Growing Institution
As the Editor
Views the News ...
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JEWISH COMMUNITY MITERS
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Was ADL in Error?
Cancellation of the scheduled address by
Benjamin J. Buttenwieser before last week's
convention of the Anti-Defamation League
of Bnai Brith has created a controversy
over the wisdom of the Jewish leaders who
refused to grant their platform to a fellow-
Jew who, speaking the mind of the U. S.
State Department, strongly defends a policy
to permit the return of Nazis to power in
Germany.
Was the ADL wrong in its actions ? The
New York Times disapproved of that step
editorially. A State Department spokesman
said he saw nothing objectionable in Mr.
Buttenwieser's prepared speech. John J.
McCloy, U. S. High Commissioner for Ger-
many, said he considered the rejected ad-
dress "a measured and objective" statement
and expressed astonishment over the ADL's
action. Brig. Gen. Julius Klein, former na-
tional commander of the Jewish War Vet-
erans, charged that the ADL "repudiated
the principle of free speech."
While the New York Times may prove
correct in its editorial evaluation of the is-
sue that "the practical effect of the League's
action is to call for wider attention to Mr.
Buttenwieser's remarks than they would
have had in other circumstances," it has not
stated the case fully when it asserted that
"it seems poor policy on the part of the
ADL to shut him off without a hearing." The
text of his address was carefully scrutinized,
he refused to deliver it at a private meeting
of the executive committee and he stuck
to his views that the denazification program
in Germany outweighs its shortcomings.
Mr. Buttenwieser has, in the meantime,
delivered his address before a closed meet-
ing of the committee on Germany of the
American Jewish Committee in New York
and with the approval of the State Depart-
ment his speech was presented in full before
the Foreign Policy Association, the entire
text later being distributed widely to the
public. Thus, Mr. Buttenwieser's advocacy of
leniency towards the Germans—although he
claims that Nazism ":as been destroyed
never to rise again"—becomes a public prob-
lem which could have been handled more
effectively had he been permitted to deliver
his scheduled address. At the ADL meeting,
he would have been the proper target for
attack on a dangerous policy pursued by our
State Department.
The major problem right now is : Will 'Mr.
Buttenwieser, Mr. McCloy and the State De-
partment adopt a firm stand against . the
rising tide of a new Nazi movement in Ger-
many or will they follow a policy which will
permit a return of Hitlerism ?
Voting to bar Mr. Buttenwieser's ad-
dress, the overwhelming majority of 'the
ADL made it clear that it can not allow
transformation of its platform into a sound-
ing board for views which encourage "vicious
elements in the new German nationalism."
Such resentment is fully justified. In the
meantime, however, the "vicious elements"
are gaining ground and they must be ex-
posed. A great sacrifice would have been
involved in the humiliation of permitting Mr.
Buttenwieser to present his "apologia for
the - limited job that has been done to de-
nazify Germany," but since his attitude_ no
longer is a confidential matter but is on
record as the attitude of our government,
it is imperative that it be fought vigorously
in open debate.
Self-respect dictated to ADL that Mr.
Buttenwieser be barred from speaking at its
convention. As a matter of practical poli-
tics, however, it th have been wiser to
wi his speech so that he
let him go on with
could be used as a proper target in the at-
tack upon the entire unwise State Depart-
ment policy in Germany.
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J EW IS H "ItIECARAPS.
If Drive Fails, Israel Suffers Most
The Allied Jewish Campaign is moving ahead slowly.
With $3,400,000 subscribed so far, and with the
month of May during which our drive usually is concluded
drawing to an end, additional efforts must be exerted to
boost the total far above the $5,000,000 mark.
Since it is assumed that the local causes will not be af-
fected, that the allocations intended for the Detroit agencies
will not be cut, it stands to reason that the United Jewish
Appeal will be the major sufferer if the income is reduced.
Thus, Israel would suffer the most.
Therefore every effort must be made to raise larger
sums in order that the overseas as well as the local causes
should be cared for fully.
* -
The mere thought of reducing the amount to be given
to UJA is frightening. The reborn state of Israel, during its
first two years of independence, has welcomed nearly 400,000
of our kinsmen. It has made possible the liquidation of the
displaced persons camps and has put an end to the ghettoes
in several European countries.
In 1949, in the year of reduced income for the UJA,
Israel received 239,141 immigrants. In the first three
months of 1950, 37,230 immigrants arrived. The Israel
Bureau of Statistics disclosed that of the 1949 immigra-
tion, 4'7,343 were from Poland; 20,000 from Bulgaria;
15,689 from Czechoslovakia; 13,596 from Romania; 6,953
from Germany and Austria; 6,844 from Hungary; 11,431
from other European countries; 37,800 from Yemen and
Aden; 26,295 from Turkey; 7,181 from other Asiatic coun-
tries; 17,915 from Tunis, Morocco and Algiers; 14,066
from Libya; 7,145 from Egypt; 307 from other African
- countries; 1,358 from the American continent.
Last week, 860 immigrant families left the transit
camps to settle in Shikunim—workers' housing projects—
at Ramat Hasharon, Kiryat Motzkin and other settlements.
The newcomers are being placed in industries and on farms.
Most of the necessary help is provided by Israel's residents
who already are heavily taxed, who must share their food
with the immigrants, who are struggling to keep Israel
alive.
If the small income from this country is further re-
duced by the decline of UJA's income, Israel will be dealt
a body-blow from which she may find it hard to recover.
•
*
* *
How are we to account for the slow-moving 1950 cam-
paign ? What is the cause of further decline in income ? In
1948 our community subscribed $5,778,042. In 1949, when
so much more money was needed, the campaign income
dropped to $5,323,116. This year there is need for increased
budgets for local causes and the overseas responsibilities
have multiplied, and we must not endanger the Allied Jewish
Campaign's income.
The fact that many thousands of subscribers have not
been reached up to this time seems to indicate that failure
to cover all the prospects is responsible for the threatened
decline. Our task, therefore, is to make certain that our
community should provide sufficient manpower to finish
the job.
If we are threatened with a constant drop in income,
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
there should be no delay in studying our internal problems
papers. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
and in arriving at a solution. It is clear that drastic steps
Co. 798-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1166.
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
must be taken to assure uninterrupted community interest so
Entered as second class matter Ang. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
that we may have the best working machinery for our
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3,. 1879.
campaigns. This year Israel may suffer, but in the coming
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor
years campaign failures also may affect local causes. If our
SIDNEY SHMARAH Advertising Manager
schools, our Community Centers, the Home for Aged, our
RUTH L. CASSEL. City Editor
social service agencies, are to be protected in the future, we
Vol. XVII—No. 11
Page 4
May 26, 1950 must think in terms of protecting Israel and all local, national
and overseas causes NOW—with liberal gifts and hard work.
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
There are plenty of people to be seen, there is enough
This Sabbath, the eleventh day of Sivan, 5710, time left before the hot weather sets in, to make the Allied
the following Scriptural selections will be read Jewish Campaign a triumphant success. We appeal to all who
are available to offer their service, to redouble their efforts
in our synagogues:
if they are already working, to exert their strength to as-
Pentateuchal portion—Arum. 4:21-7:89.
sure that neither Israel, nor the local causes, should be de-
Prophetical portion—Judges 13:2-25.
prived of the means needed for their support.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Unfinished Dram..
Magnificent Story of the
Land, People of Israel
The J. B. Lippincott Publishing Co. of New
York and Philadelphia has added a most in-
teresting volume to its Portraits of the Nations
Series—Gail Hoffman's "The Land and People
of Israel."
The author's background and the length of
time she spent in Israel is an indication of the
genuine knowledge she possesses on the subject,
justifying the labeling of her book as authorita-
tive. A native Philadelphian, a graduate of Co-
lumbia, University, a free lance writer and pub-
licist, Miss Hoffman first went to Israel for 10
days in 1925. She went back again in 1934 for
a 10-week stay and in 1935 returned to the Holy
Land for a 10-day stay.
Her book is an evaluation of her studies of
the land and the peoples—of Jews and Arabs
alike. She describes the kibutzim and the mosha-
vim, the life of Jews and Arabs in the cities, the
diversity of climate and temperament.
The chapter on the Arab way of life is as
enlighteping as the stories of the progress made
by Jews' against great odds in a new land which
they had transformed from wilderness into gar-
den spots. The 16 pages of pictures add inter-
esting touches to a good product.
Miss Hoffman writes of Israel as an "unfin-
ished drama." She emphasizes that what Israel
needs most is peace and security and that Israel
and the Arabs "have everything to gain through
cooperation and goodwill."
Written for young people, Miss Hoffman's
book will be found interes ;ing and informative
by men and women of all faiths and all ages. It
is a truly good book by a writer who knows her
subject.
J. F. Dulles and Israel
U. S. Statesman Reveals UN
Behind-the-Scenes Actions
When the Palestine Conciliation Resolution
was up for consideration before the United Na-
tions Political Committee, John Foster Dulles,
as a member of the U. S. delegation, played an
important role in acting in behalf of Israel.
Mr. Dulles reveals this and other facts, in his
behind-the-scenes description of political activi-
ties, in his book ''War or Peace," published by
Macmillan. •
Specifically, he states, with reference to the
Palestine Conciliation Resolution:
"To get the vote necessary for adoption would
involve persuading the governments of the Arab
nations to 'release' a number of delegations
which were pledged to vote with them and had
voted in committee against the Conciliation
Resolution. I undertook to bring this about, with
the help of other members of the United States
Delegation."
The resolution, jointly proposed by the United
States and Britain, was designed, in essence, to
commit the United Nations to the reality of
Israel as an existing nation. Its purpose was to
set up a UN Conciliation Committee to help
solve the problems between Israel and the Arab
countries and bring about a permanent peace
between them.
Mr. Dulles discloses that he did not agree
with some of the features of the resolution ad-
vocated by Britain. He describes how he made
it clear to the British that the United States
delegation would have to act alone unless Britain
agreed to certain changes in the proposed reso-
lution. He reveals that he went so far as to tele-
phone U. S. Ambassador Lewis Douglas in I'm -I.,-
don to convey this message direct to the British
Foreign Office. The British then agreed to shape
the resolution into a more acceptable form.
Mr. Dulles points out in his interesting bOok
that "the Arab states, looking forward to the
time when the Palestine mandate might be
dealt with, were particularly anxious for prece-
dents that might give them a veto over the
future disposition of Palestine."
"War or Peace" is concerned primarily with
the question of a possible third world war. Mr.
Dulles believes another war is probable, that it
is not inevitable but that it is imminent. He,
favors strong mobilization of the world's moral
judgment, through the UN and in all other
ways, and he emphasizes America's responsi-
bility in the world and in efforts to enforce
peace.
Facts You Should Know .. .
What are "Klezmer?" •
"Klezmer" is a term that usually applies to
musicians. It has become a Yiddish expression
especially referring to the musicians who play
at a Jewish wedding. This term is actually a
contraction of two Hebrew words "Klay Zemer*
which means "instruments of song." •
. Does the common tradition of "wearing
something blue" at a wedding have any source
in Jewish custom?
There are some writers who believe that the
custom of having the bride wear "something
blue" has its roots in an ancient Hebraic cus-
tom of having the brides put a riband of blue
on their garments. These claim that the blue
represents purity as well as loyalty. It is
cult to trace the origin of this custom in Jewish
lore. One might trace it to the fact that it was
customary to place a • "Talith" (prayer shawl)
over the heads of the couple as a forerunner
to our canopy. The Jewish prayer shawl orig-
inally consisted of fringes that were a sort ott
mixture of blue and white. For this reason some
prayer shawls still contain blue stripes.