Democracy
in the
Jewish
Community
Editorial, Page 4
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
Commentary, Page 2
VOLUME
16—No.
1E1
of Jewish Events
24 708-10 David Stott Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155 Detroit, Michigan, February 24, 1950
Happy Purim
To Entire
Jewish
Community
Read Editorial
On Page 4
.4i11)))07
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
Blast Anti-Semite's Acquittal;
Judges Cited as Former Nazis
Democracy at Work
Federation Meeting Opens
Tense, Closes in Harmony
The 550 men and women who attended the annual meet-
ing of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, on Feb. '15, at
the Jewish Center, witnessed democracy at work—although the
group itself represented less than 2 per cent of the 28,923 con-
tributors to the Allied Jewish Campaign who were invited to
attend the election and report meeting.
The gathering voted the democratic way in selecting nine
to serve on the Federation board of governors out of a group
of 15 candidates. It was given an opportunity to. defeat an
amendment to the Federation constitution that was presented
for action by the present administration. It heard reports - on
the past year's activities. 'While there was a bit of tension, all
ended the democratic way, in complete harmony.
,
In alphabetical order, the nine successful candidates for the
Federation board were:
Rabbi Morris Adler, Irving W. Blumberg, Mrs. Joseph
H. Ehrlich, James I. Elhnann, Dr. B. Benedict Glazer, Samuel
H. Rubiner, Sidney M. Shevitz, Rabbi Joshua S. Sperka and
Mrs. Henry Wineman. Shevitz and Ellmann, were two of the
..six candidates who were nominated by petitions and displaced
. two of the nine selected by a nominating committee.
Signs of a contest arose in the very early stages of the
Meeting when Morris Garvett presented an amendment to the
constitution that would have automatically placed on the board,
with full -voting powers and for life, all past presidents of Fed-
eration and pest chairmenof the Allied Jewish Campaign. Wil-
ham Hordes challenged it as an undemocratic plan. Others joined
in the discussion. Federation President Julian Krolik ruled that
the voice vote defeated the proposal; A call for a standing vote
brought another ruling from the chairman that the proposal
be voted- on with YES or NO notations on the ballot. On the
final count, the vote was 202 in favor and 179 against, but the
amendment lacked the required two-thirds vote and, again, the
democratic process predominated: the amendment was defeated.
Only the agency elections were conducted without con-
test—in the traditional, boring manner of the naming of
-slates and their routine approval. Most of the time the gath-
ering could not even hear the names of the proposed board
members, but few appeared to care at all. Nearly every one
was interested primarily in the election of the Federation
.board members.
Five agencies, affiliates of the Federation, elected board
Members, as follows:
Continued on Page 3
MUNICH—(JTA)—As the protest against the acquittal of ex-Nazi Wolfgang
Hedler on charges of inciting anti-Semitism reached major proportions in Ger-
many this week, it was learned the prosecution plans to appeal the verdict on
the grounds that two of the three judges who freed him were one-time members
of the Nazi Party.
It also was learned that denazification proceedings will be begun against Hed-
ler, a suspended rightist deputy in the Bonn Parliament, this Friday on the grounds
that Hedler falsified a questionnaire concerning his Nazi •background. On the
questionnaire he stated he had joined the party in 1934, but it had since been
learned he was a Nazi Party stalwart, having signed up in 1932, prior to Hitler's
rise to power.
Meanwhile, various Jewish communities in West Germany joined the Berlin
community in a protest to West German - President Theodor Heuss and Chan-
cellor - Koinzad Adenauer. The communities pointed out the verdict "fosters anti-
Semitism." Dr.- Philip Auerbach, Bavarian Commissioner for Persecutees and
head - of the provincial office for restitution, attacked the verdict as the "shame
of German justice. ". Demands -for a retrial were made.
In Kiel and Neu Muenster, where the Schleswig-Holstein provincial court
Which freed Hedler sat, 15,000 workers demonstrated against the court's decision.
Transportation, and industry and commerce in both cities were tied up. The labor
unions. of West Germany are calling a special .meeting to consider legislation to
protect civic rights which are not sufficiently protected under the constitution.
The Federal Minister of Justice, Thomas Dehler, will submit a new measure
to Parliament outlawing anti-Semitism and attempts to foster it as "treason
against internal peace." A spokesman for the Cabinet has announced that it has
decided that Hedler's trial was "correctly,- objectively and conscientiously" con-
ducted and there is no reason to lekrel reproach against the judges," Reuter reported.
Bruno Verdieck, president of the Kiel trade unions, said the unions demand
the resignation of the judges who tried Hedler, a ban on the German Party
and -a ban on any more speeches by Hedler in Schleswig-Holstein, where he was
elected a membre of the Bundestag.
The German Party announced that despite Hedler's acquittal, he will not be
readmitted to the party,
Editorial
Fair Play to the Fore in Senate
The genius of America once again hag surged forward in
the form of a revolt by a majority of the members of the U. S.
Judiciary Committee against its chairman, Senator Pat McCar-
ran of Nevada, on the question of the admission of displaced
persons to this country.
Senator McCarran's associates voted for his biased measure
in order to force it out of committee and to compel its consider-
ation by the United States Senate.
Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan, together with Sena-
tors Harley M. Kilgore of West Virginia and Frank P. Graham
of North Carolina took the lead in condemning
the unfair elements in the Senate measure.
They have the cooperation of Senators Herbert
R. O'Conor of Maryland, Alexander Wiley of
Wisconsin, Estes Kefauver of Tennessee and
Warren G. Magnuson of Washington in their
efforts to return to a consideration of the Celler
Bill that was adopted last year by the House
of Representatives. Now, at last, there is a
chance that there will be a showdown and that
fair play will prevail.
Senators Ferguson, 'Kilgore and Graham
have pointed out that the provision in the Mc-
Carran measure which provides for a preference
• Sen. Ferguson of 40 per cent over the total quota, under the
Senate measure, to Baltic peoples would grant "an unwarranted
advantage to certain-groups wholly because of national origin
and work to the disfavor of Jewish and Cathdlic groups."
. Opponents of the McCarran bill know what's' wrong with
the proposed legislation and the country at large is being made
aware of it. During the impending showdown, we now may
hope to see adoption of liberal legislation for the admission to
this country of survivors from Nazism as advocated by Presi-
dent Truman. Senator Ferguson especially has earned the na-
tion's thanks for his valiant battle in support of this just cause.
P 'grim,
J 111/: The festival of Purim, which commences at sunset next
Thursday, spells joy for all Jewish households. Its tradition of shalach monos—the
exchange of gifts—at the same time emphasizes the Jew's responsibility to his fel-
low men and admonishes him to carry on the work of restoring dignity to his kins-
men who have been rescued from degradation in Europe into a new life in Israel.
.