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." ittleAr..,4virtn Ctstaables-4* 3parr-,-