Purely Commentary

2—THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, October 24, 1952

Support of Zionism,
Financing of House,
King for a Day
The Voter
In a few days, every American citizen will be King for a day. Urged by A. C. Lappin

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

$1,000,000 Goal. Is Set for Local
Cash Mobilization Drive for UJ A:
$500,000 Presented at Conference

—

He will be the ruler who, on Nov. 4, will render the verdict over
candidates for office and will declare who is to be President,
who are to legislate in our Congress, what policies are to be pur-
sued in matters of labor, immigration, foreign policy.
He will render his verdict in a simple environment, in a ballot
box made of coarse wood, covered by a curtain that will give him
privacy, and he will be protected by law making him supreme in
his reign over the political arena.
The candidates will have spoken, there will have been many
polls and predictions, but in the hand of this King for a Day
will lie the verdict over the future of this country for four years
to come.
On the score of polls, the voter will prove the validity of
Benjamin Disraeli's assertion that "there is no gambling like poli-
tics." But the gambling is being done by those who engage in
polls. The serenity is the voter's.
There will be much to regret when the day of judgment
passes. The mudslinging will be cause for repentance and many
a politician will turn good sportsman, yielding to the great
American principle that we bow to the winner and that the
majority, although it must always be watched by a vigilant
minority, must cooperate in the affairs of state.
Some of the mudslinging was atrocious. It was harsh on our
ears to hear a former governor of Minnesota, who has been ele-
vated to a university presidency, accuse our President of being
ready to sell his own mother in order to achieve his purpose. It
was a crude thing to say about a man who had been so loyal to
his mother, who is so loyal to family, who is loyal to the country he
serves. It was the harshest thing we heard in this campaign and
we believe the man who so sinned should be rebuked. But in the
main, although Grover Cleveland may have been right when he
said that "party honesty is party expediency," America,ns are good
sports, and we shall emerge good sportsmen after Nov. 4.
One duty is major: To rule on that day, the citizen must vote.
By exercising this right, we strengthen our faith in • democracy.
Long live the Voter!

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Once Again : The % 'Jewish Vote' Bogey

Until the very last moment of campaigning, however, there
will undoubtedly be recriminations, and references to the sectional
votes. There will be talk about "the Jewish vote," and while bar-
gaining for it will be a keen business,. there will be denials of its
very existence.
Actually, there_ is no such thing as a "Jewish vote." Jews vote
like their neighbors. They are motivated by the same appeals, by
the same fears and anxieties. If they lean towards labor, they vote
like the workers; if they are motivated by resentment against high
taxes, they steer in the direction of those who think in terms of
"being burdened" by government. The rational fellow utters thanks
to his Maker and to his Destiny every moment of his waking days
that he is privileged to pay taxes for a great return: FREEDOM.
One of our daily newspapers, referring to the chatter by
analysts about Negro or JewiSh votes, came to a wise conclusion:
that "apparently the outcome hinges on people." That's correct:
people are the voters, it does.not matter what their faith or color
or nationality background. Their motivations, however, are mainly

economic.

The McCarran Issue: Truman, Silver, Ike and Adlai

In an appeal to the Zionists
of Detroit, A. C. Lappin, presi-
dent of the Zionist Organiza-
tion of Detroit this week urged
support of the Balfour Ball and
of the Zionist House on Linwood
and Lawrence.
Posing the question whether
there would
have been an
The check was presented last
Israel without week end to the UJA at its
Zionism, Mr.I national conference in Wash-
L a ppin pointed ington by Isidore Sobeloff,
out that Zion- executive director of the Jew-
ists toiled f o r ish Welfare Federation of De-
50 years to make troit, who has since left for
a reality of a Paris where he will attend the
Jewish state. As- Joint Distribution Committee
serting that Zi- Country Directors' Conference
onist work must on Oct. 26—the only American
A. C. Lappin go on, he said: Jew, outside of the UJA di-
"In Detroit the traditional rector, and the JDC assistant
Balfour Ball (Nov. 15)—the out-
standing social event of the
year—is the principal source of
revenue to finance and main-
tain the District (and its House)
and t h e National Programs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cash
'Patron tickets are in denomina-
tions of $10 to $100; many having proceeds for the United Jewish
Subscribed up to $500. This year Appeal totaling $18,150,000 came
we must sell more tickets and forward here at the final ses-
in larger amounts. Since the joy I sion of the UJA's emergency
of serving your fellow man is National Leadership Conference
the most satisfying I believe to give the Appeal better than
you'll receive our solicitor in 50 per cent of the $35,000,0010 it
your usual friendly way and do is seeking in the last three
months of 1952.
, your best for the cause."
Detroit is included in this
Harry Cohen heads the com-
j mittee on . 'arrangements for the sum in the amount of $1,000,-
!Balfour Ball. Reservations may 000.
The more than $18,000,000 in
be made through members of
ZOD, Mr. Cohen or Mr. Lappin. checks also brought the UJA's
A nationwide Zionist Mobili- cash income to $64,000,000 for
zation Week, aimed at the the first nine and a half months
speedy re-enrollment of the of the year.
1951-52 b h. of the Zi-
Edward M. M. Warburg, gen-
onist Organization of America eral chairman, termed the $18,-
and the recruiting of thous- 150,000 cash proceeds "all the
ill be more astonishing and unprece-
observed beginning Nov. 2, the dented for coming just four
35th anniversary of the issu- weeks following our first an-
ance of the historic Balfour nouncement that we would seek
Declaration, according to an $35,000,000 in the last three
announcement by Rabbi I. months of 1952."
Usher Kirshblum of Flushing,
Abba S. Eban, Israel Ambas-
N. Y., national membership sador to the United States, in a
chairman of the ZOA.
major address on opening of
Appointment of 1VI or tim or e the conference Saturday even-
May of Nashville as national ing, told the more than 600 as-
chairman and Joseph Goldberg sembled Jewish leaders that the
of Worcester as co-chairman of United Nations can "contribute
the American Zionist Fund of
the Zionist Organization of
America was announced by ZOA
headquarters in New York.

The Association of Hebrew association, stated that this

Teachers of Detroit announced
this week that it will honor one
of its most distinguished mem-
bers,—Max Gordon—at a brun-
cheon at the Rose Sitting Cohen
Bldg., Nov. 9.
Morris Nobel, president of the

truncheon will be the teachers'
special gathering in honor of
this year's Education Month.
Mr. Gordon-has taught in the
local schools for more than 30
years. He is the author of teach-
ers' guides and is an outstand-
ing lecturer on Biblical lore.

secretary, invited to attend.

Harold Kukes, chairman of the
Drive, has announced that work- '
ers in all divisions brought in'
over $104,000 when the first re-
port meeting was held Oct. 17:
The second report session •ts
scheduled for today in the Fred
M. Butzel Memorial Building at
a 12:30 p.m. luncheon.
Leading division in the Drive
to date is the Mechanical Trades
group, led by Nathan Kolb and
Jack Lefton, whose workers have
brought in about $80 000.
Other divisions are headed by
Samuel H. Schwartz, mercantile,
Maurice A. Klein, service, Man-
dell L. Berman and Daniel A.
Laven, real estate and building
council; Torn Borman and Lou-
is J. Cohen, food; Dr .Perry
Goldman, professional, Sol Bala-
ban and David Safran, arts and

crafts.

in uasrc .ti ecetve
At UJA Leadership Conference

There are certain issues, however, that are basic in the pres-
ent political discussion. One of them is the McCarran Act. Even
one of its original supporters, Senator Homer Ferguson of Michi-
gan, indicated this week that he will sponsor an amendment to
this act in order to permit foreign students to come to American
universities. Proponents of the McCarran bill were warned in ad-
vance about its destructive purposes. They should have known
better than to permit it to become law.
In the current debate over the McCarran Act, we agree with
President Truman that it is un-American. HST should not have Windsorite L B. Ezra
branded all its supporters as -anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic. We Publishes His Poems
agree on this score with Dr. Abba Hillel Silver. But we would go
a step farther and say that support of the McCarran bill is even
An "adopted son" of Canada,
worse than being "anti-" on the two mentioned fronts: it is, in
I. B. Ezra of 900 Giles Blvd.,
fact, anti-humanity.
Let it be said to Mr. Truman's credit, whenever any one up- Windsor, has published a volume
of poems under the title "The
braids him that McCarran, too, is a Democrat, that he did not Golden Kernel and Other
sugar-coat his veto of the McCarran Act. The President has earned Poems," in tribute to his new
everlasting gratitude for his position against McCarranism. His land. In his dedication to Cana-
candidate for the Presidency, Governor Adlai Stevenson, follows da he expresses the thanks:
a similar. position. In the past few days General Dwight Eisen- "May the blessings of freedom
hower has shown courage in a statement favoring repeal of the and good-will-to-all forever glow
McCarran Act. Perhaps it is the beginning of a. move on Ike's in her heart . ."
part to repudiate the very men in his political family who stand
In addition to the major
for the vicious manifestations which threaten to undermine poem, "The Legend of the Gold-
American ideals.
en • Kernel," Mr. Ezra's variety,
*
in this 115-page volume, includes
Clear Discussion and Clear. Thinking
selections for children and a
The campaign issIfes are being discussed very thoroughly. number in lighter vein.
There is much heat, but out of it MUST come a great deal of light.
Most of his poems are based
Take, as an instance, the charge of Ku Kluxism against John on Canadian themes. American
Sparkman. The Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate did not Republicans, however, will be in-
sugar his words in answering Governor's Dewey's attack on his terested in his dramatic verses
as a Ku Kiuxer. He asserted he was as much against the triple-K under the title: "Mount Eisen-
bigots as he is against McCarthyism. Students of history may hower, or General Ike Eisen-
have an even better answer in the Hugo Black experience. The hower's First Night as a Moun-
Supreme Court Justice who was accused of being a Ku Klux Klan taM in the Canadian Rockies.
member has proven to be one of the most liberal members of the It ends with a plea to "rise up
above a better world."
Supreme Court Bench.
The sonnet "Churchill, Upon
We mention the Sparkman-KKK issue only because it involves
an appeal to prejudice. If only we could eliminate all such appeals Visiting F.D.R.'s Grave," is a fine
from political campaigning, it would be so much easier to judge tribute to a great leader.
Mr. Ezra's psalm, "New Israel
the issues and to arrive at decisions.
But we have faith in the American people. The voter will Rejoices," lives up to the senti-
know how to pick the grain from the chaff once he enters the ment expressed in the final line:
voting booth. We shall have a good election and a good result. "Because again I'm free . . ."
There are six poems for chil-
dren and 11 "in jest."

Teachers to Honor Max Gordon Nov. 9

With a half million-dollars on
its way to Europe, Israel and
North Africa, to meet emergent
needs of Jews in those areas,
workers in the Cash Mobilization
Drive of the Detroit Service
Group are redoubling their ef-
, forts to bring in the other half
million Detroit has pledged to
assemble in cooperation with the
national United Jewish Appeal's
urgent collection effort.

Ceremonial Art Collection
An unusual collection of Jew-

ish ceremonial art object's, cre-
ated by craftsmen during the
period from the year 1650 to 1850
in various European countries,
will be on display at the. Carle-
bach Gallery, 937-3rd Ave., at
56th St., New York, Nov. 1
through Dec. 15..

powerfully" to peace in the
Middle East "by summoning" the
Arab State "to free and direct
negotiations" with Israel.
Haim Cohen, Minister of Jus-
tice of the State of Israel, de-
clared that his country is not
a theocratic state and will not
develop in that direction despite
the great inspirational debt its•

evolving legal system owes to

ancient rabbinical law.
In a report outlining what the
UJA must accomplish before the
termination of its 1952' nation-
wide campaign, Jack D. Weller*
of New York, chairman of the
UJA $35,000,000 emergency cash '
campaign, told the Conference
that funds must be made avail-
able without delay for financing
urgent winter relief and settle- ‘ r •
ment programs in the state of
Israel. -
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, UJA '
executive vice-chairman, told . •
the 600 community leaders that
the need for American- Jews to
provide Israel with free dollars
has been given renewed em-
phasis by the recent signing of
an idemnification agreement be-
tween the West German Gov-
ernment and Israel.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Political Notes:

Plans for distribution of the reparations which the Confer-
ence on Jewish Claims Against Germany will get from the Bonn
government through Israel are now being prepared in New York
Conference will get $8,000,000 annually and it must spend this
sum . .‘ This is one of the conditions stipulated by the West Ger-
man Government . Jewish organizations are also making prep-
arations in New York for the forthcoming reparations talks with
Austria . .. In order to influence the Austrian Social Democrats
to give up their opposition to the payment of reparations to Jews,
the Big Four Jewish organizations—Jewish Agency, Joint Distribu-
tion Committee, American Jewish Committee and World Jewish
Congress—decided to co-opt the Jewish Labor Committee .to par-
ticipate in the talks with Austria ... There is quite a difference
between German and Austrian legislation on restitution ... Aus-
trian legislation provides only for the return of traceable property,
whereas legislation in Western Germany calls for restitution or
compensation of identifiable properties . . . One important differ-
ence is that there is no compensation for property which was
taken from, .Jews but which has since disappeared . . Austrian.
Jews who have fled the country and have since settled in the
United States, or Britain, or Israel, cannot collect . . the pro-
cedural regulations require that only those residing in Austria
can apply for compensation.
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•

Zionist Issues:

There is a good deal of resentment in the ranks of American
Zionist leadership over the fact that Israel's Premier David .Ben-
Gurion is openly interfering in the internal affairs of the Ameri-
can Zionist movement • . . His request for the creation of a new
over-all federation of the American Zionist groups is considered '
contradictory to the idea that Israel is not to interfere in Ameri-
can Zionist affairs . . . This request is looked upon by some Zionist
leaders as one which spells the disbandment of Zionist parties in -
the U.S. . . . It is not looked upon favorably by some of the
leaders of the Jewish Agency ... They doubt whether the Zionist (
movement has the moral right to deprive a Jew, who believes that
Israel must be built up within a religious framework, Of the right
to work in that direction . , . Or again to come to a Jew who wants
to see Israel established as a Socialist state, or as a liberal state
based on certain economic principles, and to deny him the right
to work in that direction . . These members of the Jewish
Agency are of the opinion that the abolition of parties is liable to
weaken the Zionist movement ... They also point to the fact that
no Zionist group in the United States is willing to lose its identity
. Instead, they advocate the expansion of the work of the
American Council, the co-ordinating committee of all the Zionist
groups, now active mainly in public relations.