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'The Wild Wheel'—Henry Ford
Mechanical Genius and
The 'Valor of Ignorance
Shevuot
Shevuot, the traditional festival which
celebrates the Season of the Giving of the
Law on Mount Sinai, also observed as the
Day of the First Fruits. has taken additional
important meaning because it is the season
of confirmation and consecrations, of gradu-
ations and commencements.
An appropriate Hassidic tale merits quo-
tation at this time:
Rabbi Yitzchak of Gur, the Hassidie sage
said: Why is Shevuot referred to as "The time
of the Giving of the Torah" and not "the
Time of the Receiving of the Torah?" Because
the time of the giving of the Torah was only
at Mount .Sinai. whereas the time of the re-
ceiving of the Torah is every day.
This sound bit of advice could well serve
as a g tide for Jews everywhere. But it is par-
ticularly appropriate for the young people
who will receive their diplomas from our
schook and who will be consecrated to serv-
ice to Israel in our synagogues.
The receiving of the Torah is every day."
If the rising generation will remember
and accept this, if our young people will re-
introdoce it in the hearts and homes of their
parents. Shevuost will have recaptured its
significance.
May the spirit of this great festival rule
e‘ery%\ here as an assurance that the Deca-
lowly im tided down to us, and through us to
mankind, on Shevuot will continue to be the
guiding ideal for peace and for a humanity
elevated to highest principles.
Veto for McCarran
Only one hope remains for the preven-
tion of injustice towards naturalized citizens
and prospective immigrants to this country
t hrough the McCarran Act which was
adopted in spite of the valiant efforts of
Senators Lehman, Humphrey, Morse, Moody,
Benton, Pastore, Langer, Kefauver, Douglas,
McMahon and their associates: a Presiden-
tial veto and a subsequent vote upholding it.
Pas sa ge of the measure. debate on Which
was marked by much bitterness, represents
a step backwards in Americanism. It is an
unfortunate yielding to panic. To quote the
N. Y. Times editorial summary:
"Grave issues are involved. As Mr. Lehman
has said, the McCarran bill poses the question
of our basic national philosophy and of our
social philosophy; it poses questions of law, of
justice and of civil liberty; it raises problems
of .foreign policy and of our internal security.
The McCarran bill contains provisions that
are harsh to the point of ferocity; it strength-
ens the racial bias of our existing law while
making a gesture in the direction of non-dis-
crimination; it leaves far too great power in
the hands of administrative officials; and so
far from strengthening our country against its
enemies, the net effect in our judgment would
be seriously to weaken the 'United States in the
cold war against Communist subversion and
aggression. The bill should not be passed in
anything like its present form: and if passed
it deserves the veto which it will probably re-
ceive."
Welcome, Mr. Moshe Sharett
The Detroit Jewish community will be host on Tues-
day to Moshe Sharett, the Israel Foreign Minister who will
"For seven years he carried on a campaign
come here in the interests of the United Jewish Appeal.
of defamation against the Jews. For its spirit
Mr. Sharett's outstandino- career as statesman and Jew-
of enterprise, for marvel of invention and for
ish leader are well known. '' He has for many years been
among, the world's outstanding Zionists. He has helped valor of ignorance. it had no parallel in all
the literature of anti-Semitism. He did not
guide Israel towards statehood. He has spoken for Israel
write it. Cameron, his editor. did the writing,
before the United Nations and has represented the infant
as everybody knew. The organ was the Dear-
state in her dealings with many governments.
born Independent, Ford's private magazines
He is an able orator. a brilliant scholar, a linguist of
which 7.000 Ford dealers, Jewish and non-
note, and his addresses have inspired Jewish communities to
Jewish. were obliged to buy and promote. The
action in behalf of Israel.
first series of the articles in the Independent
The important position Mr. Sharett holds in world af-
began: 'There is a race a part of humanity
fairs is in itself sufficient to arouse wide interest in his visit
which has never yet been received as a wel-
here and to inspire an overflow gathering to come to hear
come part.' The articles were reprinted in jour
him. There is special importance in his appearance here in
books and widely distributed, not for profit.
the fact that he is in this country in the interests of the
"The curious fact was that Ford probably
United Jewish. Appeal and is coming to Detroit to encourage
believed himself when he said he was not .
strong support for the Allied Jewish Campaign, this com-
anti-Semitic. He was only trying once and for,
munity's vehicle for the gathering of funds for the UJA.
all to settle the immemorial Jewish question.
Our campaign is going well and it is encouraging to
How? By obliging Jews to see themselves as he
know that the leaders in the current fund-raising effort will
saw them; and he,xpected good Jews to stand
be able to report to Mr. Sharett that approximately 65 per
with him. One ofthis good Jews was a rabbi
cent of last year's final amount already has been reached
in Detroit to whom he presented each year
and that prospects are good for the gathering of the en-
a Ford car in token of friendship. He was
tire sum of $5,200,000, which is the minimum needed to
astonished and hurt when one year the rabbi
assure Israel's receiving as much as last year from our
refused to accept his gift, and called him on
community.
the telephone to ask wh9t was wrong. Bad
Final triumph for the campaign will mean extra work.
something come between them? -
It calls for complete coverage of all outstanding prospects.
(The rabbi referred to, not mentioned by
It means that the volunteers must exert their energies to-
name in Garrett's book, was the late Dr. Leo M.
wards attainment of the task ahead.
of Detroit).
In welcoming to Detroit the distinguished Israeli states- Franklin
Garrett does not report the Sapiro-Bernstelit
man, we urge that the Allied Jewish Campaigners should trials. but he tells about the Ford apology. Be
re-dedicate themselves to the serious job of making our 1952 says Ford did not write it, "he only signed it."
The Ford dealers breathed a sigh of relief that
campaign a total success.
We join in greeting Israel's Foreign Minister Moshe the Independent was abandoned. Garrett does
quote from Ford's "My Life and Work" (1922)—
Sharett and in welcoming him to Detroit.
We urge President Truman to return the
measure to Congress with his disapproval.
We hope that the liberal forces will be in
position to rally enough votes to uphold
From the moment that Israel interrupted negotiations
a veto.
In the meantime, we wish to commend with the West German government, it became evident that
the courageous Senators. including Michigan a new crisis had arisen, challenging not only the Jewish com-
Junior Senator, Mr. Blair Moody, for their munities throughout the world. whose sorrow over the death
firm stand against an unjust move in the of the 6,000,000 at the hands of the Nazis makes it impossible
Senate. As long as there are a few power- either to forgive or to forget the horrors that were per-
ful voices left in defense of the highest petrated by Germans, but the entire civilized world whose
American ideals, there is hope for a return leaders must be held responsible for moral acts involving
to the basic ideals upon which this country restitution and indemnification.
The resignation of the heads of the German delegation
was founded.
at the sessions held at The Hague, in the Netherlands, of-
fered proof that the hard-hearted still are in control of af-
fairs in West Germany. True, an important faction insists
Incorporating - the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
upon full indemnification for wrongs committed against
commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
Jewry. But the mere fact that there is a difference of opinion
mernhcr: American Association of English-Jewish News- as to the amount to be paid—yea, even over payment itself
papers. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Je,ish News Publishing
—may point to a new struggle which could easily flare up
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg.. Detroit 26. Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subseription $4 a sear: foreign 55.
into a revived boycott of Germany and complete repudia-
Entered as second class matter Aug 6. 1942 at Post Office,
tion of the West German government whose faith now is
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3. 1879.
being questioned.
PHILIP SLOMOV1TZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager
Withdrawal of the Boehm resignation and the renewed
FRANK SIMONS, City Editor
Adenauer assurance offers some hope of an honorable ap-
May 30, 1952 proach to the issue. But the burden of proof is upon the
Page 4
Vol. XXI—No. 12
Cause for Serious Alarm
THE JEWISH NEWS
Shevuot Scriptural Selections
On Shcruot. Friday and Saturday, the fol-
lowing Scriptural selections will be read in our
Garet Garrett was sent to Detroit by the
New York Times to cover the story of Henry
Ford's revolutionary step of doubling wages. The
world thought the man was crazy. Oferrett be
gan his study of this manand his work. New*
38 years later, he records his accumulated facts -
in. - The Wild Wheel' (published by Pantheo*
Books. 333 6th Ave., NY 14).
It is more than bigotry; it is a record et-
mechanical development, a history of our time,
an evaluation of a struggle between contending
industrial forces.
Ford emerges as the mechanical genius, the
master mind who knew the machine he develop-
ed and had a better idea of business than he
was given credit for.
The reader will learn a lot in this book about
Cameron and Sorensen, about Jim Couzens and
Harry Bennett. Couzens, pushed out of the or-
ganization, was wiser than other minority stock-
holders. He dealt directly with Ford in selling
his stock and got a better price. When the battle
over dividends was taken to court, Ford was
ordered to pay $686 for each dollar originally
invested--68,800 per cent.
Garrett disposes of Bennett's book "We Never
Called Him Henry" by calling it "very stupid"....,
"except as it unconsciously reveals three things
. . that Ford forged Bennett as a mindless
tool and used it with amazing deftness ... that
Bennett had no power except as Ford provided it
. . . that Bennett never knew what Ford was
about."
Garrett records the debit side. noting the
"valor of ignorance. - Ford "believed there was
a Jewish conspiracy to corrupt and destroy the
Christian world. He believed the Protocols of
Zion." Garrett 's brief analysis of the Ford
mind on the Jewish question is interesting:
Germans.
"the style is Cameron's"—which emphasized that
"the genius of the United States is Christian."
It is evident that the blame for "the valor
of ignorance" in relation to Jews is Cameron's.
As a recapitulation of an important episode in
American history. Garrett's "The Wild Wheel,"
the story of Henry Ford's world, will be read with
keen interest.
Facts You Should Know:
Why are marriages generally prohibited be.
tween Passover and Shevuot?
A tragic event occurred in this period whe*
the famous Rabbi Akiba and his 24,000 disciples
were killed. This took place during the days be-
tween the two festivals and thus the period has
become one of mourning, and merry events are
prohibited except on certain select days.
Some sources have also attached a feeling of
misfortune to this period. It is well known that
among Jews there have always existed opinions
about certain times being more fortunate than
others for the holding of marriage ceremonies.
The fundamental reason for the prohibition of
marriages at this season, however, is the matter
of mourning, as described earlier.
In ancient Israel these were busy days WI
harvest and of traveling to and from the Temple
for the festival . periods. Thus the marriage
would not have received its proper attention.
Why do women refrain from doing any work
from sunset to the time of the count during
Naturally, we hope that the honor-pursuing elements
period?
will triumph and that a moral debt will not be denied. Pay- this The
dead students who fell during the slaugh.
of the ter weren't
ment
of
the
debt
will
not
wipe
out
even
a
scintilla
able to receive the proper burial use.
synagogues:
to
til sunset. since the battle raged all day. It was
Pentateuchal portions: Fridoy. Ex. 19:1-20:23, guilt from which Germans will suffer for generations
of
the women who visited the battlefields and
Num. 28:26-31; Saturday, Deut. 14:22-16:17, come. But the Germans who are seeking the good will
Num, 28:26-31.
Prophetical portion': Friday, Ezek. 1:1-28;
3:12;` Saturday, Hah. 3 1 - 19.
Licht Benshen, Friday, May 30, 7:39
p.m..
mankind must, at least, pay the sufferers. The "good Ger-
mans" as the present rulers wish to be referred to—are on
trial. It remains to be seen whether they choose to be aligned
with the civilized peoples or to revert back to Nazi ideology.
bravely removed the corpses and attended to the
last rites. For this they were rewarded with
time off from work so that all would remember
their heroic deeds.