Purely Commenfary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Co Sponsor of McCarran Bill Stirs Hornet's Nest
-
Rep. Francis E. Walter, Pennsylvania Democrat, co-sponsor of
the controversial McCarran-Walter Immigration and Naturaliza-
tion Law, has stirred a hornet's nest with his reference to
"professional Jews." While many national organizations, most of
them non-Jewish, have criticized him for his comments, he has
refused to withdraw • his remarks. He told the Jewish War
Veterans' national commander, Jesse Moss, who said the Congress-
man owed an apology to the American people: "People who read
my statement will realize that those who are offended by it are
the ones who are seeking reasons to be offended."
Let us therefore read his original statement. On Jan. 13, Rep.
Walter. made these remarks on the floor of the United States
House of Representatives:
2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, January 30, 1953
Plans for 1953 AJC Drive to Be
Set at Pre-Budget Conference
Eisenhower Is Urged
To Intervene Against
USSR Anti-Semitism
NEW YORK, (JAT)—Israel is
the "sole hope of resettlement"
for any large-scale movement of
Jews from the Iron Curtain
countries provided that the
American Jewish community
helps to make available the
necessary funds through phil-
anthropic sources, Rudolph G.
Sonneborn, national chairman
of the United Israel Appeal, said
at the 17th annual meeting of
the United Israel Appeal's board
of directors.
Warning that Israel is cur-
rently ill-equipped to handle a
mass migration, Mr. Sonneborn
stressed that "the people of Is-
rael have the will and the de-
sire to welcome the Jews but the
tragic fact is that we have last
precious years when we could
have helped to consolidate the
economy of the Jewish state
were sufficient funds made
available." He expressed con-
fidence that Jews of this coun-
try "would move heaven and
earth to provide the major por-
tion of the funds needed for
the gigantic operation of bring-
ing the Jews out of the Iron
Curtain orbit."
I think a great menace to America lies in the fact that so
many professionals, including professional Jews, are shedding
crocodile tears for no reason whatsoever. In the Immigration
and Naturalization Act recently enacted there is not one single
thing that anybody could charge with being anti-Semitic or
anti-anything. That law was recommended to the Congress
after four years of careful consideration. It was not devised
hastily. The only concrete criticism that I have seen since the
President's Commission was set up for the purpose of discredit-
ing this law and filed its report came from the fact that some
poor French sailors—about one-third of the crew—were unable
to spend Christmas in New York. I went to the trouble to find
out who those poor French sailors were. Finer samples of throat
slitters could not be found in any ether crew. It is, indeed,
significant that within a few hours after this French vessel
was docked the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary came into
New York, and within an hour and a half every member of her
crew was on Broadway or wherever sailors go when they arrive
in New York.- •
Let us not be stampeded. Let us not commit ourselves too
hastily. know the pressures you are under. I have had some
The U.I.A. national chairman
experience with those pressures.
Upon careful scrutiny, it appears that the Pennsylvania called upon President Eisen-
Congressman has offended the French seamen more than he has hower to use "his good offices
the Jews. He has called the 'Jewish opponents of his bill "pro.- and the prestige and influence
fessional Jews," and the Republican Congressman from New York,
Jacob •Javits, made it a point to indicate that Jews were not the
only opponents of the measure; that leading Catholics and Prot-
testarits still are counted in the opposition.
That's the score on which Rep. Walter needs to be repri-
manded. By innuendo, he has stirred prejudice. By singling
out Jews for "professional" roles as opponents of his bill, he
has fomented bias—even if inadvertently.
But this is not the whole story. Immediately after Rep. Javits
spoke in defense. of the opposition, Michigan's Congressman Clare
Hoffman, whose biased remarks often caused him to be branded
as harboring prejudices against the Jewish people, also delivered
an address. Without mentioning Jews, he sought to reprimand
those who are offended by references to their racial or religious
background. Let's quote him, too:
"Now, everyone—and I have no pride of ancestry; I come '
from Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Dutch, round - headed,
wooden-headed, ignorant, and stubborn, they say, and I do not
care. I am like an Irishman. You tell an Irishman he is an
Irishman, and what does he do? Tell him he is a drinking,
fighting Irishman, and what does he do? He takes another
drink, maybe a pint or a quart, I do not know how much an
Irishman drinks, but he takes one more drink, jumps up pnd
says: 'Let's have it out right now.' He is never offended because
anyone calls him an Irishman. I am never offended because
anyone calls me' a stubborn, wooden-headed Dutchman from
Pennsylvania; I just forget about it. So, why do some people,
instead of being proud of their homeland, their race, or creed,
get. peevish when those things are mentioned. We are all equal
in the sight of the Lord, and no docibt will all make the same
kind of dust-but that is no reason why we all want the same
things." _ .
of our country" against the "of-
ficial and state sanctioned ex-
ploitation of anti-Semitism as a
principle of the Soviet govern-
ment." At the same time, he
urged President Eisenhower "to
help bring about negotiation of
a peace settlement in the Mid-
dle East within the greater
framework of his avowed and
strong desire for world peace."
The meeting elected Mr. Son-
neborn as national chairman for
his third term.
Ellis Radinsky, executive di-
rector, making his annual report,
disclosed that the agencies of the
UIA in 1952 had spent a total
of $80,459,353 for their program
of immigration, resettlement and
general development of the
country:
The point he makes has been repeated time and again.
Jews who "protest" against indignities have been accused of being
overly sensitive. Perhaps Rep. Hoffman is right in the instance
involving Rep. Walter's remarks about Jews. As we have shown,
the complaint is that Rep. Walter veiled the issue by referring
only to Jewish opponents, ignoring the fact that large Protestant
and Catholic forces fought against the McCarran-Walter Act, side
by side with the JeWs. Yet, in. the laxger sphere, if people who
are maligned and abused do not protest, the offenses will increase.
The charge of over-sensitiveness is, therefore, a bit overdrawn.
In the meantime, the immigration-naturalization scene is
gloomy. Rep. Emanuel Celler, who has retired as chairman of the
House Judiciary Committee, which considers immigration bills,
admits that there is little chance of securing a ma,jrity in favor
of a revision of the McCarran Act. In spite of the assurance
given by Senator Langer, the successor of Sen. McCarran as
chairman of the Senate Judiciary ComMittee, in a statement to
the United Service for New Americans, that he would back
amendments to the bill, prospects are far from rosy that he will
attain his end.
From present indications, a hard-fought battle against an
unjust bill has been lost.
* * *
Czechs Report` Oren
`In Best of Health'
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Czechoslo-
yak authorities, replying to a
series of questions from the Is-
rael Legation in Prague about
the state of health of Mordechai
Oren, Israeli citizen and Ma-
pam leader imprisoned in the
Czech capital on charges of an-
ti-state activities, have indicat-
ed that Oren is in the best of
health, the Israel Foreign Min-
istry announced.
After delaying publication for
a week of an article by Dr. Itz-
hak Gruenbaum, Mapam leader,
attacking Moscow, the party's
newspaper Al Hamishmar print-
ed' it without changes. In it, Dr.
Gruenbaum warns of danger to
the Jews in the USSR and 'says
that the only solution for them
is immigration to Israel.
One of the important phases of the fourUi annual Pre-Cam-
paign Budget Conference of the, Jewish Welfare Federation will be
a presentation of capital needs, made by MAX J. ZIVIAN (right),
chairman 'of this Federation committee. One of the "cases" to be'
presented will be that of Camp Tamarack, where Zivian is shown,
with IRVING W. BLUMBERG, one of the Allied Jewish Campaign
general chairmen, attending the dedication of the first village.
will be made by Max J. Zivian,
chairman of the committee on
capital needs; Judge William
Friedman, of the community re-
lations Division; George Stutz,
of the health and welfare divi-
•sion; and Morris Garvett of the
education division.
Abe Srere, chairman of the
executive committee, will advise .
conference members. of overseas
and Israel needs. Rubiner has
announced the chairman of the
Israel's Czech Envoy
steering committee to be Max
Here for Bond Drive Osnos.
The purposes of the annual
Dr. A r i e h Kubovi, Israel's conference are to express the
Minister to Czechoslovakia and depth and breadth of the par-
Poland, arrived here to inaugu- ticipants' interest in the fields
rate a coast-to-coast speaking which they finance together and
tour in behalf of the-State of Is- to develop a formula for the
rael Bond drive.
allocation of funds to be raised
Dr. Kubovi was
in the 1953 Campaign into the
recently pro-
following categories: overseas,.
claimed persona
and Israel, local (operating
non grata by
funds), local (capital funds) and
both the Czech-
national agencies.
oslovak and
This formula, to be developed :-
P o 1 ish govern
during
the afternoon session fol.
ments
lowing
lunch at 12:30 p.m., will
false accusa-
be presented to the board of
tions leveled
governors of Federation pending
against h i m in
approval of the new formula.
the recent
Those invited include mem-
Prague purge
bers of the Federation board of
trial. The Israel Dr Kubovi
Bond Issue is the central source governors, Detroit Service Group'
of American investments which board of directors, Women's Di-
are enabling Israel to expand vision board, Junior Division
its industrial and agricultural board, Federation budget and
development and exploit its planning divisions and the
newly - discovered mineral re- boards of affiliated local agen-
cies.
sources.
Samuel H. Rubiner, president
of the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion, will preside over the Fourth
Annual Pre-Campaign Budget
Conference of Federation on
Sunday morning, at the Davi-
son Jewish Center.
At 10:30 a.m. presentations of
needs to be considered in the
1953 Allied Jewish Campaign
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Jewish Counter-Attack
Major Jewish organizations in the United States are deter-
mined to show the Soviet government that it cannot get away
unchallenged with its present anti-Jewish campaign . . . Plans
are being mapped for an unprecedented anti-Soviet campaign in
the United States which will have world-wide reverberations ,
There will be a huge protest meeting, arranged by Zionist and
non-Zionist groups, at Madison Square Garden, which will be
reminiscent of the huge Jewish meetings in New York against the
Nazi persecution of Jews .. There also will be a movement started
by Jewish groups to collect 100,000 signatures to a. protest to be
submitted to the United Nations . . . The signatories will include
the most prominent non-Jewish personalities in all walks of
American life . .. Other measures are being planned jointly by
major American Jewish organizations which will, undoubtedly,
make the Kremlin realize that one of the worst mistakes it ever
British 'Appalled' by
committed was to indulge in an anti-Jewish campaign . . In
Soviet Anti-Jewish Drive addition, the Isreal delegation at the United Nations will bare the
Communist instigations against Jews when the course of the
LONDON, (JTA)—The British UN General Assembly session resumes meetings next month.
Government is appalled by the
recent developments behind the
In view of the rather complimentary report about Egypt's Iron Curtain including the Communal Issues
Now that the 1953 plans for the Israel bond drive' have been
dictator Naguib, brought to us by George Pierrot, the director of Prague trials and the Moscow
Detroit's World Adventure Series, we call to his and to our readers' accusations against Jewish doc- made public, it can be revealed why American leaders of the drive
Naguib's Role: The Mask Is Off
attention the following report from Cairo, published by the
London Jewish Chronicle:
"Addressing Egyptian workers employed at maintenance
workshops at Abassia, General Neguib condemned the use of
narcotics, saying: "We have decided to consider capital punish-
ment as the sentence for those found guilty of trafficking in
hashish. The Jews have been using it to fight us. It transforms
a man into a coward, making him lose all respect and dignity
for his family, and his country.' This traffic, Naguib is reported
to have said, was organized by the Zionists and directed against
the Egyptian people. 'The Zionists are trying to weaken the
Egyptians in order to reduce their strength and make them
incapable of resisting the least threat,' he is said to have
added."
For a time—for a very short time—Naguib was believed to be
flirting with Israel, and his guarded words were interpreted as
encouragements to peace. Mr. Pierrot's report apparently was
based on the earlier Naguibian. attitude. But the Arab League
propagandists, the Arab extremists, seem to have conquered.
There is no inkling of friendship in Naguib's utterances. On the
contrary, and to our deep regret, he now is to be counted among
Israel's enemies.
tors, Anthony Nutting, Under-
secretary for Foreign Affairs,
told an Agudas Israel delega-
tion. The British official said
that "these sad events have a
horribly familiar ring about
them."
Nutting revealed that the Brit-
ish delegation to the UN, will
submit to the world body full
details of "discriminatory prac-
tices in the Iron Curtain coun-
tries against religious and politi-
cal minorities."
Israel Plays $72,998 in
1952
Dues to United Nations
UNITED NATIONS, N. Y.,
(JTA) — United Nations head-
quarters announced that Israel
paid $72,998 as its 1952 contri-
bution to the UN budget.
withdrew their resignations .. During their visit to Israel, the
leaders succeeded in winning most of their demands from the
Israel government . . . One of them was that the officers of the
bond drive should be directly responsible to the Israel Finance
Ministry and not to Ambassador Abba Eban in Washington .
The Israel government agreed "to relieve the Embassy in Wash-
ington of a task for which it had not been geared," and thus gave
in to the bond drive leaders ... Henceforth, it appears, Mr. Eban
will have no right to interfere in disputes between the UJA and
the bond drive . . Another agreement which the bond leaders
obtained from the Israel government provides for an attempt to
earmark bond drive dollars for specific development purposes, so
that visitors from the United States can be shown definite bond
drive accomplishments . The bond leaders urged the Israel
government to establish . now a sinking fund to redeem the bonds
which may be turned in after 1954 . . . On this point the govern-
ment did not commit itself to any definite time, although it agreed
that a sinking fund was needed . .. It is obvious that public bor-
rowing by Israel in the U. S. will continue even after 1954, when
the bond drive is supposed to end . . The matter is now under
discussion and the Israel Government will make up its mind
within two months as to what form this borrowing shall take.