Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

The `Conant Chapter' in Our Political History
Shortly after his appointment as American High Commissioner
of West Germany, Dr. James Bryant Conant submitted his 20th
annual report to the board of overseers of Harvard University, as
retiring president of the university. His report will go down on
record as a courageous statement in which the eminent educator
defied the "philosophy of fear" which has gripped the educational
and other spheres of American . life. In his report, Dr. Conant
warned:

"It would be a sad day for the United States if the tradi-
tion of dissent were driven out of the universities. For it is the
freedom to disagree, to quarrel with authority on intellectual
matters, to think otherwise, that has made this nation what it
is. * * * Our industrial society was pioneered by men who were
dissenters. * * * The global struggle. with communism turns on
this very point. * * * The independence of each college and
university would be threatened if governmental agencies of any
sort started inquiries into the nature of the instruction that was
given. The colleges of the United States have nothing to hide,
but their independence as corporate scholarly organizations is
of supreme importance."
The Christian Science Monitor acclaimed Dr. Conant's report
by urging educators not to lose faith in American ideals. The

great Boston newspaper asserted:

"Communism cannot tolerate dissent; that is the reason a
party-line Red is incapable of maintaining the attitude of free
inquiry on which democratic education rests. But Dr. Conant
points out that how to reconcile this essential tradition of dis-
sent with the need for national unity in the face of danger is
one of the major problems now facing our universities. Surely
the first responsibility for keeping the colleges free from sub-
version lies with educators who are so dedicated to the great
traditions of intellectual freedom. Dr. Conant's report deserves
careful consideration by those who may have lost faith in the
basic health of the American system."

Name Meany Chairman
Of Medical College Drive

Bnai Brith Mapping Plans for Week
Of Aid to Allied Jewish Campaign .

George Meany, president of
the American Federation of La-
bor, has been named an honor-
ary chairman of
the Medical
College Cam-
paign sponsored
by Yeshiva Uni-
,versity, it was
announ c e d by
4:.-;;New York State
Attorney G e ri 7
e r a 1, .Nathaniel
L. Go 1.d stei n,
national c a m-
paign chair-
man. Mr. Meany
expressed grati-
Meany ficataion that
"this new College of Medicine,
the first to be established in
Atherica under Jewish auspices,
will be completely non-sectarian
with faculty and students se-
lected solely on the basis of
scholarship and ability without
regard to race, color, creed or
sex.'

Canadian Statistics
Show Mixed Marriages
Increasing Rapidly

MONTREAL, J T A) — Inter-
marriage among Jews in Canada
is on the increase, according to
The New York Times was even more emphatic. This figures released by the Research
newspaper, rightfully adjudged the world's greatest, is known for Department of the Canadian
its conservatism. But when it analyzes a serious issue, it usually Jewish Congress. During the
sets the tone for the country's thinking, and it is sincerely to be period 1926 - 1930, mixed mar-
hoped that it will have guided the attitude of the country at large riages averaged 4.9 per cent of all
in this review of Dr. Conant's warnings to the nation:
marriages in which one or both
"It is a sad enough day that the president of Harvard even
partners to the marriage were
finds it necessary to restate the case for academic freedom, but
the pressures exerted by dogmatists in the field of education Jewish. The corresponding fig-
during the past few years have become so strong that they can ure for the year 1944 was 11 per-
now be ignored only at our peril. There will doUbtless be efforts cent and in 1950 10.1 per 1,000.
Canada is the only country
to use the proposed Congressional investigations of alleged com-
munism in our schools and colleges as devices for wh-ipping pro- in the English speaking world
fessors and teachers into a dreary and disastrous mold of con- for which official statistics con-
formity. Already this tendency has set in. The Associate Com- cerning intermarriage are avail-
able. In the quinquennial period
missioner of Education of the State of New York said the other
day that a 'philosophy of fear' has developed on many college 1926-30 there were 338 mixed
campuses, where 'professors are completely. leaving out con- marriages; 1931-35 there were
390 mixed marriages; _ 1936-40
troversial issues' and 'any unorthodox or unpopular position is
sidetracked.' Why? Because 'they are afraid the Communist there were 562 mixed marriages;
1941-45 there were 940 mixed
label will be pinned upon them.'
marriages and 1,015 -mixed mar-
"If a man on (or off) a university faculty be engaged in
subversive activity, then, 'as Dr. Conant says, let us hope the riages. during the years 1946-50.
Government will ferret him out and prosecute him. 'But in so
The Congress research de-
doing,' the president of Harvard adds, 'I trust it will not create partment also released data on
an atmosphere in which professors would be afraid to speak Jewish birth and death rates in
freely on public issues. * * * I would not be a party to the ap-. Canada, indicating that the
pointment of a Communist to any position in a school, college
general" trend of Jewish birth
or university. There are no known adherents to the party on rates in Canada has been on
our staff and I do not believe there are any disguised Com- the increase. The figure was 15.5
munists either. But even if there were, the damage that would per 1,000 in 1926 and 19.9 per
be done to the spirit of this academic community by an inves-
1,000 in 1950; there was a period
tigation by the university aimed at finding a crypto-Commu-
of decrease during the years
nist would be far greater than any conceivable harm such a 1930-1940, when the rate fell to
person might do.' Communism could hardly win a greater vic- I an all-time low of 12.5 per 1,000
tory than to turn our educational institutions into factories, (in 1937).
Communist-style, where absolute _conformity is the rule and
The Jewish death rate has
abysmal ignorance the result."
been increasing steadily, the
In spite of the general agreement that Dr. Conant has come
show. It was 4A per 1,000
forth with a powerful defense of a basic American ideal—the figures
in 1925, and 7.9 per 1,000 in 1950.
obligation of educators to propagate free discussion and the right The rate of natural increase—
of free people to be unafraid in their study of political, economic excess of births over deaths—of
and cultural issues, a movement was organized to prevent Jewish population in Canada
confirmation of Dr. Conant's appointment. West Germany's was 11.1 per 1,000 in 1926; 5.9
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer pleaded for his speedy arrival, but per 1,000 in 1937, and 12.4 per
biased groups sought to distort facts and attacked Dr. Conant's 1,000 in 1950. The corresponding
appointment in protest against his stand for strict separation of figures for the total population
church and state and out of resentment over the position he took were 10.7 per 1,000 in 1926; 9.5
that efforts in behalf of public support of private schools would be per 1,000 in 1937, and 19.2 per
a "divisive" influence in American life. There was strong Catholic 1,000 in 1947.
opposition to his appointment because of the latter attitude—a
viewpoint which, incidentally, is shared by most liberal and by
the overwhelming majority of Jews who pray that church and U. S. Steel Signs Three-Year
state be kept separated and that religion be kept out of the Piact With Israel Government

,

schools.
The "-Conant Chapter" created anxiety in many quarters. It
must close with a sense of confidence that Americans will not
penalize a respected educator for his view and that, on the
contrary, they will uphold his hands in every effort to eliminate
from our systems the "philosophy of fear" which stifles -our
cultural breathing, blunts our thinking and destroys our ideals.

NEW YORK, (JTA) = Repre-
sentatives of the Israel d - overn-
ment and the United States
Steel Company have signed an
agreement under which the
company will supply Israel with
a total of 100,000 tons of steel
during the next three years.
The steel will supply 40 per-
cent of Israel's needs for the
three-year period and will be
fabricated in Israel, chiefly for
use in water pipes for major ir-
pool that will remain on call rigation projects. It will go to
during the dayto ,pick up funds. three Israeli Steel plants at Mig-
Included in the Women's dal-Askelon, Sarafand and Acre.
The plant at Migdal-Askelon
Executive Committee are:
Mesdames Samuel Aaron, Ida Arkin.. will devote most of its products
Theodore Bargman, Norman Brode, Sam-
uel 'Cron, Philip Cutler, Samuel Danto, to a project for bringing Yaar-
Ralph Davidson, Robert Drews, I. B. kon River water to the Negev.
Dworman, Max Duskin, Charles Feinberg,

Women's Bond Group. Mobilizes
For All-Out Collection of Funds

The executive committee of
the Women's Division, Detroit
Israel Bond drive met last week
to mobilize their ranks for a
concerted cash collection move
on Bond buyers.
Aiming specifically at women
having outstanding Israel bond
commitments, the group pointed
up critical times in the Middle
East as the by-word for pay-
ments during collection week.
The executive committee will
hold a report meeting on Mon-
day, at the Israel bond office, to
summarize the results of the
week's work. As a final follow-

np, they will form a motor car

Shaye Foreman; David Fuller, Lillian
Grahm, W. B. Greenwald, Samuel Gutter-
man, Philip Hellman, Joseph Horowitz,
Joseph Katchke, Harry Kay, Aaron Kur-
land, Max Lichter, Irving Lipson, Milton
Mahler, Rosalind G. May, Morris Mendel-
son, H. J. Millman, Joseph Newman,
Bernard Osnos, Albert Potiker, Julius
Ring, Carl Schiller, Rose Singer. Philip
Slomovitz, Max Stollman, Phillip Stollman,
Milton Winston and Miss Bluma Levin.

2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, February 27, 1953

Mikado Entertains Envoys

Allied Jewish Campaign and Bnai Brith representatives review_
plans for the "Bnai Brith Week for the Allied Jewish Campaign"
which begins Sunday. Formal solicitatiOn by the Metropolitan
division of the MC will begin March 15, but during the coming
week, Bnai Brith members will contact approximately 1,500 pros.
pects in the community to raise pledges for the campaign.
Standing (left to right) are Milton Lucow, co-chairman of
the Metropolitan Division; Harry Nathan, Division vice-chairman;
Nathan Sossin, co-chairman of Bnai Brith workers in the Metro-
politan Division and Maxwell M. Lowe, President of the Greater
Detroit Bnai Brith Council. Seated (left to right) are Sidney 34,
Karbel, Bnai Brith representative to the Jewish Welfare Federaw
tion's Board of Governors, and Samuel Greenberg, co-chairman
of the Bnai Brith Workers in the Metropolitan Division.
Gearing themselves for the week's activity, Bnai Brith Lodge
presidents, community service chairmen, and campaign workers
met for an indoctrination meeting Feb. 17 at the Home for. the
Aged. Speakers included Irving Blumberg, chairman of the 1953
Allied Jewish Campaign, and William Avrunin, associate director
of the Jewish Welfare Federation.

Between You and Me

By 30RIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Inside Washington:

American Zionists are greatly worried about the Israel policy
which is now being shaped by the State Department .. State-
ments made by high officials in the new administration are con-
sidered "double talk" . . On the one hand these officials re-
assure Israeli diplomats in Washington that Israel has - nothing
to worry about, and on the other hand they are busily - creating
a mood favorable to granting military and economic aid to the
Arab countries ... As things develop, a picture emerges in Wash-
ington of Egypt, not Israel becoming the favorite among the Middle
East nations ... This, despite the fact that Israel has proven itself
so strongly pro-American' that Moscow has broken -off relations
with the Jewish State . . And while all indications point to the
fact that Egypt may get American military aid, Israel's applica-
tion for such aid has been put on ice . . :Some officials in Wash-
ington make no secret of the fact that they prefer Egypt to
Israel at present, because they think that Israel has no choice
but to stick with America, especially now that she is taboo in
the Iron Curtain countries.
Winning the Arab countries to the American side seems to
be the main ambition of the State Department in its new Middle
East policy . .. The idea is slowly but surely being brought
home to the American public which has hitherto shown great
understanding for Israel . . . Unfortunately, - unlike under the
Truman Administrati on, no American Zionist leader has
so far succeeded in o b t a i n i n g proper access to the White
House to influence the situation The bur den is being
carried exclusively by the Israel diplomats in Washington who
discuss matters with State Department officials, and are given
nothing but smooth diplomatic replies . . . By now the State
Department is aware of Israel's view that the Soviet turn against
the Jewish State started when Israel took a pro-American stand
on the Korean issue and sent medical aid to the United Nations
forces in Korea . . . What some of the policy-makers in Wash-
ington do not seem to realize is that if Israel is let down now,
after the Israel-Russian rift, other nations, such as India and
Burma, may hesitate to throw in their lot with the West on the
ground that they, too, might be exposed to Soviet hostility; with-
out getting aid from the West . . This argument is one of the -
points brought to the attention of the State Department by Is-
rael . . . However, it seems that no argument can weaken the
determination of the new Administration to woo the 'Arabs to _a
Middle East defense alliance . . . The tasks of Ambassador Eban
and his colleagues in Washington will, therefore, be perhaps the
most difficult they have faCed since their accreditation, here.

*

,s

*

.

Jewish Diplomacy:

Plans to call a special session of the Actions Committee
somewhere in Europe to voice the protest of the world Zionist
movement against the Soviet anti-Jewish policy have been aban-
. Instead, the World Zionist Organization will be
doned .
strongly represented - at the world conference of leaders of major --
Jewish organizations which will take place in the middle of.
March in a European capital and at which the Moscow policy
will be condemned on behalf of world Jewry . Originally, the
conference was to be held in Switzerland, but it s eems that the
Swiss authorities fear that such a parley on Swiss soil might
antagonize Russia . . . Hence, JeWish Agency leaders who . are
organizing this conference are now busy discussing the matter T
with the governments of other countries . . By the time these
lines are published it may be known exactly where the confer-
ence will be held . . . The American Jewish Committee and the
Agudas Israel organization have not decided as yet whether to
participate in this conference .. The Aguclas Israel wants par-
ticipation in the conference limited to the five Jewish non-gov-
ernmental organizations which enjoy consultative status at the
United Nations . ... The American Jewish Committee believes
that it 'tan be more effective when action against Soviet antii,
Semitism is undertaken by Jews and non-Jews jointly, rather

TOKYO, (JTA)—The Israel
Minister to Tokyo, 5. Linton, was
a guest at a dinner given by the
Mikado of Japan. Among the
other guests were members of
the Emperor's family, high Jap-
anese officials and the envoys
than by Jews alone.
of several other states.

.

