Purely., Commentary
-8y-PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
liV hi our Live s f '-:--.-The Fight for Civil Liberties
"TV In -Our Lives," Dr; Max Lerner's newest series of articles
in the New York Post; poses the question whether television, as
predicted by a seer of broadcasting ("was it David Sarnoff?")
will elect the next President. He comes to the conclusion that
"the prophecy may . prove truer than we could have guessed."
It all came about as a result of the Kefauver investigation.
Now more and more people are gluing 'themselves to the TV sets
in the hope of witnessing the startling in public life.
"The question- about political television," Dr. Lerner writes,
"is not its own inherent good or evil but 'what use we make of it."
At this point he posed an interesting issue:
"This goes also for the problem of civil liberties under the
new TV revolution. The way to fight corruption in government
is obviously through the methods of total disclosure and continu-
ous inspection, and TV offers a chance to use both . .
"Television, in politics as elsewhere, can only mirror the in-
tegrity or shoddiness, honor or ruthlessness we have reached in
the rest of our culture. It can work no miracles nor create dangers
where they did not exist. It can only express both with a power'
far beyond any we have thus far dreamt of."
It is a point to be taken seriously. Expose the dangers of race
hatred on TV—and on the screen—and you have a weapon for
good.
For that matter, TV, like the movies, can and should be a
power for good in behalf of Israel, in support of humanitarian
causes. _
A current short news-film about the.- tragedy in Iraq has
helped the cause of UJA and Israel, by its exposure of persecu-
tions and the presentation of the solution inherent in Israel.
Much will yet be Said . about the Kefauver Committee's actions.
The Senatorial investigation may inspire search into other issues.
Perhaps we shall some day have a _Jewish Kefauver Committee
for the clarification of Jewish issues. .It may cause some people
to squirm—but it may be worth it. Time will -tell many tales—
about TV's influence in Presidential elections and in life:generally._
In a stirring address -in. Detroit on Monday, - Dr. Lerner
qualified his views on TV. People who are learning to depend on
TV for information, on public affairs must not stop reading
books and important articles. -They . must . continue to take ad-
vantage of research by noted scholars and by authorities on
public matters by reading articles, by studying. the. Bible and
the classics, by buying and reading books, by keeping well
informed.
This is a point well taken. TV already is a power, but it may
never displace the printed word. Take to heatt, therefore, Dr.
Lerner's wise advice.
But in his summary of TV's problems Dr. Lerner, writing in
the N. Y.'Post, made this challenging proposal: - •
"My own preference is to keep the children away from TV
as much as possible until they have a chance to form their -
minds by reading, story-telling, healthy play together, and a
real interchange with the parents. TV will not. be destructive
if the child brings to it a kit of values that he had already be-
gun to gather and an imaginative world of his own. It is ide-
structive only when it moves into a vacuum . . . At that point
you will find that he is the sort of child who can take it or leave
it—which is my notion. of the well-insulated child."
Now, this is a big and and difficult order. First the parent
must read and judge values properly. Not all parents are Lerners.
But it is from the Lerners that responsible people ought to take
the cue. Perhaps his advice will influence the minority which
eventually develops into a majority. Meanwhile. TV is a force,
an influence—and a PROBLEM.
b
Dorothy Thompson
—
Off Balance
Liberty-loving Americans who thought with admiration of
Dorothy Thompson's courageous stand against the Nazis, of her
ardent devotion to the Zionist cause (that, friends, was five years
ago!), now marvel at her about-face.
A short time ago, Dorothy Thompson made the wild charge
that in Zionist camps Jewish youths are asked to swear allegiance
to Israel. She asserted that Jewish Community. COuncils are
"quasi-legislative" bodies.
These, of course, are not only exaggerations: they are un-
truths. They are tantamount to accusations that American. Jews
are disloyal. No one can get away with that, Dorothy—unless it
be Gerald L. K. Smith and his few hundred un-American anti- -
Semites. Do you wish to be classed in that category, Dorothy?
Of course, there is Lessing Rosenwald to turn to for succor,
isn't there? But that's a meek explanation of the about-face
made by the former Christian ,Zionist who now uses anti-Semitic
language. When she addresses the American Council for Judaism
April 13, we'll have additional evidence of her loss of balance.
Real Estate Division Dinner Thursday
Will Plan Special Gifts Solicitation
The 1951 Allied Jewish Campaign real estate and building
division members will be guests of a sponsors' committee at a spe-
cial gifts dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, in the Michigan Room of
Hotel Statler. Planning division activities are (left to right)
Barney Smith, a sponsor, Maurice M. Robinson and Daniel Laven,
division chairmen, and Mandell Berman, associate division chair-
man.
Other sponsors are:
Louis Alper, Louis Berry, Joseph Holtzman, George D. Seyburn and Ben L.
Silberstein, co-chairmen, Berman, Lester S. Burton, Jack Coleman, Alfred L.
Deutsch, Robert A. Dishell, Saul Felsot, Ben B. Fenton, Irving Fraanzel, Albert
Glssman, Abe Green, Frederick E. Greenspan, Alan J. Grossman, Louis Gurwin,
Charles Hamburger, Samuel Hechtman, Philip Helfman, Ira A. Hotchkiss, Kopel 1.
Kahn, David Kay, Theodore R. Kelter, Max J. Kogan, Allen B. Kramer, Daniel
Laven, Ephraim L. Lieberman, Harry Lightstone, Louis G. Redstone, M. M. Robinson,
Edward Rose, Irving Rose, Louis Rose, Max Rosenfeld, James M. Rossen, Gerald
R. Sandorf, Julius Sarko, Sam Seyburn, Harry Slatkin, Harry Sosnick, Max Stoll-
man, Philip Stollman, Sol Strager, Benjamin Wilk, Seymour Winokur and Morris
Wittus.
2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 6, 1951
Ferguson. Among 33
Sponsors of Israel
Grant-in-Aid Bill
United States Senator
HOMER FERGUSON of Mich-
igan is one of 33 Senators who
this week sponsored a non-
partisan bill for $150,000,000
grant-in-aid to Israel. Senators
Paul Douglas of Illinois and
Robert Taft of Ohio initiated
this important move in behalf
of Israel.
* * *
Sen. Taft Says Israel Is
Entitled to American Aid
- WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Sen.
Robert A. Taft, of Ohio, said
that he feels Israel is entitled to
"every assistance from the Amer-
ican government and that Israel
actually aided the United States
ecenomically by resettling the
refugees. The Senator spoke at
a luncheon tendered by Ohio Zi-
onists who presented a set of
the Congressional Record to the
Israel Parliament in his .honor.
Dr. Abba - Hillel Silver, who
made the presentation, credited
Sen. Taft with aid to Zionism
during the years preceding the
creation of the Jewish state. Dr;
Silver said the Zionists of Ohio
wished to indicate their affec-
tion for the Senator "who did so
much to help establish Israel."
He cited a number of instance
in which Sen. Taft helped, and
mentioned the Senator's pres-
ent support of the proposed
grant-in-aid of $150,000,000 to
Israel.
Israel Ambassador Abbe. Eban
accepted the Congressional Rec-
ords. He said the government of
Israel "applauds the graceful
initiative" of Dr. Silver and
others who organized the lunch-
eon and the presentation of the
books. He paid tribute to Sen.
Taft and said - Zionists should
look back to those who support-
ed Zionism during the "days of
adversity."
Yaacov Geri Arrives
To Assist Bond Drive
Yaacov Geri, in his first pub-
lic statement after his appoint-
ment as Israel's Minister of
Trade and Industry, announced
a new slogan for the Jewish
State: "The investor is always
right."
This phrase represents the
same dual aspect of the modern
State of Israel that Yaacov
Geri represents in his own life:
the synthesis between idealism
and practicality, the fulfillment
of an age-old Jewish dream and
the establishment of a strong
nation, capable of coping with
the intricate economic, political
and military problems of the
mid-Twentieth Century.
Yaacov Geri arrived in the
United States this week to par-
ticipate in the launching of the
$500,000,000 State of Israel "In-
dependence" Bond Issue, the
public sale of which will begin
about May 1.
Geri is chairman of the board
of directors of the Ata Textile
Company, member of the boards
of the Palestine Land Develop-
ment Company and Fertilizers
and Chemicals, Ltd.
One of Mr. Geri's major in-
terests has been the develop-
ment of Tiberias, Israel's resort
city on the Sea of Galilee.
Senate and House Get Bills
To Grant Israel X150,000,000
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The
Senate and the House Monday
received bills calling for the
United States to grant $10,000,-
000 in financial aid to the gov-
ernment of Israel. The Senate
measures was introduced jointly
by Senators Paul A. Douglas,
Democrat of Illinois, and Robert
A. Taft, Republican of Ohio.
The House measure was sub-
mitted by Majority Leader John
W. McCormack of Massachu-
setts, and it is expected that
the House will receive compan-
ion legislation from Minority
Leader John W. Martin, also of
Massachusetts.
After introducing their bill,
Senators Douglas and Taft is-
sued a joint statement declar-
ing that the "menace of new
aggressions by Communist ty-
ranny in Iran or elsewhere in
the Near East is great" and
that "Israel is a bulwark in
that area of world democracy."
The joint statement said:
"T h e economic assistance to
strengthen free nations which
since World War II has been
such a significant part of our
foreign policy should, in our
opinion, now be extended to Is-
rael. We believe that this can
and must be done within the
overall limits set in the -budget
by President Truman for foreign
Near East," he stated, adding
that he believes "the time has
come to regard Israel as a
truly democratic nation and
as a dependable ally of the
United States."
The economic burden of Is-
rael in receiving hundreds of
thousands of displaced persons
is so overwhelming that it must
invite the sympathy and co-
operation of all liberty-loving
peoples everywhere and espe-
cially in the United States, Rep.
McCormack said.
Rep. Joseph Martin, House
Minority leader, on Tuesday
introduced a bill in the House
which would grant $150,000,-
000 in financial aid to Israel.
The bill follows similar meas-
u r e s submitted Monday by
36 senators.
The bill introduced in the
House has been sent to the
House Committee on Foreign
Affairs. The similar bill sub-
mitted by Sen. Robert Taft and
Sen. Paul A. Douglas to the
Senate was referred on Tues-
day to the Foreign Relations
Committee of the Senate.
Marchioness to Help
Dedicate Wise Memorial
aid."
The Senators expressed hope
that the bill will receive early
s t u d y and favorable action.
They pointed out that Israel
"probably has t h e strongest
army in the Near East, aside
from Turkey," and emphasized
the fact. that "while Israel is
scarcely three years old as a
modern state, its achievements
have already been historic."
The Senators noted that de-
spite heroic efforts of Israel's
own people, generous gifts of
others, and a substantial loan
from the Export-Import Bank,
there is a wide gap in the avail-
ability of consumer goods in the
Jewish state.
Rep. McCormack said that
he has watched with "deep
interest" the development of
the state of Israel from its
inception. "It is gratifying to
note its progress as a true
democratic outpost in t h e
MARCHIONESS OF READING
Her Ladyship, the Marchioness
of Reading, arrived in the U. S.
on April 3 to deliver the princi-
pal address at the dedication of
the new Stephen Wise Congress
House in New York.
Between You and Me
(copyright,
By BORIS SMOLAR
1951, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Zionist Trends
More than 100 members of the U. S. Congress have already
pledged themselves to support Israel's request for the $150,000,000
grant-in-aid from the American Government . . . A bi-partisan
bill. for the grant-in-aid will be introduced in both houses of
Congress. - . •
The Jewish Agency concluded an agreement with the Zionist
Organization of America which establishes certain limitations on
ZOA fund-raising . . . The agreement provides that ZOA is to
conduct no cash fund-raising whatsoever for Israel projects this
year. ZOA can continue to collect contributions in kind on be-
half of the Israeli Veterans Center, however, with solicitation
limited exclusively to ZOA membership • . . Under no circum-
stances can ZOA conduct campaigns for cash in lieu of materials.
. . . On the basis of this agreement, ZOA has discontinued its
recent mail appeal for cash on behalf of the Iraeli - Veterans Cen-
ter ... The limitations upon ZOA fund-raising were imposed by
the Jewish Agency in view of the allocation made by the Agency
to the World General Zionist Constructive Fund . ZOA will
continue its general campaign for support of its domestic activi-
ties through the American Zionist Fund . . . This will continue to
include requests for allocations from Jewish welfare funds.
*
*
*
Domestic Developments
The Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service has sus-
pended its active program . . A decision to suspend operations
was taken by the Bureau's Board of Trustees after several months
of negotiation had failed to result in a feasible plan for a continu-
ing program .. . The Bureau will remain in existence as a cor-
porate body and its board will consider what continuing activities
should and can be maintained on a practical basis . . . Interim
responsibility for concluding the Bureau's active program is lodged
in a committee consisting of Harry H. Lurie, Frances Taussig and
Bernard H. Trager . . . The Bureau was organized in 1947 and suc-
ceeded in training a number of students for Jewish community
work.
It may be news to some that there are today 222 Jewish Men's
Clubs affiliated with the Reform movement . . . They have about
45,000 members throughout the United States and Canada .
Their activities are concentrated primarily on strengthening the
feeling of Jewishness among their members and stressing Juda-
ism's contributions to the world . .. Among these Men's Clubs are
some which count more than 1,000 members each and which con-
duct fine programs for American Jewish and non-Jewish youth,
especially in colleges . . . The Conservative synagogue has its own
Men's Clubs . . . Their number exceeds 150, witt a membership
of about 22,00+0 .. . Their program provides for fostering Jewish
self-identification, Jewish orientation and Jewish religious and
c ultural activities.
.