THE JEWISH NEWS
Bottled Up?
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26. Mich., WO. 5-1155
Subscription $4 a veer foreign $5.
Entered as second class matter Aug 6. 1942. at Post Office. Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 3, 1879
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
VOL. XXIII, No. 20
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Page 4
July 24, 1953
Sabbath Nacb am u Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Ab, 5713, the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentatenchal portion, Dent. 3-23-7:11. Prophetical portion, Is. 40:1-26,
Licht Senslten, Friday, July 24, 7 p.m.
'Cordiality' and Eagerness' in Reparations Talks
Talks with the Austrian government for
compensation to Jews for damages suffered
under the Nazi regime have been adjourned
until September.- While the postponement
has resulted from an agreement reached by
Dr. Nahum Goldmann with members of the
Austrian Cabinet, it is disappointing to know
that a friendlier attitude was not pursued
by the responsible leaders of the Austrian
government.
Jewish representatives who met with the
Austrians described the meeting as "cordial."
When Dr. Goldmann and Moses Beckelman
met with Chancellor Julius Raab, Foreign
Minister Karl Gruber and finanCe Minister
Reinhard Kamitz, they were told that Aus-
tria is "eager" to find a solution to the prob-
lem of settling the claims - made by Jewry.
In the meantime, however, Austrian spokes-
men in the United Stated denied the "moral"
obligation, thus complicating the issue and
creating doubts as to the sincerity of some
of Austria's leaders.
The most effective way to just action is
to settle due claims without delays, and with-
out giving opportunity to obstructionists to
place obstacles in the road of proper solu-
tion of an issue that is recognized as involv-
ing morality as well as a debt for destruction
of property, robbery and murder. -.
While Austria may have a rightful ar-
gument in asking for time to study various
aspects of the problem, it is vitally important
that delays in negotiations should be dis- 'The Seeking' for Genuine Americanism
couraged in the future. Every delay means
Negro's Search for His ileritaae
not only a loss of time in effecting compen-
sation but also threatens interference by neo-
Will Thomas helps restore faith in America with his fine
Nazis and Communists who have stood in the autobiographical book, "The Seeking" (published by A. A. Wyn,
23 W. 47, NY36). His life story is a tale of soul-searching as well
way of a just agreement.
New Type of ,anti-Semitism: Communist-Arab-Nazi
scapegoats and are the sufferers from dis-
Two recent news reports give indication
of. the new type of anti-Semitism that is seminated falsehoods. Only the seething re-
rampant in the world today. While the pat- bellions can possibly bring relief to humanity
tern is not a new one, the twists resorted to from the scourge of Communism which prac-
by pro-Arabs, Nazis and Communists reveal tices anti-Semitism when it suits its purpose
determined efforts to discredit Jewry and to and out of convenience puts on holy cloaks
of friendship to our people.
harm Israel.
*
*
One of the reports quotes the Warsaw
Then
there
is
another
stupidity:
the prop-
Yiddish 'Folkstimme as charging that the
aganda of the neo-Nazis who seek to make
Rosenbergs, whom the periodical calls "two
great Jewish heroes," were murdered, that capital out of the Arab anti-Israel campaign.
the murderers were "the allies of the Israeli World. Jewish Affairs, the information bu-
reau of the World Jewish Congress, brings
government, of the World Zionist Organiza-
tion and of the World Jewish Congress," and this story from London:
"The allied states are about to kindle a new
that "Ben-Gurion and his Socialist govern-
.conflict on the still smoldering ruins of the
ment did not utter one word of protest." The
last war—a conflict in which they give their
text of this article, which was braodcast to
support to a new Hebrew empire," Damascus
North America by Warsaw Radio's Yiddish
radio said in a German language 'broadcast to
Israel, quoting a letter allegedly addressed
Service, charges that the Israelis kept silent
"froth Germany to General Shishikli himself."
while the progressive world fought for the
The tension existing between Israel and its
Rosenbergs' lives, and asserts: "But Jews in
Arab neighbors, the German writer continued,
Poland knew, and - were proud of it, that
was more than the strain normal between ad-
their government had offered asylum to the
jacent states. The Jews were interpreting the
the Jewish heroes. The Jews in Poland knew
Bible as their authority to establish a world
that Ben-Gurion's allies, the American im-
empire, employing for this purpose their no-
perialists, had burned to death Julius and
torious capacity to pervert the realities of a
Ethel Rosenberg."
situation. The attention of the world should
be called to the new Jewish danger; and as a
These utter stupidities are typical of
first
step in this direction, the International
Communist propaganda. They drug the peo-
Court of Justice should consider the way in
ple into ignorance. They lead them to be-
which the Jews had broken international peace
lieve that an official murder had been com-
and give a final ruling on the "Jewish-Arab
mitted, without informing them that, unlike
question."
procedure in Iron Curtain countries, the ac-
For lack of genuine arguments against
cused were given not one but many fair Israel, the Arabs are resorting to charges
hearings; that they had many chances to that Israel has aspirations to become an em-
appeal against the verdict; that public opin- pire, that the Jewish state seeks territorial
ion was sounded properly.
expansion. All guarantees to the contrary,
The Folkstimme's lies are apparent. It is offered to the United Nations and in solemn
common knowledge that Israel's outstand- statements made recently by David Ben-
ing citizens appealed for clemency for the Gurion, are to no avail. It is impossible to
Rosenbergs on the same grounds advanced argue with those who seek war and continue
by this newspaper: not that any one of us to reject possibilities of effecting peace.
doubted their guilt but because we are op- While Israel is singled out for attack, it
posed to capital punishment. But those who is the entire Jewish people that is the target
read Communist propaganda only know of the anti-Semites. Neo-Nazis, Arabs and
what is fed to them by the disseminators of Communists are linked in this unholy alli-
lies within the Soviet Union, where the Rus- ance. Unfortunately, some world statesmen
sians have been led to believe that all Ameri- are blind to these facts. While Jews must
cans are starving, that democracy spells carry the banner for truth in the struggle
doom, that there is no hope for human be against anti-Semitism, there is the added
ings except under dictatorial rule. duty of dispelling the lies of the bigots and
Fortunately, the oppressed are beginning the spreaders of hate so that they may not
poison the free nations of the world. The
to rebel. Unfortunately, in the process of fdr
mulating public opinion Jews are used as struggle for truth is endless.
-
-
The Jerusalem Issue: Israel's Position
Israel's drastic step of establishing her
Foreign Ministry in the capital city of the
new state has inspired protests. Our own,
the British and French governments are re-
fusing to move their embassies from Tel
Aviv to conform with Israel's desire to con-
centrate all her depdrtments in Jerusalem.
Israel's position has been outlined on
numerous occasions. The Jewish state has
not objected to the internationalization of
the Holy Places. But Israelis have protested
against the cutting off of the city's Jewish
population of 150,000 from the rest of the
state, and in order to establish the unity of
the Jewish portion of the young nation Jeru-
salem was included in the state's boundaries.
Spokesmen for Israel have shown how
a "corpus separatum" status for Israel is
impossible not only from historical, cultural
and national considerations, but also from
economic viewpoints. The official Israel pos-
ition is: "Devoid of a central position as the
capital of the State, Jerusalem would fall
into decay as it did during the period between
the Hasmoneans and the Mandate."
Israel's position is clear. We believe it is
logical and that the justice of this position
soon will be conceded by the nations of the
world, including the United Sttaes.
as of the seeking for a home which he felt he could not adequately
have in his native United States.
Will and his wife, both college-bred, both- suspicious of their
white neighbors, lost faith. They planned to go to Haiti, to a
land peopled by colored folks like themselves. But Will, the able
writer, tried Vermont and the experiment worked. Even his wife,
Helen, the more suspicious, learned the lesson taught her by good
neighbors. After they had become rooted in Vermont they had a
setback; a neighbor innocently referred to "niggers"; they were
hurt and they learned anew that even their best neighbors must •
be taught to be Dnscious of language that is offensive. But the
main lesson was effective: the freedom perfected.
Unfortunately-, there is an inconsistency even in this great
tribute to Vermont; those who accepted the Negroes continued
to display anti-Semitism; and the Negroes themselves were not
strong enough in their denial of anti-Jewish prejudice.
The introduction by the eminent writer, Dorothy Canfield
Fisher, is valuable for an understanding of the Will Thomas
autobiography. Mrs. Fisher pays tribute to Vermont as the first
state to proclaim that wherever its flag was flown "no man,
woman or child could be held as a slave." Mrs. Fisher related an
experience at a board meeting of HoWard University at which the
Negro educators spoke of taking vacations in many lands but not
in this country, where resorts are barred to them. Her story re-
mainS a rebuke to prejudice. But Vermont came through for
the Thomases in their search for freedom.
Several * times, however, Will Thomas refers to anti-Semitism
and relateS experiences of its existence. At one point he speaks
of it as being on the increase in this country.
We referred to the unfortunate inconsistency of Vermonters'
attitude toward Jews and the reaction of the Negroes themselves.
Helen Thomas is quoted several times by her husband as be-
lieving that Jews were friendly to Negroes because they wanted
their money in business deals. True: Will argued with her; but
even his arguments sound weak. He admits there are some Jews
who are anti-Negro but so many are on their side. He should
have, as he could have, offered a much stronger argument: it is
this: that Jews always are in the lead in the fight for freedom
and in defense of the Negroes.
When Will was stranded in California, a Jewish couple took
him in, in North Hollywood. In Chicago, the Goldfarbs were
among his family's closest friends. But he did not have to look
for personal experiences: the records of the National Association
for the Advancement of the Colored People should convince him
that Jews are in front ranks of fighters for his race's 'freedom:.
As we said, he could have been stronger in his repudiation of
anti-Semitism. But his wife's bias is understandable: if she was
so suspicious. of every gesture of good will upon arriving in her
Vermont home, why not also of the Jews who also are whites?
Helen Thomas learned a lesson in true brotherhood, and her
husband must be given commendation for the earnestness with
which he searched for justice and acquired it. His "Seeking .' is
an effective book. It is convincing in its sincerity and it holds
the reader's attention because it proves from the very first lines
that a man of vision and action had set out to reject oppression
and to find a free life for his family. The prejudice against his
native land is admitted, but the atonement is just as complete,
With its few shortcomings and our personal protest on the score
of the author's approach to anti-Semitism; even with its proof
that the oppressed can harbor prejudices, as Helen did—"The
Seeking" emerges as a good book, with a good story and a- good
moral.
Anti - Semites Find Themselves Jews
One of the world's most fascinating studies is genealogy, but
it has a way of uncovering skeletons that many countries would
prefer to keep hidden. The Nazis discovered that, to their embar-
rassment, when the working of the Aryan law caught in its net
some of the most aristocratic families of Germany.
It is certainly no exaggeration to say that if an Aryan test
were applied, too, in other countries, the results would be equally
amazing. Determined to free Spain from the "mala sanguis"
(bad blood) of the Jews, King Joseph ordered. Pombal, his prime
minister, to issue instructions that all Jews should wear yellow
caps. A few days later the prime minster appeared before the
cabinet with three yellow caps and said to the King: "One for
myself, one for the Grand Inquisitor and one for Your Majesty."
Notwithstanding the fact that the Jews of Spain were ex-
pelled in 1492, during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the
patrons of the Inquisition, Ferdinand himself had Jewish blood.
His mother was a grand-daughter of the beautiful Jewess Palo=
of Toledo. A granddaughter of Ferdinand married one of the
sons of Alfonso Cabelleria, vice-chancellor of Aragon, who was the
great-grandson of a Jew. She in tun became the aunt of the
future Kaiser Karl V.