As the Editor
Views the News

His Hand and Seal

Ben-Gurion Must Stay

Israel is experiencing a major crisis. The
Cabinet's resignation once again places in
the forefront the major issues affecting the
Jewish state : the political divisions which
have given the religious bloc the balance of
power and the financial difficulties.
David Ben-Gurion represents the strong-
est single group in Israel, but even Mapai,
the dominant party, is only a minority; and
the fact that the labor element has been
dependent upon the religious bloc for ma-
jority rule has not been a healthy condition
in the land.
From all indications, Mr. Ben-Gurion will
remain in power as Prime Minister. It is in-
conceivable that any other man should, at
this time, be able to replace him. He pos-
sesses that power which alone can guide
Israel through her worst crises. But he needs
help. The major troubles in the little state
stem from its uncompromising policy of
keeping the door open for large-scale immi-
gration of Jews from all corners of the globe.
The financial crisis is directly ascribable to
this policy. Israel could become self-sustain-
ing immediately if it were not for this major
problem.
It is as plain as day that the duty •of
settling large numbers of Jews in Israel is
as much ours—Diaspora JeWry—as that of
Israel Jewry. Therefore we owe a responsi-
bility also to help retain in power the group
best fitted to assure security for Israel—
David Ben-Gurion's Mapai. At the same
time, the United States Government has a
stake in this crisis. • Speaking in Chicago, at
the meeting of the national executive of the
American Jewish Committee, the Commit-
tee's president, Jacob Blaustein, who recent-
ly returned from Israel, said that "Israel is
the best friend that America has in the Near
East." This has long been recognized. It
should encourage all the help our Govern-
ment can give to the Jewish state which is
today the strongest bulwark against totali-
tarianism.
David Ben-Gurion must—as we believe
he will—continue to govern Israel. There
will be plenty of time to make changes after
the immigration and financial problems will
have been solved—with the aid of American
Jewry.
*
*
*
There are a number of basic factors in
the present Israel crisis which must not be
overlooked. While Premier Ben-Gurion is not
succeeding in his initial steps to organize a
seven-man Mapai interim government, the
duly-elected members of the Knesset appar-
ently are not viewing the situation with the
alarm that usually accompanies a Cabinet
crisis.
In his statement in London that the
emergency will not hamper or affect Israel's
progress, the spokesman for the religious
bloc, Rabbi Judah L. Maimon, Israel Mini-
ster for Religions, indicated that the situa
tion is not hopeless.
Similarly, the assurances given by Henry
Morgenthau, Jr., prior to his departure from
Jerusalem, that the proposed bond issue will
not be harmed by the crisis, is of equal im
portance.
Israel has no alternative but to go for-
ward, to continue welcoming new immi- -
grants, to establish industries, to strive for
the country's, advancement in defiance of all
obstacles. Therefore the parties involved will
have to get together for their own defense,
for the security of the land.
Perhaps a new election will give Mapai
more than the necessary votes to reconstruct
the government. The moderate parties
should be helpful in re-establishing peace
and amity in the land. The General Zionists
would do well to encourage amity and the
restoration of a Ben-Gurion Government.
Meanwhile, encouraging words from
American Jewry will speed Israel on a long
path of peace and cooperation.

The Reconstruction Conference

More than 1,000 Jewish leaders from hundreds of Amer-
ican Jewish communities. are expected at the National Plan-
ning Conference for Israel and Jewish Reconstruction ,in
Washington,. D. C., next week-end. The 33 organizations
which have joined in convening these sessions represent a
majority of the 5,000,000 American Jews who will be called
upon to take serious steps to provide Israel with means
necessary for the Continuation of a program of unlimited
immigration and of assuring security for the young state.
The presence at the Conference of Eliezer Kaplan, Israel
Finance Minister, has been described by Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann, chairman of the arrangements committee for the con-
ference, as "an indication of the critical importance to the
Jewish state" of the forthcoming meetings. - Levi Eshkol,
of Jerusalem, treasurer of the Jewish Agency, also is coming
to this country for this conference, at which the 50-man
American delegation to the recent emergency meetings in
Jerusalem will submit their reports and will clarify the deci-
sions to assist. Israel in the Mass transfer of 600,000 Jews
during the coming three years.
Concrete action on two fronts is proposed to the confer-
ence : 1. Work for U. S. grant-in-aid to Israel as a means of
"strengthening the only forces of freedom in the Middle
East"; and 2. Intensification of the United JeWish Appeal
campaign as the most effective immediate method for over-
coming. Israel's dollar deficiencY. •
The conference will be called upon to act in support of
the proposed Israel bond drive and to 'encourage 'the flow of
investment capital to Israel. It has been estimated that the
rising needs in Israel will require a sum of $1,500,000,000, of
which the Jews Of America will be asked to subscribe a
billion dollars. The fact that Israel is willing to underwrite
a third of the required sum, to be secured by taxes and gifts,
should prove an encouraging factdr in the entire program.
It is important to make note of the fact that the leading
American Jewish organizations already have named delegates
to the national conference. The participants already include:

Achdut Haavodah Poale Zion, American Jewish Commit-
tee, American Jewish Congress, American-Jewish Joint Distri-
bution Committee, American ORT Federation, American
Zionist Council, Bnai Brith, Bnai Zion, Brith Sholom,
Farband-Labor Zionist Order, Free Sons of Israel, Hadassah,
Hapoel Hamizrachi of America, Independent Order Brith
Abraham; Industrial Institute of Israel, Jewish Agency for
"Palestine Americans Section, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish
War. Veterans of the U.S.A., Labor Zionist Organization of
Arrierican ,Poale Zion, Mizrachi Organization of America,
Mizrachi Women's OrganizatiOn of. America, National Wothen's
League of United Synagogue, Palestine' Econornic Corporation,
Union of Orthodox Jewish Cohgregations of Atherica, United
Jewish Appeal, United Palestine Appeal, United Service for
New Americans, United Synagogue of America, University
Institute Technion, Women's American ORT, Women's Branch
of Union of Orthodox JeWish Congregations, Womeh's Division
of American Jewish Congress and Zionist, Organization of
America.
This initial response from, the leading organizations is in

itself most impressive. It is an advance indication of deep-
rooted interest in Israel's needs. But it is equally import-
ant that local communities should be represented, that indi-
vidual Jews should respond to the call to the conference in
order that there should be no obstacles in the path of the
working program to provide the basic needs for reconstruc-
tion and for the rescue of 600,000 Jews through settlement
in Israel during the coming three years. _
Under 'the able leadership of Henry Montor as director
of the planned bond drive arid under the proposed direction
of the United Jewish Appeal by Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, who
now is the EurOpean director of the Joint DiStribution Com-
mittee; proper leadership can and should be mobilized in
support of the great program envisioned through the
THE
approaching Washington conference.
Member:- American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers. Michigan Press Association:
The conference , will -take place in a period. of severe
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg.. Detroit 26, Mich., WO, 5-1156, crisis for Israel, whose government is being reorganized and
Subscription $3 ',a year: foreign $4.
whose' financial problems , are of a . most serious nature.
Entered as second class matter Aug, 6, 1942 at Post Office.
Detroit. Mich.. under Act of Mara 8. 1879.
American jewry can do more to solve the Israeli problems
than any other group. By joining forces to iniplement the
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising ,Manager
proposed prograth for action we can prove to' be a Strong
VOi. XViii—NO:: 6
Page 4 . October 20, 1950 factor in upholding the hands 'of Prime Minister David Ben-
Gurion and in assuring Israel and those waiting to be made
This Sabbath, the tenth day of Heshvan, secure in Israel that we will not limit ourselves to adopting
5711, the folloivin.g Scriptiiral Selections will be resolutions but that we will be"bound by the 'principles in-
read ill our SYnage4iiies:
VOlved: . of completing the job so well begun of ending the
Pentateuchal portion--Gen: -12:1-17:27.'
misery of dispossessed Jews and, making their position safe
Prophetical portion—Is. 40;27-41:16.
iN . ,tiqe Jewish state,

jywisiiNyws

Moley's Anti-FDR Bias Evident
In Sketches of 27 Politicians

Raymond Moley, "repentant" former FDR
"Braintruster," gives his reader ample warning
that his new book, "27 Masters of Politics," (pub-
lished by Funk & Wagnalls, 153 E. 24th, N. Y. 10)
is biased, by appending to the title the phrase
"in a personal perspective." Nearly every °per-
sonality sketch in this book reflects the anger
the author feels for the man he once served
but whom he had learned to hate. There could
not possibly be another term than "hatred" for
Mr. Moley's feelings for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Only in the sketch on James J. Walker does
he affirm that FDR was sincere in his inten-
tions to dismiss the playboy mayor of New York.
In all other instances he keeps referring to the
late President with implications that desire for
power and personal glory motivated all his ac-
tivities. He charges that "Roosevelt lacked the
generosity that would have added to his stature
as a politician."
Henry Morgenthau Jr. does not come out well
in Moley's book. In the sketch on John Nance
Garner we learn that, in the estimation 'of the
Texan, the former Treasury Secretary was "found
wanting." We learn that Morgenthau wanted the
Secretary of Agriculture post and that he "was
strongly backed by that venerable collector of
party funds, Morgenthau, Sr."
There are numerous references _to Sam R.os-
enman. We are told in the sketch of Louis Mc-
Henry Howe that FDR's secretary distrusted
Rosenman and was afraid that he might steal
the President's affections.
Charles Michelson also fares ill in moley's
book. He does not emerge the genius many peo-
ple have come to believe he was in handling
Democratic publicity.
Felix Frankfurter, whose disciples—the host
of men who entered government service—are
called "sorcerer's apprentices" by Mr. Moley, also
is treated lightly in "27 Masters of Politics."
Only a few men come through unscathed:
Hoover, Rayburn, Garner, Tom Johnson, Charles
Beard. Ed Flynn, Hugh Johnson, Will Woodin.
The pity is that Mr. Moley gives the impres-
sion he alone knows whereof he speaks. There-
fore the bias in his book stares you in the face
on every page.
His book will arouse great interest — because
it again revives interest in the great American
drama in the era of FDR, because of numerous
revelations of behind the scene incidents in
Washington and because even from biased
sketches there emerge many interesting person-
alities in the controversial volume called "27
Masters of Politics—In a Personal Perspective."

Weizrnann Biography Tells

Triumphs of Nation Builder

Rachel Baker's "Chaim Weizmann: Builder
of a Nation" (published by Julian Messner, 8 W.
40th, N. Y.) catches the spirit of the era of Is-
rael's re-emergence as a state.
Every turn of events which affected the life
and the career of Israel's elder statesman is in-
corporated in the interesting biography for
young people by the author who has specialized
in writing life stories of the world's great men.
We are informed that Mrs. Baker now is en-
gaged in writing "an adult book with the same
underlying theme," dealing with Weizmann and
Israel.
Mrs. Baker's, story of Weizmann is not alone
a biography. It is a tale of tragedies and tri-
umphs, of Jewish sufferings Under the Czars
and Hitler and of the heroic efforts to re - create
independence for the Jewish people.
Dr. Weizmann's role in the re-attainment of
liberty by Israel is ably delineated. All of the
great figures in the Zionist . movement, who
worked with Weiiinann, re-emerge in these
pages. The new *biography of the President of
Israel will be read with a great deal of interest
not only by' the' young' for whom it is intended
but also by their • parents.

Jewish Holidays Interestingly
Analyzed in Dr. Unterman's Book

Our holidays are analyzed as a "Wonderfully
refreshing well" in spite of their age—running
into thousands of years—in the ably compiled
descriptions in Dr. Isaac Unterman's "The Jew-
ish Holidays" (Bloch).
The holidays, described as "pure and absolute
and impregnated with the highest ideals and
concepts," are referred to as rising "above the
holidays of our other 'religions" and as possess-
ing something which Others do not possess; a
spiritual foundation and a . most profound es-
sence."
. . .
The simplicity with which Dr.. Unterinan re-
views the significance" of all our holidays makes
his. book valuable 4or "young and old alike, and
creates for it, a valuable place. among . .tbp. ;infor-
mative volumes'recently published. By describing
customs and liturgy and including in his work
the minor festivals, Dr. Unterman adds valise to
his •descriptionS. • '"' '
His book contains . .a . descriptiOn of fast ;days,
a list of Scriptur4 . readings prescribed for 'the
holidays, a chronologyo
f
the festivals, a glossary
and an index.

