Two Prominent Zionists Disagree
On Economic Problems of Israel,
Crohn Demolishes Bitan's Views
Doctrine vs. reality.
This is the basic economic
_problem of the State of Israel,
insists LaWrence W. Crohn in
the June issue of "The Recon-
structionist." In his article, the
president of the Zionist Council
and former president of, the
Zionist Organization of Detroit
urges a less, doctrinnaire ap-
proach to economic problems
and the encouragement of
greater productivity in agricul-
ture and industry by givinc, a
freer hand to private capital.
Crohn pleads for the "vigor
and the-init7ative" of the ear-.
ly settlers in 7srael. "There is
need enough for strong gov-
ernment. But perhaps the
climate must be less paternal-
istic," Crohn argues. "In the
last year or so, fortunately,
there is a growing realization
of these problems, .at least.in
the top leadership."
the majority of whom have, for
the first several years after
their arrival, been a constant
drain on the country's resources
and assets."
Furthermore, Bitan pointed
out, inflation is not an unusual
concomitant of a post-war econ-
omy; the United States, wealth-
iest and mightiest nation in the
world, has • not escaped the 52
cent dollar.
"Moreover, it is highly im-
probable, as Mr. Crohn will pre-
sumably admit, that any coun-
try in the world could have
doubled its population in five
years without suffering an even
more serious inflation than has
beset Israel.
Crohn argued that the exten-
sion of liberal social benefits for
all becomes an "economic as
well as moral necessity" in
'countries like the United States
which are "blessed with a mas-
sive supply of materials. But he
was doubtful as to whether this
principle should. be applied to a
country like 'Israel with '.`chron-
ic unproduction, with meager
capital resources." He advocates
a more effective type of econ-
omy and "the . abandonment of
some cherished institutions."
Taking issue with tilts is Bi-
tan, who asks: "What exadtly
does he mean by this vague
statement? It is not cler to him
that in underdeveloped areas
like Israel there could only be
one , possible outcome if workers'
benefits were left to the free
decision of the employer."
The views of Crohn were at-
tacked. by Moshe Bitan, repre-
sentative of Histadrut in Amer-
ica. Bitan, in the May issue of
the same magazine, retorted to
an article by Crohn, "Doctrine
vs. Reality in Israel's Economic
Life," which appeared in the
February publication. Claiming
that Crohn's article was a gross
misconception of what is now
happening in Israel, Bitan ex-
plains that the country is now
going through a crisis which is
due partly to the social and
• m or al aftermath of what
amounted to a revolution and
partly to the fact that the coun-
try has grown too rapidly in the
But, Crohn maintains, the
last five years.
present realities call for a re-
"It should be remembered assessment of past methods
that, in the field of economic and policies. "The ideals must
policy, with which Mr. Crohn ever remain potent or the
mainly dealt, we iri Israel reach- new democracy will crumble.
ed a serious crisis after more • But it is too much to expect
than doubling our population in Israel, in the initial stages of
four years, and were forced to its existence, to transform all
're s ort to inflationary measures promises into actualities.
to finance the absorption of
"Even advanced western
more than 700,000 immigrants, countries are finding it diffi-
cult to support all the social
services that are deemed es-
sential in a modern- state. A
new kind of social order is a
Zionist dream. But in this
early stage, 134rd work and
austere living seem to be the
lot of this generation. Until
the machine age materializes
in Israel, there will, it is
feared, be no substitute for
hard work."?
otGES T
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-3
Friday, June 26, 1953
Coronation. Forest:
A Unique JNF Honor
For the New Queen
.
we put
our
Johannesburg's Jews
Honor 30 Clergymen
JOHANNESBURG, ( J T A ) —
This Jewish community tei-
dered a dinner in honor of 30 -
Ministers of the Dutch Re-
formed Church and members of
their family who left for a two-
week visit to Israel early this
morning. The dinner, at which
some .100 Afrikaners were pres-
ent, was tendered jointly by the
Zionist Federation and the
Board of Deputies of this city.
The journey of the 52 Minis-
ters and members of their fam-
ilies, the first by a church party
from South Africa, was made and came up with a
possible , through the coopera-
tion of the Zionist Federation, great new flavor idea
Board of Deputies, - Israel Gov-
ernment and El Al, the Israel
national airline, by which the
party is travelling.
Among the speakers at last
night's dinner were S. M. Kuper,
chairman of the -Zionist Feder-
ation, and E. J. Horwitz, chair-
man of the Board, Consul Gen-
eral M. Eylon extended -greet-
ings in behalf of the Israel Gov-
ernment.
beans
together
An AJP Feature
Leading world statesmen and
outstanding occurences have
been honored in Israel in many
ways. Streets and settlements
have been named in honor of
distinguishing personalities. Ra-
mat YOchanan, one of the lead-
ing' colonies in Israel, was estal?-
lished in tribute to Jan Chris-
tian Smuts. Kfar Truman—a
new village—honors, our form-
er President.
There is a Washington Forest
in Israel. King George V Jubilee
Forest at Shimron is another
outstanding memorial. Herzl and
Balfour Forests are among the
major tree-planting projects
completed in Israel.
The newest tribute, sponsored
by the Jews of England, is the
Coronation Forest honoring
Queen Elizabeth II. The above is
the Coronation Forest emblem.
Rip Russia for Liquidating
Jewish Literature, Writers
DUBLIN, (JTA) — "The total
liquidation of Yiddish literature
and the disappearance of all of
its creators in the Soviet Union,"
was scored at the International
P.E.N. Congress by Eliezer
Greenberg of New York.
The Jewish writer delegates
attending the conference were
guests of honor at a reception
tendered by thr Dublin Jewish
Representative Council. They
were greeted by Chief Rabbi I.
Ja,kobivitz and other communi-
ty leaders. •
CHOCOLATE
VANILLA
Jewish Underground Hero
Receives High French Medal
by
PARIS, (JTA)-6aston . Kahn,
French communal figure and
refugee aid leader for the past
20 years, has been named a
Knight of the Legion of Honor
of France. M. Kahn, who was
a member of the underground
resistance during the war and
who directed all refugee aid ac-
tivities in ..the unoccupied por-
tion of France during the war,
also holds the Resistance Medal
for his nartime work.
kTOKE
chocolates
•
Here's a subtle new blend of the
and the vanilla bean
chat's unlike anything you've ever
tasted before unless it reminds
you, perhaps, of tlie delicate icing
on a French 'pastry It's light and
lavish . luxuriously continental
in Barton's famous manner.
coffee bean
BEFORE YOU BUY ANY CAR ..
Check the Price of a
1953 BUICK
At all, Barton's Detroit stores
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See or Call
CHARLES
WEINSTOCK
Buick Retail
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City Hall)
Grand River, corner Griswold
14259 Grotiot Ave. (near 7 Mi. Rd.)
25th Year With
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Chocolates and
Continental
Ice Cream
measures seem to be in order.
American 'Jews are responsible
+A Barton's 57 Continental Chocolat.
in part, by acts of omission as
Shops in Detroit, New York,
Near
G.
M.
Bldg.
well as - commission,, for the
Philadelphia, and Newark.
In his reply to Bitan, Crohn, growth of the present system.
6164 CASS AVE.
in his article "Doctrine vs. Re- It is time we have a closer look
TR. 5-9700
ality Still the Problem," points at the way things are going."
to the dangers of doctrinnaire
partisanship and declares:
"I plead for the vigor and the
initiative of the early settlers in
Palestine. I deny that these
traits are absent in Israel. There
is need enough_ for strong gov-
ernment. But perhaps the dim-
ate must be less paternalistic.
In the last year or so, there is
fortunately • a growing realiza-
tion of these problems, at least
in the top leadership. It is now
generally recognized that the
standard of living in Israel was
too high and the present pain-
ful steps are being borne by the
people with fortitude. In view
of the dangerous position of Is-
rael in the vortex of Near East
convulsions, it seems just com-
mon sense to call a halt to party
rivalries and theories. In a world
torn by strife and internal dis-
sensions, it would be a salutary
blessing for Israel to demon-
strate a capacity for less parti-
CURRENT
san government. Israel is prac-
RATE
tically at war. Within the pres-
ent parliamentary system it
should be possible for theparties
to collaborate in a denuine
There's only one practical way to make dreams a reality ... and that's
coalition, and for most of the
through a regular savings program: At American, your savings will earn
day-to-day government opera-
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ly. Such things as the sinister
"key" sytstem, whereby housing,
industrial and political jobs are
allocated on a party basis, are
unjustifiable. These are by-
products of unsound government
practice and theory.
"This discussion has • been
AND LOAN ASSOCIATION
about economic issues. Other
"Save the American Way"
phases of Israeli life bear the
same imprint of preconceived
6060 W. FORT at Military
12246 DEXTER at Cortland
439 WOODWARD at Larned
ideas. Mr. Ben-Gurion . wants no
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