HE JEWISH NEWS
German Reparations:
Forgiveness,
Abominations
and Morality
Review of Pressing
Problem in Commen-
tary on Page 2
VOLUME 21—No. 24
A Weekly Review
iii
of Jewish Events
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Editorial and Book
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McCarran Act Visa Rules Compel
Identification of Jews by Religion
Hokum from 11 u.shitu;tort
Jews Maligned and Pitied
In Reports About Russia
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
Agency. Inc.
-Copyright. 1952. Jew3Ah
WASHINGTON—Anti-Jewish material, prepared by a for-
mer Soviet citizen, is being distributed by the Department of
State. The Office of Intelligence Research of the department
is disseminating allegations that Jews are treated with favoritism
in the Sos iet Union.
This is going on at the same time that the Library of Con-
gress, through its LegislatiNe Reference Sersice, is making
documented charges that Russian Jews are the
terrorized victims of anti-Semitism. The ob-
vious' conclusitin is that either the State De-
partment or the Library of Congress is putting
out a lot of hokum.
The State Department report, which con-
vrAt
tains the observations of a Ukrainian who de-
serted the Red Army, is entitled. - The Soviet
l) ns."
Union
iti As Reported by Former .SoN iet Citize
,
e toll the stork ofan occasion in
the report said. when a Ukrainian Jew stole
some sugar beets from a cart belonging to a resident of . .
and the latter struck the Jew in the face. The case was reported
to the chairman of the village Soviet and the man who struck
the blow was taken aw.ay and never heard of .again. The sourer
said that if it had been anyone but a Jew, no such action would
have been taken." The source is directly quoted as saving. "Jews
never became soldiers."
The material is intended -to make available- to studeias
of Soviet affairs•basic data for their research from sources not
readily available." There is a sentence. buried in the middle
of a paragraph describing the report. which states that the
substance of the material is unetaluated by the .%tate Depart-
ment and does not necec.saril) reflect the tiew.s of the depart-
ment or any. other government agencl.
A careful study of the report indicates that although the
source was described as - able-bodied. - during the Nazi insasion,
there was no mention of any anti-Nazi action on his part in
either the guerillas or regular army. He was drafted into the
Red Army after the war and became a master sergeant. Because
of his hatred for Communikm he deserted and entered Western
Europe as a political refugee. Now he emerges as the source of
anti-Jewish material extensively printed and widely distributed
by the State Department. He is not named because the depart-
ment fears for the safety of his family which remains in the
Ukraine.
The report says: - During his army service from 19ii to
19-iS. the source obsersed anti-Semitic feelings in the army. It
was extremel) dangerous-to speak openly against the Jews. For
this offense. one could receive a stiff prison sentence. He said
that . .fews never became soldiers.' The Jew is crafty, is able to
work with his head and holds such positions as doctor, supply
officer. agitator, or any position with the rank of officer. He
said the soldiers used to tell mild. harmless jokes about Jews
which were not regarded as offensive. The source himself said
he had no feeling of prejudice against the Jewish race."
The source said that in his - native village there were a
half-dozen Jews in a population of 2,00() persons and recalled
little anti-Semitic feeling. During- the German occupation a
few persons expressed the opinion that it was good the Germans
bad killed the Jews, but in general only sympathy was expressed.
This "material" on Russian Jews did soot; make up the
entire report but teas found in a special sub-section. The
rest of the report dealt with the Red Army and other subjects.
State Department sources. questioned about the report, defend-
ed it. Thy said it was valuable to the many Americans hungry
for information from behind the Iron Curtain. However. the
State Department did feel that people should analyze such
reports before accepting all the details. It was a "sponge
report." so called because State Department - Intelligence
erwrings out" everything a source knows about the Soviet
Union.
An official, who would speak only when promised anony-
mity, was asked whether or not it made any difference if such
intelligehce sources were anti-Semitic. He replied that the im-
portant factor, which overshadowed any other consideration,
was that they were anti-Communist.
The State Department may know how to objectively wring
out these sponges. But ordinary citizens will find themselves
eonfronted. with ,"sources" who lead them to believe that Jews
are treated with favoritism in Russia. This may deceive a lot
sf people but certainly will not mislead Jewish refugees from
Eastern Europe.
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
WASIIINGTO_N —The ‘'isa Division of the State Department which
has long refrained from listing the religious persuasion of visa applicants is
adopting a new system by which Jews seeking American visas must be identified
by their religion. This WAS confirmed Tuesday by State Department sources.
Visa officials explained that Jews must be identified as such because of
"ethnic - information required under a provision of the Mt:Carr-an-Walter Omni-
bus Immigration Bill which goes into effect on Dec. 24.
Anticipating the application of the new law, Visa Chief Iferve J.
Ihereux has issued orders for new forms to elicit information about Jewish per-
sons and otherwise change the present regulations. Jews would be specifically
identified under Section 222-A of the NIcCarran-Walter Act. This section r•-
quires that each alien "shall state his race and ethnic origin.•' The visa division's
interpretation of this legal terminology is that Jews oinstitute a separate ethnic
category and must be so identified under the requirements demanding "ethnic
The Washington office of the Bnai Brith Anti-Defamation League has discussed the
matter in correspondence exchanged with authorities in the governMent.
Copies of the nev, - forms of immigration and visitor visa applications were requested
the Washington JTA Bureau. but this request was turned down.. The Visa Division
said at first that new forms had not yet been prepared in conformity with the M•Car-
ran-Walter Act. After inquiring into the specific ri.ason the forms were wanted, a Visa
Division employee said that no forms, old or new. were available anywhere in Washington.
by
Political Leaders Renew Pledges to Bar
Campaign Prejudice; Nixon Denies Bias
WASHINGTON, (JTA.)
Chairman Stephen A. Mitchell of the Democratic National
C'ommittee this week reaffirmed a pledge made by his predecessor, Frank E. McKinney,
that "the Democratic Party will keep religious and racial prejudice
out of the 1952 campaign."
Mr. Mitchell made his reaffirmation in a letter addressed to Sol
Fineberg of the American Jewish Committee, who is acting spokes-
man for six Protestant. Catholic and Jewish leaders who had asked
Mr. McKinney early in July for the support of the Democratic Party
in pi-eventing the injection of racial or religious bigotry into the
1952 campaign.
Likewise, the Republican National Committee pledged that it
would condemn religious or racial bigotry in the election campaign.
Arthur E. Summerfield. chairman of the Republican National Com-
mittee. said that he would send an anti-prejudice statement to all
Republican candidates.
"The 1952 election must stand before the world as a shining
Mitchell
example of how the people of a great republic resolve issues and
differences of viewpoint within the broad framework of freedom and equal justice for
all," Summerfield wrote.
Sen. Nixon Repudiates Charges He Is Anti-Semitic
DENVER, (JTA)—Sen. Richard M. Nixon. Republican vice-presidential candidate.
in a statement this seek to the Intermountain Jewish News and Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, categorically repudiated charges that he was anti-Semitic.
He said that the story of his alleged anti-Semitism was spread
by Communists. which was corrolverrated by the Los Angeles Mirror.
"I recently took my political life in my hands by opposing
Jack Tenney. a protege of Gerald L. K. Smith. in the California
primary for Congress," Sen. Nixon commented. "You can't imagine
„. how much heat. I took for that from that crowd that follows
Smith. Robert Williams and those crackpots."
The California senatoy called attention --to his voting record
as an advocate of aid to - Israel and to his role in framing a pro-
Israel 'platform plank.
Earlier this week Sen. Nixon made an unheralded appearance
at the national convention of auxiliaries of the Jewish Consump-
tives' Relief Society, at the Brown Palace Hotel here.
Nixon announced the receipt of a statement from the Corn-
munity Relations Committee of the Los Angeles Jewish Com-
Sen. Nixon
munity Council. lashing at the attempted injection of bigotry into the current political
campaign. The statement was signed by Judge Isaac Pacht, chairman of the commun-
ity relations committee.
Ike Studies Proposals to Improve Aid to Israel -
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower is in favor of broadening and strengthening American
policy of cooperation with Israel, according to a statement issued in his behalf by Ar-
thur H. Vandenberg, Jr., his campaign aide.
The statement, made to Arieh Gelblum. American corres-
pondent of Haaretz. the Tel Aviv .daily, revealed that the Repub-
lican candidate is receiving many suggestions for improving Ameri-
can policy on Israel and had assigned staff experts to make
recommendations on these suggestions.
This study, the statement declared, would continue after the
November elections so that the. General would be prepared to
make a definite statement on Israel early in 1953. The statement
issued in behalf of Gen. Eisenhower. said that "whatever -changes
are made must undoubtedly be accomplished by broadening and
strengthening existing legislation and policy."
Vandenberg