Publicity and
Public Relations:
A Call for an
End to a Sham

ISRAEL

HE JEWISH NE

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VOLUME 17—No. 9 708-10 David Stott Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155 Detroit, Michigan, May 12, 1950

$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c .

Status of Israel on Agenda of
Acheson Bevin Talks in London

Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News

Detroit to jerusodem:

Christian Views Moment us
Adventure 'Aboard an Idea'

"George Atkins" is the pseudonym of a Christian Detroiter whose pilgrimage
to Israel was preceded by a deep interest in the fight for liberation and an urge
to help an oppressed people secure justice in the world. In this interesting article
he speaks of Israel's present status as "an unfinished project" and declares that
"we are making confident plans for the future."

Robert Nathan,
Ruth Gruber at
AJC, Sessions

Detroit's 1950 Allied Jewish
Campaign is app] aching its
climax, with nearly $3,000,000
already assured.

By GEORGE ATKINS

It's a funny thing about Mrs. R. She's worked with the public for
years; was, in fact, a chief officer of "Hadassah" for a time. You'd think
that she could take almost any of the wanderings of human nature in her
stride. And yet she almost cried, the night I told her I wanted to ship
across to Palestine .
The War of Independence was the news of the day. It was a harsh
stage for Jewry. The vaunted Arab Legion had just entered the field, and
their reported strength made distasteful reading in the newspapers. For
the first time in my life, I had gone into a synagogue.

Yes, it took a war to get me into a synagogue. I, being a Christian,
had not had occasion to visit synagogues before; but, as it happened,
it was in a Reform temple in Detroit that I addressed my first meeting
on behalf of the militant Jews of Palestine.

Sometimes I'd tell my audiences about my religion; more often not.
My education has been that a man's religion is a private affair. Besides, I
was concerned at the time with a different kind of faith . . . To some, it
may seem queer to place the terms "politics" and "faith" side by side.
These people, I think, are the short-sighted; and among them were my
opponents in many a verbal battle fought to raise money for guns.
Patience, though, has never been my long suit; and the results of
this kind of work were always of the intangible kind. I sow money and
support being gathered, yes; and supplies being purchased. Still, I felt that
(:was marking time, making mere gestures towards what I wanted to
accomplish. I looked up a Jewish acquaintance, the son of Mrs. R., re-
' tiNern b er what,- he: -hp..d...QiU41,Q.id me about his mother's activities.
Some days later, I was sitting in Mrs. R's apartment in New York
explaining what had brought me.into what most people view as exclusive-
1y- "Jewish" affairs. She was unaccountably touched.
"Yes, I might be able to help you get across," she told me, "but
what would you do there?"
.
"Same things I did in the Marines, I guess. Machine gunner, demo-
lition work .
."
"But why you in particular" she wanted to know.
"Well, why anybody in particular?" I parried. "It's not just a Jewish
problem, you know."
"You're right," she said slowly, "it's not. And yet—do you really
feel that this is as much your fight as ours?"
"I'm sorry," I replied, "but I just don't see the logic of that 'ours.'
Is there any law that says you have to be a Jew to be a Zionist?"
"Point conceded," she smiled; "but didn't you say, a while ago, that
it was something about economics that brought you into this?"
"That's right. Just plain economics."
"I'm afraid I don't follow you, there."
"It's not complicated," I began, and launched a summary of one
young man's mental course over the preceding several months; how I had
seen, time and again, trusts and cartels using the backing of their govern-
ments' foreign services to make life miserable for 'little people' by the
millions; how, in the Middle East, it looked as though the Jews' magnificent
aid dream was about to be shattered in the repetition of this pattern
by powers that valued oil more highly than blood; and how I, an
ordinary student with no personal influence whatever, had determined to
help in the only way in which I had been effectively trained—the military.
Mrs. R was, as she put it, 'confused but convinced.' "Maybe it is
simple,” she shrugged, "from your viewpoint . . It's just that the situa-
tion is so odd . .."
"Then, can we talk about arrangements?"
"Of course. Here—I'll write down an address for you."
Back in Detroit with Mrs. R's note in my pocket, I settled down to
await developments. This "settling down" consisted mainly of hunting up
the most vigorous Zionist organization in the area.
Lacking prior association with any specific branch of organized Zion- .
ism, I was viewed (as the reader may well imagine) with considerable
distrust. Compensation for this, however, lay in the fact that no partisan
indoctrination existed to delay or to divert the efforts I was prepared to
make.
In the end, I joined the most efficient and single-minded group I
could find, and offered my services- as a speaker, organizer and pamphle-
teer. It was one of the most momentous steps in my life, for, behind the
desk of my new headquarters, I found "the" girl!
We were married, as it were, "on the run." As with so many people
elsewhere in the world, it was a time of emergency for us. In the midst
of the comfortable inertia we saw, and fought,' in others, we felt a defi-
nite sense of urgency about the work at hand.
Circumstances compel me to omit that part of the story which lies
between those "civilian" activities in America and our final settlement in
a peaceful Israel. The account would, in any case, run parallel to many
which have been chronicled more or less extensively throughout the Jewish
press. The reader will perhaps agree that it is sufficient to state that
both Judith and myself know how to handle a gun.
The sequel? Well, that's less an individual tale than it is the story
of Israel; and this, properly, has also been written large in the news of
the world .
From our home in Jewish Jerusalem we walk over to the border, now
and then, for a glimpse of the flowing red kaffia which is the uniform of
the Arab Legion. The divided city and the unsettled state are cold and
unpleasant facts. In common, however, with our many friends here, we
have accepted these things as nothing more than the evidence of an un-
finished project, and we ore making confident plans for the future.
For example, we hope some time next year to bring our child to
America for a visit
—Shalom!

LONDON.—Problems concerning peace and stability

in the Middle East are occupying high place in the bi-
lateral Anglo-American talks which started Tuesday at
the Foreign Office here. The talks were preceded by a
private conversation between Secretary of State Dean
Acheson and British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin.

(At Geneva, the United Nations Conciliation Commis-
sion moved a few steps ahead in the direction of arranging
peace talks between Israel and the Arab states.]

Diplomatic observers here expressed the belief that
the prevention of further hostilities rather than the
question of a final peace between Israel and the Arab
countries will be discussed when the Middle Eastern
problem is reached. The same observers indicate that
pressure devices such as delaying arms deliveries and
financial aid might be considered at the British-Ameri-
can parley.
It is believed in important quarters here that the
Arab League may accept Transjordan's annexation of
the Arab portion of Palestine and that more Arab states
are considering peace with Israel. King Abdullah was
quoted by the Beirut Radio as saying that the Arab
states' opposition to a peace settlement with Israel is
contrary to the interests of Arab refugees.

Blaustein Confers with Truman

ROBERT NATHAN

Three important report ral-
lies are scheduled by the cam-
paign organization at the De-
troit-Leland Hotel. At today's
luncheon meeting, Robert Na-
r?:‘:::=-

WASHINGTON.—After conferring with Secretary
of Defense Louis Johnson, Jacob Blaustein, president of
the American Jewish Committee, discussed with Presi-
dent Truman a number of questions concerning Israel
and the Middle East.
The Senate approved an appropriation of 27,450,000
for the relief, through the UN, of Arab displaced persons.

RUTH GRUBER

than, director of the eco-
nomic department o,T the
Jewish Agency for Palestine,
will be guest speaker.
Conimunity inventory
night, to take stock of the
campaign's progress and to
mobilize all available forces
in order to secure the maxi-
mum procurable funds, has
been set for Tuesday evening,
May 23. Dr. Ruth Gruber,
noted author and lecturer,
will be • guest speaker.
The May 23 meeting will be
dedicated to the memory of
Fred M. Butzel.

Noted Guests:

Two distinguished Jewish
personalities were guests here this week on the eve of their
departure for Israel. PROF. JACQUES FAITLOVITCH,
(left) , pioneer in the movement to aid the Falasha Jews in
Abyssinia, and DR. ISRAEL SCHAPIRO, for 31 years Chief
of the Semitics Department of the Library of Congress, con-
ferred with Detroit leaders during their stay here.
Prof. Faitlovitch urged the establishment of a local Pro-
(Story on Page 2)
Falasha Committee.

AJC "tall of Fame:

Left to right, HENRY WINE/',,,AN, chairman
Tli
of the first Allied Jewish Campaign in 1926, and also in 1931, '34, '37, '39 and '41 ; NATE
S. SHAPERO, chairman in 1946; LOUIS BERRY, chairman in 1949, and MAURICE
ARONSSON, chairman in 1947, were honored at the campaign report luncheon May 5.
Tribute was also paid at the meeting to the late Aaron S. DeRoy and Fred M. Butzel,
oustanding campaign leaders, (Story on Page 20),