Abba Lban Denies Onus of Tension Is on Israel
Ambassador Points to Casualties
Inflicted on Israelis by Syrians
Continued from Page 1
Israel in the Huleh region, Sec-
retary McGhee made it clear
that "the Government of the
United States takes a serious
view of the incidents," He em-
phasized that the U. S. considers
that the stake which the two
countries and the United Na-
tions have in the maintenance
of peace along their frontiers is
such that attempts to determine
responsibility or validity of
claims or counter-claims are
dwarfed in the larger context of
the necessity to maintain peace
in the area."
"The U. S.," Secretary McGhee
said, "regrets the recent shoot-
ing of seven Israel policemen in
the southern part of the demil-
itarized zone. The Israel Ambas-
sador was informed that it is
the view of the 1' S. Govern-
ment, however, that this 'inci-
dent in no way justified subse-
quent retaliatory bombing by
the Israeli Air Force of Syrian
territory. Further, the U. S. as-
sumes the Israel Government
will cease forthwith military
action in the area and will act
in accord with the findings of
the United Nations.
"In the long run the position
of Israel-in the Near East is de-
pendent upon the development
of friendly relations with the
Arab states. Incidents of this
kind can only postpone the
achievement by Israel of sound
neighborly relations. Moreover,
they contribute definitely to in-
creased instability in an impor-
tant area of the world at a time
when the critical conditions of
international affairs can ill-
afford such a situation."
Sec. McGhee said substantially
the same thing to the Syrians,
but did not elaborate the details
as was done in the case of Israel,
The Syrian Minister "was in-
formed that the U. S. urged
Syria to take immediate steps
to assure there will be no fur-
ther recourse to violence on the
part of Syrian forces." The U.S.
has already instructed its mis-
sion in Syria and Israel to in-
form both government of its be-
lief that the demilitarized zone
should be immediately evacu-
ated by military forces of both
sides and both governments
should act in accord with the
findings of the U.N.
Both Israel and Syria were in-
formed that "the U.S. proposes
to undertake immediate discus-
sions with France and the
United Kingdom under terms of
the three-power agreement of
May 25, 1950." Thes6 discussions
have already begun with the
British and French embassies
here, it was learned. The U.N.
Security Council will probably
take up the question this week
or next, a State Department
spokesman said.
(At the United Nations, the
Syrian delegation, in its fourth
communication on the Huleh
situation, asked the Security
Council to place five additional
complaints against Israel on its
agenda.)
* * *
Quiet Prevails on Frontier
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Quiet pre-
vailed on the Syrian-Israeli bor-
der while the reclamation work
in the Huleh area proceeded un-
disturbed. An Israeli military
spokesman said he is unable to
specify whether Syrian troops
were still in the Israel part of
the demilitarized zone near
Hamma. However, he empha-
sized that Syrian forces actually
dominate this strip of land from
their positions adjoining the
boundary.
Acting on instructions from
the State Department in Wash-
ington, U.S. Ambassador Monett
Davis called at the Foreign
Ministry to ask for information
on the demolition by Israeli
units of a number of houses in
the Huleh area. He was told
that the houses had been 'used
as snipers' hideouts against
Israeli police and United Nations
observers. The French Minister
in Israel similarly called at the
Foreign Ministry here for in-
formation on the Israeli-Syrian
border situation.
Political circles here believe
that the Israeli-Syrian conflict
is now being shifted from the
military to the diplomatic field.
All indications point to the fact
that there is determination to
utilize the three-day calm on
the border to restore the Syrian-
Israeli contacts through the
United Nations. The Syrian Gov-
ernment has so far not com-
plained to the Mixed Armistice
Commission against the demoli-
tion by the Israeli units of the
houses which allegedly had been
used by Syrian snipers.
An Israeli military spokesman
said that Israel is prepared to
resume talks with Syria through
the Mixed Armistice Commis-
sion. He revealed that the Is-
raeli authorities have ap-
proached Col. Bennet de Ridder,
Acting UN Truce Chief of Staff,
with a proposal- to this effect.
Informal talks between Israeli
and Syrian officials—the first
since the outbreak of the conflict
last week—may start tomorrow
Oddities in Jewish Life
THAN 50 JEWS
HAVE BEEN SEATED IN
THE U.S. SENATE!
7. 3
JEW-DAVID SCHWARZ-
INVENTED THE ZEPPELIN .
COUNT ZEPPELIN' SAW
HIS PLANS AND BOUGHT
THE PATENTS.
THEN THE AIR SHIP
BECAME FAMOUS!
a
TRADERS F.5ROuGHT
THE 'ARABIC." NUMERICAL
W5TEM FROM INDA TO PRA3424.-
....WHtRE UPON rt" WAS
INTRODUCED TO EUROPEAN
GiviLtzATioNI
k.,L)0Lsv.,
in the presence of a United Na-
tions observer at Rosh Pinah,
an Israeli settlement on the
Syrian frontier.
The spokesman said that the
bombing by Israeli planes of
Syrian military position does
not signify that Israel proposes
to declare war.
Syria-'s aggressiveness is the
"outcome of the intolerable sit-
uation emerging from the armis-
tice agreement and the fruits
of the Israel Government's per-
sistent appeasement policy to-
wards every deliberate, aggres-
sive act committed by the Syr-
ian authorities in the last two
years," the national convention
of the Herut party resolved.
`Tension Onus Not
On Israel'-Eban
.
Direct JTA Teletype Wires
to The Jewish News
WASHINGTON—Israel Ambas-
sador Abba Eban Tuesday night
told Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Burton Y. Berry that
Israel feels that "the onus of the
tension does not rest with Israel
because the intervention origi-
nated from the Syrian side." He
called at the Department as a
result of the publication by the
Department of statements by
Assistant Secretary of State
George C. McGhee, which were
interpreted as a rebuke of Israel's
retaliatory measures against
Syria.
Ambassador Eban said he
hoped the matter will be settled
peacefully, that the demilitarized
character of the trouble zone
will be restored, and that Israel
will be able to "carry out our
legitimate civilian projects." He
said he pursued with Mr. Berry
a discussion of incidents on the
Northeastern frontier of Israel,
A prepared statement issued by
the Israel embassy Wednesday
quoted the ambassador as say-
ing that peace can be restored
if Syria is bent or_ peace.
"In the meantime," the Am-
bassador is quoted as saying, .
"any attempt to suggest that the
chief onus lies on Israel for a
tension caused by Syrian initia-
tive would be both unobjective
in itself and gravely prejudicial
to the efforts of the United Na-
tions organs 'which are charged
with peaceful adjustment of ar-
mistice questions."
The Ambassador's statement
said also: "It is essential that
certain facts regarding tension
on Israel's north border should
be kept clearly in mind. Under
the armistice agreement and
by every other criterion, the
territory in question is part of
Israel, not of Syria. Syria has
attempted to interfere with an
Israel drainage project which
had been progressing peaceful-
ly for four months.
"Israel has not interfered
with Syrian drainage projects.
Syrian troops fired on Israel
civilians carrying out an Israel
project on Israel soil.
Casualties in this sorry af-
fair are Israelis and not Syr-
ians. Every member of the
United Nations should weigh
his own emotions as they would
be if a foreign government
first attempted to intervene in
development matters of strict-
ly domestic concern and then
burst into its territory to in-
flict brutal murder on its po-
lice."
Zionist Council Says
McGhee Is Prejudiced
NEW YORK—The American
Zionist Council Wednesday'
charged Assistant Secretary of
State George C. McGhee with
taking sides in the dispute be-
tween Israel and Syria and
thereby prejudicing the pros-
pects for an early and final
peace settlement in the Middle
East.
The Council referred to Mc-
Ghee's public rebuke of the gov-
ernment of Israel for its reac-
tion to the murder of seven
Israel policemen by Syrian
forces.
28
—
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 13, 1951 •
Defend Rabble-Rouser, UptonoClose
Non-Jewish Press off Base
In Reporting ADL Incident
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
Copyright 1951, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.
WASHINGTON—It is possible
for different reporters to report
varying versions of the same
event. This reporter is still as-
tonished, however, by the ac-
counts published in the non-
Jewish press of events which
occurred at a press conference
held at Washington's Willard
Hotel by the Anti-Defamation
League of Bnai Brith.
The conference was conduct-
ed by Judge Meier Steinbrink,
of New York, national chairman
of ADL. He had just finished
describing how "America faces a
twin enemy — danger from ag-
gressive Communism outside our
shores and danger of erosion of
our cherished freedoms from
within." Then, from within the
room, a. voice began to heckle
Judge Steinbrink. It was the
voice of Upton Close, the radio
commentator who has repeated-
ly been exposed by the ADL.
Close had barged into the
press conference. He availed
himself of the ADL's hospitality.
He tried to get reporters to lis-
ten to his criticisms of the ADL.
He even brought along his son.
Shouting that the ADL fol-
lowed the Communist line by
accusing him of anti-Semitism,
Close used the Hitler line of at-
tempting to equate Jews with
Communism in almost the same
breath that he complained Jews
had deprived him of free speech.
He denied being anti-Semitic
and said it was this allegation
which had cost him a number
of radio outlets. He said the
ADL "called out their dogs to
hound" him off the air.
' in linking Jews and Commun-
ism. This reporter covered the
entire affair.
The next day this reporter
read published accounts which
made him wonder if they con-
cerned the same events he had
covered. The D e n v e r, Colo.,
"Post" editorially complained
that Close was being "perse-
cuted" by Jews. The "Post" said,
"If responsible Jewish leaders
in the United States are wise,
they will put a stop to the
threats of boycott and discrimi-
nation that are being hurled by
various Jews and Jewish organ-
izations against the radio com-
mentator Upton-Close."
What 'Post' Failed to State
"It is apparent," the "Post"
said, "that organized Jewry is a
pressure group." The paper sug-
gested that "If one presstire
group can accompish such a
thing as that, who knows, some-
body might take similar action
against a whole segment of our
population, such as the Jewish
segment."
Listed below are a number of
items which the accounts of
Close's "persecution" fails to
include:
1. In a speech at Milwaukee,
Wis., Oct. 29, 1949, Close said:
"Thirty million Americans of
German descent should arise
and fight the present adminis-
tration and the Bnai Brith and
Anti-Defamation League."
2. In a speech at San Fran-
cisco, Close once said: "The
Anglophiles and the Jewish p...,-
ple on the umbilical coast east
of the Hudson River" were being
A Victim of Own Record
"taken for a ride in a taxicab
Washington ADL Director of sympathy for England or
Herman Edelsberg told Close hatred for Hitler" and were in-
that he was "the victim of his volving the nation in World War
own record." When Close com- II.
plained that the ADL had re-
3. In a Cleveland speech,
fused to talk with him in the Close raved about "Communist
past, Judge Steinbrink invited control" of American Jewry.
him to make an appointment to
4. In a Michigan speech.
discuss any question at any Close said "Marxists are trying
time. Close continued to bait to smear all persons who are
the ADL. The ADL chairman against them by labeling them
then asked Close and his son to as anti-Semitic."
cease their bickering and to
5. In February, 1948, Close
leave the room so that the press attacked the Zionists as a
conference could continue and "loud-mouthed, intolerant, per-
the reporters could obtain the secuting, violence-loving, dual-
material they came after. Close citizenship seeking group."
refused to leave but finally did
6. Close has joined with
so when a move got under way Gerald L. K. Smith in baiting
to summon authorities.
Jews in public office, aiming at
Close, on his way out of the such personalities as Judge
hotel lobby, delivered an ha- Samuel Rosenman, Presidential
rangue to reporters on how the Assistant David K. Niles, Asso-
ADL followed the Moscow line ciate Supreme Court Justice
by attacking such a great anti- Felix Frankfurter, elder states-
Communist as Upton Close. He man Bernard Baruch, and so
insinuated that Hitler was right forth.
Famous Personalities
BORN IN RUSSIA
IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA
AT THE AGE OF. 18
0
I
1
WARTED HIS MOVIE'
CAREER BY RUNNING A
A LITTLE MOVIE THEATRE,
IN HAVERHILL, MASS.
WHICH HE RAPIDLY DEV-
ELOPED INTO A LARGE
CHAIN OF THEATRES ALL
OVER NEW ENGLAND. HE
LATER CAPTURED ALL 1
RIGHTS Tc> GONE WITH
THE WIND IN THE NEW
ENGLAND AREA. THRoUGli
SUCCESSFUL MERGERS
HE BUILT THE BIGGEST
AND RIcHEST MOVIE PROD-
ucric 5TUDioS IN THE wORLD
LOU I S B. NTAYEk
F