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New Volume Deals with
Reactions of Veterans
Action on Genocide
Thus far, only Israel, Australia, Norway,
Ecuador, Iceland and Ethiopia have ratified
the United Nations Genocide Convention
which makes an international crime of the
killing or destruction of groups of people
because of their race, nationality or re-
ligion. This Convention requires the signa-
ture of 20 UN member nations before it
becomes a law. Difficulty in securing U. S.
Senate action in support of the Genocide
Convention has been encountered as a re-
sult of the opposition of the American Bar
Association. Opposition among American
lawyers has developed as a result of fear
that the treaty will invade the rights of the
states signing them and will open the way
to international jurisdiction over the United
States.
It has become necessary, therefore, for
the United States Committee for a United
Nations Genocide Convention to present evi-
dence before a sub-committee of the U. S.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee to dis-
prove the fears and to secure early action
in behalf of this most necessary interna-
tional act. A number of Jewish organiza-
tions—Agudas Israel World Organization,
American Jewish Committee, Bnai Brith;
Consultative Council of Jewish Organiza-
tions, World Jewish Congress—are cooper-
ating with the national committee in sup-
port of the Convention.
In defense of the proposal, it is pointed
out that the U. S. Congress can enact leg-
islation in accord with the American Con-
stitution and traditions and that Congress
would have final control in genocide mat-
ters because it can name the courts where
citizens accused of genocide would be tried.
In reply to claims of opponents of the mea-
sure that "every death in a, race riot, every
lynching would . become an international
crime," defenders of the Genocide Conven-
tion state that in cases of lynching, which
are considered homicide, not genocide, de-
cisions rest with courts over which Congress
has jurisdiction.
Major arguments in support of the Geno-
cide Convention are listed by the U. S. Com-
mittee for a UN Genocide Convention as
follows:
Genocide has become an obvious crime
of a character justifying international
agreement -to outlaw it.
The United States gave vigorous lead-
ership to adoption of the Convention by
the General Assembly of the United Na- •
tions. To repudiate the Convention would
be a blow to the United Nations.
Genocide has often been a prelude to
'war between nations. Making genocide an
international crime would act as a deter-
rent to war.
The leadership of the United States is
necessary to induce other nations to go
along in ratifying this important UN de- -
cision. Although representatives of 43 na-
tions have signed the treaty upon its. adop-
tion by the UN, it can not become a law
until 14 more nations will have ratified it.
In the best interests of peace and a better
world, it is imperative, therefore, that every
effort should be made to induce the U. S.
Senate to act favorably on the act.
Genocide included the extermination of
6,000,000 Jews, 1,000,000 Poles and Slays
and other peoples by the Nazis; the victims
of the Moslem-Hindu conflicts in India and
the massacre of Christian Armenians by the
Turks. These are 'examples of outrages on
record in our own generation that must be
outlawed. Our expressions in favor of the
UN Genocide Convention may go a long way
in securing ratification by our own Govern-
ment and therefore in encouraging the rest
of the civilized world to stop hesitating in
a matter than involves ° basic human
principles.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
apers, Michigan Press Association.
Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association.
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, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK. Advertising Manager
RUTH L. CASSEL, City Editor
Vol. XVI—No. 19
Page 4
January 20, 1950
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the third day of Shevat, 5710,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues.
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 6:2-9:35.
Prophetical portion—Ezek. 28:25-29:21.
'Dynamics of Prejudice'
e JlI voe4 -fera43101 ■4 4.4.01
Truth and Legislation
Charges contained in a letter by Sam E. Woods, U. S.
Consul in Munich, that Jewish displaced persons used brib-
ery and fraud to gain admittance to this country, were
made public in Washington by Senator Pat McCarran of
Nevada, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Commiteteee,
and was presented to Secretary of State Dean Acheson.
At the same time John W. Cutler, a "selector" in the Dis-
placed Persons Commission's regional offices in Munich
and ButzbaCh, was quoted by Senator McCarran as stating
that "one-third to one-half" of DP applicants are being ad-
mitted to the U. S. on the basis of fraudulent documents.
These accusations have brought forth condemnation
from the DP Commission which found it necessary to brand
Cutler as anti-Semitic and his information about DPs as
"untruths, half-truths, and simple lies." Threatening dis-
ciplinary action against Cutler, the DP Commission stated
that "the real truth is that Mr. Cutler earned a fairly gen-
eral reputation among his own colleagues in Europe of be-
ing a bitterly bigoted young man with a strong personal
bias against persons of a particular faith, and an admitted
mission to find ways of objecting to those whom he person-
ally did not like."
If DP legislation is to be halted on the strength of
evidence from bigots, we have reached a sorry state in
humanitarianism in this country. It so happens 'that the
number of Jewish DP's has been reduced drastically and
that the overwhelming number of applicants for admission
to' this country is from Catholic ranks. But this fact does
not diminish our concern in the new DP issue. We join with
the National Catholic Welfare Conference and the DP Com-
mission in urging that baseless charges against DPs should
be dropped and that responsible leaders should refuse to
dignify distortions about the unfortunate survivors from
Nazism who seek asylum in this country.
There is only one way of correcting the damage done
by bigots, and that is by Congressional action in support of
the pending measure to liberalize the unfair 1948 DP law.
'Unenforceable' Jerusalem Plan
U. S. Under-Secretary of State James E. Webb has
received a memorandum from prominent leaders urging
that the State Department should use its influence' to "cor-
rect" the action that was taken by the United Nations
General Assembly for the internationalization of Jerusalem.
The State Department is asked in this memorandum "to use
every means within its power to correct the action taken
by the United Nations General Assembly and thereby
restore the full capacity of the United Nations to assure
peace among nations, in favor of the solution which we be-
lieve can be reached by Hashemite Jordan and Israel
through their continued negotiations for a treaty of peace
between them which will insure complete protection of the
Holy Places under United Nations jurisdiction."
This request acquires significance because of the im-
portant position held in many spheres of activity — in
church, labor, veteran and educational circles — by those
who signed it. Among the signatories are:
Dr. Joseph B. Dawson, executive director, Commission on
Public Affairs, Baptists of the U.S.; Rev. Donald B. Cloward,
executive secretary, Council on Christian Social Progress,
Northern Baptist Convention; Lilian K. Watford, United Coun-
cil of Church Women; Michael Ross, director, Department of
International Affairs, Victor E. DevereauX, National
Commander, Regular Veterans Association; Leslie Perry, Na-
tional Association for the Advancement of Colored People;
Jacob Blaustein, president, American. Jewish Committee; Philip
Schiff, 'Washington representative, National Jewish Welfare
Board; James Loeb, Jr., national executive secretary, Ameri-
cans for Democratic Action; L. C. Pakiser, executive director,
American Veterans Committee; Elizabeth Christian, II/rational
Women's Trade Union League; Russell Smith ; National Farm-
ers' Union; Elmer W. Henderson, director, American Council of
Human Rights; Bernard Weitzer, national legislative repre-
sentative, Jewish War Veterans; Dr. Richard B. Fennan, exe-
cutive secretary, Commission for Defense of Democracy
through Education, National Education Association.
Our government already has indicated that it favors
revision of the impractical, unenforceable and unworkable
UN decision on Jerusalem. The sentiments contained in
numerous memoranda submitted by Christians and Jews in
the past few weeks should lead to the revocation of the un-
fair Jerusalem decision. A speedy "correction" is necest1a ry
in order to restore faith in the United Nations
The third in the series of "Studies in Preju-
dice" conducted at the University of Chicago
under a grant of the department of scientific
research of the American Jewish Committee, has'
just been published by Harper under the title
"Dynamics of Prejudice: A Psychological and
Sociological Study of Veterans."
Profs. Bruno Bettelheim and Morris Janowitz
of the University of Chicago, authors of this
volume, here record the results of their study of
the relationship of veterans towards members of
minority groups. -.-
Environment factors play an important role
in such relationships and have therefore been
given serious consideration by the able authors
of this new volume whose findings throw light
on the issue under consideration.
The series of questions resorted to in making
the study indicate the extent to which the au-
thors went to arrive at reactions by veterans to-
wards Negroes, Jews and other minorities. The
conclusions are optimistic, the authors express-
ing- the conviction "that better ethnic relations
are possible within our society" and that "if we
succeed in achieving both social reform and edu-
cation for personal integration, we shall not only
have better ethnic relations, but also a better so-
ciety." These conclusions are reached in spite of
some rather unpleasant reactions noted in some
groups.
Varying degrees of prejudice are recorded.
Some veterans are intensely anti-Semitic, others
are not affected by prejudices and judge their
fellow-men strictly on their merits: Similar reac-
tions are noted in experiences invoving Negroes.
We learn that "personality structure alone can
not entirely explain why people set out to dis-
criminate against particular ethnic groups, or
why they are more discriminating of one group
than another. The defensive needs of the indi-
vidual, the economic and social structure of the
community, and the ethnic realities of the mo-
ment must also be taken into account ... In
the United States . the stereotyping and dis-
crimination of Jews is currently fulfilling certain
defensive personality needs, while the stereo-
typing and discrimination of the Negro fulfills
others." Thus the two minorities "occupy differ-
ing positions in the community and are made
use of accordingly."
This book was published before the recent
Chicago riots in which both Jews and Negroes
figured., It would have been interesting to have
the authors include their views on the recent
outrage in their city which began with anti-
Negroisni, turned into anti-Semitism and was de
scribed by some as anti-Communist.
"Dynamics of Prejudice" enriches the Studies
lu Prejudice Series, two more volumes of which-'-'
are yet to be published.
Hachnissini Tahat Icnafech
(Oh, Gather Me)
"(Poet's Note: This is B ialik's cry of disillusionment:,
Youth and love have fled. The muse is his only solace and
neponthe, as it is the solace and repenthe of many a poet.)
By DR. NOAH E. ARONSTAM
Oh, gather me unto thy sheltering wing,
And be to Me mother and all;
My head on thy bosom a refuge shall seek,
Where prayers incessantly fall.
In hours of sweet grace when the twilight's
atremble
To thee I'll reveal what I languish;
They say there abideth still youth upon earth,
Forsooth it hath left me in anguish.
And trustingly secrets I'll whisper to thee;
My heart is aglow with a flame;
They say there abideth still love upon earth,'
To me it is only a name.
The stars that shone brightly deceived and grew
dim,—
A dream—it has flitted and passed;
My longings have ceased. and my yearnings are
stilled.
Desire has been vanquished at last.
Oh, gather me unto thy sheltering wing,
And be to me mother and all;
My head on thy bosom a refuge shall find
Where prayers incessantly fall.
Facts You Should Know .
Is there airy source in Jewish law which
deals with the subject of mercy killing?
Mercy killing is expressly outlaWed in Jewish
law. Late authorities concur in this and base
their opinion on the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh
Deah, nschol, 339). In a book of Responsa called
the "Tel .Talpioth" there appears a question as
to whether one is allowed to refrain from feed-
ing such a person in order to hasten his death
and the author, basing his opinion on Biblical
sources ,expressly finds reason to forbid such a
practice. The logic is obvious. Life and death
is essentially a matter which should rest ex-
clusively in the hands of God. Since human
knowledge cannot claim to be absolute, no human_
should take it upon himself to decide such a
matter.
*
*
What is the "Chevra Kadisha?"
"Chevra Kadisha" is the name given to the.
society or committee that is assigned to prepare
the body of the dead for burial.