices favorable action is expected on the staff members. Bingay knew better. He not only created one of
and stock exchanges and shops and schools close and pebple disperse the Israeli membership bid when the most popular columns in America but showed his inherent sense
to their homes . Then _non-Jew§ stop befriending their Jewish the Assembly convenes at Flush- of kindness to a person he could help and befriend. One had to know
Mrs. Leslie—as I did—to - appreciate all the good things said about
colleagues . . . There is a breach somewhere that is pathetic and
her in "Of Me I Sing." -
tragic . . . And perhaps the Jew is just as rigid bn that score . . but ing Meadows, next month.
The Security Council approved
I was interested in the reference to my neighbor, Harry LeDuc,
it is far from being a one-sided clannish business . It is double-
Israel's membership application - whom Bingay calls "one of our smartest reporters," to whom was
edged . . . and the non-Jews maybe the guiltier.. . .
The person in the majority usually is the guiltier . . and we by a vote of 9 to 1 with a single assigned the task of exposing the Dr. Albert _Abrams hoax. There
make that observation from numerous personal experiences . . . We abstention—Great Britain. A two is mention of Adolph Sloman, well known in the Jewish community,
have had a long career with Christian Palestine Committees, with thirds vote of the General Assem- who offered his services free to the Detroit News as an adviser on
Round Tables, with men and women on the interfaith and inter- bly is required to make Israel a legal matters to Mrs. Leslie and her staff. Of course, Bingay does not
racial scenes . . Jews have rendered yeoman services on many member of the UN. If she is ad- fail to speak of the Coughlin incident in which he and the paper he
now is associated with-r-the Detroit Free Press—became deeply
fronts, but the moment a meeting ends, a job is done, each turns to
his own . . . What a pity that clannishness should exist! . .. But mitted, Israel will be the 59th involved.
*
*
*
member
nation.
what a pity, Mrs. Crossman, that all should be guilty, and not the
Bingay's Tribute +O. Harry B. Keidan
Jew alone- . . . If only the. non-Jew would extend his friendly hand
to his brother of the. Jewish faith and the Israeli kinship!
It would take more than a column to say all I would like in
_
commendation of Bingay's book. Since there are limitations, this
A Good Ben Gurion Story
reviewer must content himself with one more quotation: Bingay's
In this" connection, -a good Ben Gurion story is worth telling
reference to the late Judge Harry B. Keidan. Writ-
. . . There are many stories about -Israeli Prime Minister David Ben
ing of him as a "brilliant jurist and best loved of all
Gurion, but this-one has the bestflavor of all :. The 'latest anecdote
Delegates • from 15 Michigan
is about a class: in one Of Israel's. universities, inAh.e.year 2001 .. . communities will attend - a Special our Jewish citizens," he states: "To me he was
always 'Nathan the Wise'; a devout, Orthodox re-
Someone mentioned the name Hitler and the class was puzzled . .
"Never heard of him," said students and faculty alike . . . But one bOard meeting of the Michigan ligionist with a wisdom older than the pyramids
Zionist
Region
at
the
Pantlind
researcher insisted that such a person existed, and it was said that
and a capacity for understanding and self-effaeeMent
he was worse than Haman . . . The wisest of all members of the Hotel in Grand Rapids Sunday, that bordered on the thaumaturgic."
faculty was called in for a check-up on the claim, and he asked for March 27, beginning With a
"Of Me I Sing" reveals Bingay's, better nature
time to look into the matter ... He returned after an hour's search luncheon at 12 noon.
than the rough part we knew in our cub reporter
with the report . "Yes, there was such a man, and. he was the
The agenda will- include the days. The book is ancedotal as well as factual,
world's worst tyrant . . The best information we can get about planning of the second annual brilliantly written, certain to keep every reader
him is that he lived in the era of Ben Gurion!"
glued to the book until the very "last add Bingay."
So, we say to the Crossnians, that the name Crossman will be conference of t h e Michigan That's
the way I found it; don't you fail to read it. H. B. Keidan
remembered and Hitler will be forgotten . . . What a lesson this Zionist Region, which is sche-
story should hold forth . for the anti-Semites whom, : the .triumphs duled for Saturday. ancl Sunday, .
Apri l 28" .and 24.
? THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 25, 1949
of Je.W.4.7P,J-4VP...1:nPP-.st Israel
More than 2,000, contributors and workers - for the 1949
Detroit Histadrut -(Geverkshaften) Campaign are expected to
attend the formal closing of the campaign Sunday night at
Music Hall. They will demonstrate their support of the Hista-
drut and pledge their all-out efforts to ensure the continued
immigration and rehabilitation of the thousands of newcomers
I
Detroiter Leads
Campaign Against
Ilse Koch Release
Between You and Me
Prompt UN Action
Seen for. Israel
Regional
t
Board to Convene
—