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. .