2—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Adenauer Cabinet Member Protests
Israel-German Reparations Measure
HAMBURG, (.JTA)—A severe
attack on the German-Israel
reparations pact was made at
the national convention of the
German Party here by pr. Hans
Christoph Seebohm, Feder al
Minister of Transport and dep-
uty chairman of the party,
which is the right-wing of
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's
governmental coalition.
This is the first time that a
member of Dr. Adenauer's Cab-
inet has publicly launched so
fierce an onslaught on the Ger-
man-Israel agreement.. He said
that his party was dissatisfied
with the character and scope of
the agreement.
At the convention, which
sounded the keynote for the
Parliamentary • election cam-
paign t h e German Party also
went on record as opposed to
the law for indemnification of
victims of Nazi persecution un-
less former German prisoners of
war are also paid indemnifica-
tion. The law to compensate
Nazi victims, which the Bonn
Friday, June 12, 1953
government has repeatedly un-
dertaken to expedite, is about
to be introduced in Parliament.
The German Party's election
platform calls for immediate
and sweeping rehabilitation of
all former Nazis and, by con-
trast, for a t h o r o ugh going
screening of all non-Nazi offi-
cials appointed in the postwar
era.
Former members of the mili-
tary S. S. should be eligible for
pensions, the platform also de-
mands. In this connection, the
chairman of the German Party
in Bremen, H. Schneider, at-
tacked aspersions on the mili-
tary S. S., "most of whose mem-
bers fought just as honorably as
the other German soldiers."
Minister Seebohm caused the
Allied High Commission to pro-
test to the Federal Government
in December, 1951 by stating in
a public speech that he "bows
in homage before any symbol
under which Germans have giv-
en' their lives," including of
course the swastika.
Purely Commentary
Davis Remains U.S.
Envoy to Israel
.
MONNET B. DAVIS
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Presi-
dential Press Secretary James
Hagerty announced that Mon-
net B. Davis would continue to
be Ambassador to Israel. Mr.
Davis was among a group of
ambassadors approved by the
Eisenhower Administration to
continue in their present as-
signments.
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Questionnaire Issued
By Suburban Temple
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg continue to plead innocence. They
Shows
Important Needs
insist they have nothing to reveal. They charge that a great crime
Evil of Capital Punishment, Our Courts and the Rosenbergs
will be committed if they die—as scheduled—on June 18.
It is because many of us seek to avoid the sending of innocent
people to their doom that we oppose capital punishment.
But our courts must not be looked upon as altogether cruel.
The numerous delays in the execution of the Rosenbergs, the
opportunities that were given their attorneys to plead their case
before our highest tribunals and the hearings given their appeals
by the President provide ample proof that those charged with
crimes are given many chances to state their cases.
Even those of us who support the view that the Rosenbergs
should be given clemency do not do so out of a conviction that
they were innocent. We believe that the death sentence is too
severe. A minority in the Supreme Court has consistently favored
mercy. But those who insist that the condemned were given a
fair trial and have earned the death penalty have studied the
records. They are convinced that 'they are not unmerciful. The
prevalent opinion is that the condemned couple has much more
to tell than is in the court records. This view, too, must be taken
seriously. Yet, mercy must not be sacrificed.
- An imposing list of Israelis—headed by Prof. Martin Buber,
the great philosopher, and S. Y. Agnon, noted author—has made
a plea in defense of the Rosenbergs. Their reasons corroborate
our position—which is based in opposition to capital punish-
ment. If these appeals come too late, it is because opposition
to the death penalty may be too advanced for our time.
If the Rosenbergs should die in the electric chair next week,
it will be the result of their own crimes. They were involved
in an atrocious act against our Government. They happen to be
Jews—and we are grieved. They could have been Catholics or
Protestants or Taoists—and as disloyal to them as the Rosenbergs
were to the faith of their fathers. They erred and they are pay-
ing the price for the worst of all crimes: treason.
Nevertheless, if "the quality, of mercy is not strained," and so
long as there still is time to avoid even the remotest possibility of
committing injustice, the effort continues to secure clemency—
even for criminals. They were given all possible chances, yet
even the remotest doubt must be taken into view. Clemency would
facilitate it.
*
*
Eban and the Economic Club: Completing the Just Treatment
Only half a wrong has been corrected by the powerful analysis
of Israel's position made by Israel's Ambassador to the United
States. Abba Eban, before the Economic Club. It is generally con-
ceded that Mr. Eban has demolished the arguments of Weller and
Malik—the twe-Economic Club anti-Israel speeches that preceded
his defense of Israel. But the Weller address was printed and
distributed and was inserted in the May 15 issue of Vital Speeches
of the Day. Complete righting of wrongs calls for equal treatment
of Mr. Eban's speech: its printing and distribution and its inser-
tion in. Vital Speeches— for it was, indeed, a vital speech. Those
who gave royal treatment to Weller's address should give just con-
sideration to Mr.' Eban's presentation of one of the most vital
issues of our times
`Nothing Amusing in Paeans to ex Mufti'
-
.
Mark Alexander, writing from Tel Aviv for the NeW Leader
on the subject "The. Arabs Can't Be Allies" (the explanatory note
on the article is: "Except for Turkey and Israel, the best we can
hope for in the Middle East is neutrality—and we'll get that with-
out making concessions") , is critical of some of Israel's approaches
to the Arab problems. But he makes these very important points
on two major issues:
"Mapam has been cleverly exploiting American blunders in
the Middle East, and its new line—attributing the frequent
armed raids on Israeli territory to U. S. arms - shipments and en-
couragement to the Naguib and Shishekly regimes—has fallen
on credulous ears. Americans may think it absurd that articles
in . Life and Time calling for internationalization of Jerusalem
(the surest road to renewed bloodshed) or glorifying the ex-
Mufti should be taken as expreSsions of State Department policy.
But that, is the way they are received in Tel Aviv, where sur-
vivors of Nazi 'extermination camps see nothing amusing in
paeans to Haj Amin el Husseini, who yesterday was Hitler's
comrade-in-arms and today is a Soviet fellow traveler."
The sooner the world removes jests from tragedies, the better
for mankind. Nazi atrocities have been forgotten by the very
generation that witnessed them. We can well be concerned about
such inhumanity of man to himself. And the tragedy is all the
vaster - because it is related to Israel, whose many thousands of
' settlers were sufferers from. Nazism , and • eye-witnesses to an era
of crematoria. Woe unto . a generation, that sacrifice.s humanitar-
jail; needs ibr' exPedieney!' ' ' - • '
A recent survey, published by
The Suburban Temple, disclosed
that the majority of the con-
gregants are pleased with the
manner in which the temple has
conducted its services and allied
functions.
A questionnaire, distributed by
the temple's coordinating com-
mittee, was sent to the 339 con-
gregants, and 146 members
returned them answered, for a
response of 43 p - rcent. The
survey points out that 20 percent
is considered a good return for
such a questionnaire.
The survey covered such serv-
ices as education, public rela-
tions, congregational activities,
pastoral activities.
Two significant findings were
discovered.
1. That attendance would be
much better at Friday services
if the hour of the service was
made later. Others expressed
their wish to attend, but found
transportation an obstacle. Both
are being taken under consider-
ation.
2. Out of the 146 answering,
68 expressed their complete sat-
isfaction with the present set-
up, while others suggested only
minor changes. The committee
pointed out that many of the
changes sought were asked in
both directions (15 want more
Hebrew in services, 15 want less
Hebrew).
The report on statistics was
prepared by B. H. Weil, and tab-
ulated by Mr. and Mrs. B. H.
Weil, Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Kap-
lan and Mr. and Mrs. Aaron
Nathan.
The coordinating . committee
consisted of Walter Schmier,
president; B. H. Weil, Eugene
Sims and Mannie Fishman, vice-
presidents; and Rabbi Frank
Rosenthal, spiritual leader.
Name Three Durfeeites
Rosenwald Post Winners
Two girls and a boy, all three
9A students at Durfee Interme-
diate School, .were chosen as
recipients of the Julius Rosen-
wald Post American L e g i on
awards for scholarship and citi-
zenship. •
The students are R ish a
Cohen, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. David J. Cohen, of 2668
Burlingame, and Margery Wein-
garden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Newton Weingarden, of 2775
Glynn; who were tied for femi-
nine honors, and David Lip-
schutz, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Lipschutz, of 3247 Col-
lingwood.
All three winners are mem-
bers of the Durfee honor society.
They will be given medals by
the Post for their achievement
at a school, assembly on Tues-
day.
'This Is Your Life' Program Moves
Millions with Story of Czech Refugee
Millions of television viewers
throughout the United States
thrilled when "This Is Your
Life," one of the nation's newest
most popular TV programs, re-
united Mrs. Hanna Kohner, na-
tive of Czechoslovakia and one-
time inmate of a Hitler prison
camp, with her brother, Dr.
Gottfried Bloch, whom she had
not seen for eight years. Mrs.
Kohner was the surprised prin-
cipal subject of the NBC net-
work show.
Dr. Bloch was flown all the
way from Israel to Hollywood :
for the unannounced meeting
with his sister, which climaxed
a half-hour of moving revela-
tions during which Mrs. Kohner
saw ex-sergeant Harold Schu-
cart, American soldier who act-
ually rescued her from the con-
centration camp, as well as Wal-
ter Kohner, her husband; a fel-
low inmate of the concentration
camp she was in; and several
new-found American friends.
New York headquarters of the
United Jewish Appeal cooperat-
ed in locating Dr. Bloch, who is
a practicing psychiatrist in a
community near Tel AViv, and
in facilitating his transfer to
New York by plane and later to
Hollywood.
At the conclusion of the "This
Is Your Life" show, Ralph Ed-
wards, who had dramatically re-
vealed the moving episodes in
Mrs. Kohner's past, delivered a
strong plea for support of the
United Jewish Appeal in order to
help hundreds of thousands of
others like Mrs. Kohner whose
future depends on American
response to the UJA this year.
Mrs. Kohner, who is now the
wife of Hollywood agent Walter
Kohner, attempted to flee the
Nazi purge and sought refuge in
Amsterdam, . Holland, • during
World War II. She married in
Holland only a few months be-
fore panzer units overran the .
lowlands. Along with her hus-
band and parents, Mrs. Kohner
was seized and sent to a Ger-
man concentration camp. Only
Mrs. Kohner survived 'and she
was later rescued by General
Patton's liberating forces. Mr.
Kohner, a sergeant in the U.S.
army who had been her life-
long friend, located her after •
the war working as a domestic
in Holland where they were
married shortly thereafter.
Dr. Bloch will remain in the
United States for several weeks,
returning to New York from
Los Angeles in June for the
flight home to Israel.
The United Jewish Appeal
supports the life-giving pro-
grams of the United Jewish Ap-
peal, Joint Distribution Corn-
mittee and the United Service
for New Americans.
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1953, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate)
Washington Trends
. • • -
o• Opinion is divided among American Zionist leaders on the
views on Israel expressed by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in
his radio report to the nation following hiS trip to the Middle EaSt . .., _
... Some consider certain aspects of his report unfriendly to Israel ..
Especially, his remarks that the Arabs are more afraid of Zionism
than of Communism, his insistence that Israel must re-admit -
some of the Arab refugees, and his hint that Jerusalem should be
internationalized . . . Others, who try to see the silver lining in
.Mr. Dulles' remarks, find that although the Secretary of State was'
outspoken in his pro-Arab views, he was not exactly anti-Israel
However, the latter, too, admit that they cannot understand why
the Secretary found it necessary to drag Zionism into his address.
. He could just as well have said that the Arabs are more "afraid
of Israel" than of Communism rather than to state—as he did--
that they are more "afraid of Zionism" thah of Communism
Zionism is, after all, a world-wide Jewish movement with many
followers in the United States ... Those who wish to be less pessi-
mistic about Mr. Dulles' views on the Arab-Israel issue, console
themselves with the fact that his report was no declaration of im-
mediate policy, but rather an outline of principles . . . They point
out that while it is true that Secretary Dulles wants Israel to ad-
mit some of the Arab refugees, he accepts the position that most
of these refugees cannot be repatriated . . Also that while he
hints at the internationalization of Jerusalem, he formulates his
view on the religious aspect by stating that all three major reli-
gions have an interest in the city ... This, they say, is in accord
with the suggestion long advanced by Israel that the Holy Places
in Jerusalembut not the city itself—be placed under interna-
tional supervision . . The real good point they see for Israel in
Mr. Dulles' report is his indication to the Arabs that they have
to get used to the idea that Israel is a part of the Middle East.
.. •
Israeli Echoes
Top American Jewish leaders—Zionist and non-Zionist .
heard this week, at a closed meeting in New York, an interesting re- -
port on the military situation., in Israel presented by Col. Herzog,
military attache of the Israel Embassy in Washington . . Those
present received a clear picture of the meaning of Arab attacks
on Israel's frontiers which seem incidental, but which are actually
part and parcel of an organized Arab plan directed by trained
military leaders.
Israel Ambassador Abba Eban, who was planning to take his
vacation in Mexico, may change his plans and remain in Wash-
ington to be on the spot for any developments that may result
from Secretary Dulles' return from the Middle East.
Israel Minister in Washington, David Goiten, may soon leaVe
for Jerusalem to become a member of the Israel Supreme Court.
The Israel government has received orders for concrete air-
field construction from the North Atlantic Territorial Organiza-
tion and is seeking to secure more orders from NATO . . . Such
orders would mean millions of dollars income for the Jewish state,
since Israel is in a position to produce and supply many of the
materials needed by the defense organization of the Western
powers.
European Developments
By the time these' lines are read, three American Jewish lead-
ers will be on their way to Vienna to start reparations talks with
the Austrian government . They are: Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann, Jacob Blaustein and Adolph Held . . . They will meet Sun-
day in Paris to coordinate their views and then will proceed to the
Austrian capital where they will be received by the Chancellor
Julius Raab on Tuesday ... After their talk with the Austrian
Chancellor, negotiations on details will be conducted by a staff
of experts headed by Moses Beckelman, European director of the
Joint Distribution Committee ... The sum asked from Austria for
reparations to Jews who suffered under the Nazi regime there
cannot be revealed for the time being . .. But it reaches into the
millions of dollars ... Jewish observers in the Unitetd States who
are interested in the German-Israel, reparations pact are now,
watching wiith the greatest of interest the parliathentary election
campaign which is developing in West Germany . . . No doubt
exists that neo-Nazis and other groups will utilize the campaign
to attack the present Adenauer government for the reparations
agreement ... Hbwever, there is no danger that, German payments
to Israel will be affected by such anti-agreement propaganda,