As the Editor
N'iews the News .
•
Resurgent Nazism
Brig. Gen. Telford Taylor, chief U. S.
Army prosecutor at the Nuremberg war
crimes trials, has admitted that the pro-
gram of denazification in Germany has fail-
ed. In his report to the Secretary of the
Army that "an alarming resurgence of
authoritarianism" is in evidence in Germany
is a warning that German war criminals
may escape punishment for their brutalities.
While it is encouraging to know that at •
least one man takes the matter of war
crimes seriously, there are so many indica-
tions of a revival of Nazi ideology in Ger-
many that it, coupled with lenience shown
the Germans by American military leaders,
becomes a matter for grave concern.
Gen. Omar Bradley, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been quoted as
stating that "from a military point of view"
the creation of a German army now is con-
sidered desirable. Fear is being expressed
that the Nazis may start goose-stepping
again in 1950 and that they will be provided
with U. S. guns provided by American tax-
payers.
For more than a year, Christians and
Jews have warned against the rebirth of
anti-Semitism in Germany. Harry Green-
stein, who recently retired as advisor on
Jewish affairs to U. S. authorities in Ger-
many, stated in his report to the .Army; It
is imperative that the occupying powers
recognize in anti-Semitism a negation of the
democratic principles and an unmistakeable
sign of resurgence of German nationalism
in its most vicious form."
But while British Field Marshal Lord
Wavell in an address in Ottawa referred to
the Germans as the "most dangerous people
in Europe," Secretary of State Dean Ache-
_son praised the Germans at a press confer-
ence in Washington. President Truman
counteracted Gen. Bradley's statement by
denying that there is any basis for talk of
a new German military machine, but the
Germans have become more arrogant daily
and democracy is again threatened in Nazi-
land.
It is possible that the democratic powers
must begin to learn anew the lesson of
history taught mankind by the Germans in
two world wars?
It is not the rise of anti-Semitism alone
that should cause our own government to be
on guard, but the threat to democratic ideals
throughout the world. This is a time for
preparation for peace by preventing the rise
of another Nazi war machine. Let us hope
that our heads of state in Washington are
not blind to reality.
Honest Fraternalism
Recommendation by the National Inter-
fraternity Conference that membership pro-
visions in fraternities, affecting applicants
on grounds of race, color or creed, should
be eliminated, is another step in the direction
of better relations among all elements in
the American population.
The fact that discrimination has been
practiced by college fraternities, in spite of
two world wars fought to save democracy
and constant preaching of good will by
religious and social groups, has. been One of
the worst blots on America's record.
The Interfraternity Conference's action
is a step in the direction of wiping out an
un-American and inhuman condition in our.
society. -If we can wipe out the semblance of
bigotry in universities we shall have a better
chance of fighting prejudice everywhere,
Then: we may hope - to see the rise of true
and honest fraternalism everywhere. .
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers, Michigan Press Association.
' Seivices: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association, Palcor
News Agency.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
Entered as second 'class - matter Aug. 6, 194,2 at Pest Office,
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager
RUTH L. CASSEL, City Editor
VOL. XVI—No. 13 Page 4 December 9, 1949
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the nineteenth day of Kislev,
5710, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentctteuchal portion—Gen. ; 32
Prophetical portion — Hos. 12:1344:10 or
11:7-12:13 or Obadiah, 1:1-21.
• Scriptural reading on first day of Hanukah,
Friday, Dec, 16—Num. 7:1-17.
The Destroyers
Fineman's Stirring Novel
Portrays Story of 'Ruth'
Irving Fineman concludes his stirring novel,
"Ruth," (Harper) with this telling paragraph:
"So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife.
And he went in unto her, and the Lord gave
her conception, and she bore a son. And Naomi
took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and
became nurse unto it. And the women her
neighbors gave it a name, saying: There is a
son born to Naomi; and they called his name
Obed; He is the father of Jesse, the father of
David."
On the same page, Naomi renders a verdict
about Ruth: "She is worthy to be the mother
of kings." It is in this spirit that the able
novelist approaches his subject, and the result
is a good book, a worthy successor to Fineman's
"Hear, Ye Sons" and "Jacob."
The entire Biblical story is recreated by Fine-
man in his brilliant style. Even where the tale
is slow moving, the attention of the reader. is
quickly recaptured.
"Ruth". is a masterful book. Only a writer
who loves the Bible and understands the his-
torical background and the era of his tale could
possibly portray his character as beautifully as
he has delineated his Ruth.
Two Good Jewish Tales in
`55 Stories from New Yorker'
UJA versus Capital Fund
The mere mention of *the title: "55 Short
Stories from the New Yorker: A 25th• Anniver-
sary Volume of Stories That Have Appeared in
the Magazine During the Past' Decade, 1940 to
1950," is sufficient to arouse great interest and
to assure a good sale for the book.
Actually, the collection (published by Simon
& Schuster, 1230 6th Ave., New York 20), is
better even than its recommending source.
America's best story-tellers are included in this
set of stories and sonic of the chosen tales bid
fair to live on as classics in American literatUre.
Two of the stories in this book have special
Jewish appeal. The famous story by Irwin Shaw,
"Act of Faith," carries with it an important
lesson. It is the story about an American service-
man who receives a letter from home informing
him that his brother had become pathologically
obsessed by fear of a possible violent outbreak
of anti-Semitism in America. He becomes con-
cerned, fears what may happen to him, what
the reactions of his buddies will be. When he
learns that two of his pals with whom he is
about to leave for a furlough in Paris are un-
concerned, he consents to sell his German gun
to acquire the necessary funds for the journey.
When his buddies, knowing his attachment to
a gun with which he might have been killed
had he not gotten the upper hand over the
enemy, object to his sale of the gun ; he says,
"What could I use it for in America?"
Then there is one of the stories from James
Maxwell's book "I Never Saw an Arab Like Him"
which was.reviewed in these columns. The story,
"Village Incident," describes the difficulties in
the life of a refugee in North Africa who fell
victim with his entire family to the savage
natives who rioted against Jews. ExCellently
written, the story is entirely sympathetic and
serves to expose the tragedies of Jews in North
Africa.
"55 Short Stories from the New Yorker" is,
altogether, a very good book. It is certain to
be highly prized in possession, sincerely enjoyed
as entertaining reading.
American Jews have been asked by resolution of the
national conference of the United Jewish Appeal that "they
endeavor, as an act of self-sacrifice on their part and as a
contribution to the mobilization of maximum funds for
emergency life-saving needs of the year 1950, to defer cam-
paigns for capital funds."
The UJA resolution added that in the event a local
community resolves that certain local capital projects are
inescapably urgent, then campaigns for such needs should
be conducted separately.
There is only one objectionable phrase in these resolu-
tions : the request that reasonable consideration of the major
needs overseas should be viewed "as an act of self-sacrifice."
The Jews of this country have a serious responsibility
to complete the rehabilitation of uprooted European and
African Jewries and to guarantee the security of the Jewish
state of Israel. If these duties are to be adhered to in ac-
cordance with the traditions which have distinguished
American Jewish reconstructions and relief efforts in the
past two decades, we must stop talking in terms of. self-
sacrifiCe When we. diScilsS onr obligations to Israel ; and we
must quit organizing competing projects on local fronts.
Every drive for a new building is certain to harm Israel.
Every attempt to shift from the major goal to rehabilitation
of surviving Jews in Israel to some local causes will harm
the UJA. It -does not matter whether the complete realiza 7
tion of the aim to redeem Zion will last five years or a
decade. The. fact is that Israel alone welcomes the tens of
thousands of persecuted. Jews who await final rehabilitation
only. from the Jewish state, and that Jews elsewhere are
spared the responsibility of caring for people of varying and
differing social and economic backgrounds.
Postponement of reconstruction efforts in Israel may
prove disastrous . not only for the JeWish state but also for
all of us in the Diaspora who are duty-bound and honor-
pledged to finish the job of liquidating ghettoes and estab-
lishing permanent homes for the rescued. Capital fund cam-
14 of Nazi-Hunted Who
paigns—whether it is for $50,000,000 in NeW York or for
$50,000 in Oshkosh—must be discouraged until the major Escaped with Their Lives
humanitarian Jewish effort is done.
Eric H. Boehm was in Germany, in various
The UJA conference acted wisely also in demanding
capacities with the U. S. Army and the Infor-
that capital fund drives should not be fused with the UJA
drives. The time has come to call a halt to the tagging of mation Control Division of Military Government,
gathered material about those who survived
numerous conflicting appeals as tails to the UJA kite. &er-_ and
the Nazi holocaust. His book, "We Survived,"
emphasis on civic-protective work and misrepresentation
jUst published by Yale University Press, con-
needs involving building programs has begun to weigh down_ tains the. records of 14 of the hidden and the
_the UJA kite, and if the. overseas structure is not to be torn hunted, who escaped with their lives.
to shreds all conflicting movements must either be shelved
The stories of these 14 mirror the experi-
Or abandoned. . . .
enaeS- of Ahe thousands who lived illegal !lives
The UJA requests,: as incorporated in the conference_ in__ Nazi Germany. Constantly hunted by the
resolutions, are reasonable.. American Jewish communities . Gestapo, they went through miserable experi-
ences. People of all classes—Jews and Christians
should make serious efforts to live up to the principles em-
—are
included in the group of 14 whose touch-
bodied in the requests made by national leaders in order ;that ing autobiographies
are told in "We Survived."
we should come close to raising the 1950 goal of $272;455,-
The last of the stories related is that of Dr. Leo
800.
Baeck, former chief rabbi of Berlin.
Emphasis must be placed on . the fact that the very
. These autobiographies are mixtures of suf-
iering and courage, hatred and the will to live,
large sum requested represents the ACTUAL NEEDS, for
a sharing of destiny which has distinguished the
Israel's upbuilding and for -the speedy liquidation of- the
anti-Nazis from the beasts who hunted them. •
problem of the hbnielesS. The fulfilhnent of these needs
Clergymen, lawyers, housewiVes, Writers are
formulates
a
challenge
to
all
Jewry.
.
.
. .
those whose lives under the Nazis are
The 1950 UJA campaign again will be conducted under among
told by Boehm, who admonishes us as follows
the leadership of Henry Morgenthau, Jr. In a message in
to draw strength from the tales of his heroes:
which he hailed Mr. Morgenthau's decision to head the UJA
"The character of 'civilized' man is revealed
as general chairman for the fourth consecutive year, Israel
these pages in extraordinary dimensions. As
Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion endorsed "heartily the his capacity for evil is seen in large, so is his
profound appreciation and recognition of Mr. Morgenthau's capacity for good. There are among our con
great services to Israel and the Jewish people implied in the temporaries those whose standardS of humanity
are as -lofty- as any in the great , moral teachings
oVerWhelining 'draft of the United Jewish Appeal's national
conference." Retention of trained leadership is important of the Judaic-Christian tradition. While terror
for the UJA nationally. But it is of equal importance that and fear ruled with a knout, righteousness con-
live. It lived underground, it was
trained 'leaders in -all comm-unities throughout the land , tinued to
submerged, imprisoned, evicted, and de-
should be mobilized for the forthcoming drives. Working . ported--but it survived. As .these "Chapters silo*
.
3
together, all of us can bring the" of a raleeniecl _and the weaknesses and the . crimes-of
- man, - so . they
rehabilitated Jewry nearer to complete success in the crucial also testify to his strength and heroism. Let us
year of 1950.
draw our hope from that."
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