'Eugenio' Zolli's
Conversion
and the
Hickory Rod:
Fantastic
'Confessional'
Commentary, Page 2
VOLUME 25—No. 11
THE etIEWISH NEWS
of Jewish Events
A
Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper—Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
047e,a3).
17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.—VE. 8-9364—Detroit 35, May 21, 1954
He hath given to the
poor; His righteous-
ness endureth forever.
—Psalm 112:19.
Be generous in your
giving to t h e Allied
Jewish Campaign.
$4.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 1 Sc
'Law of Christ' Colistitutional
Amendment Opposed By Jewry
State Dept. Believes Arabs
Incapable of Harming Israel • I
Sharett Expresses Anxiety
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The Department of State said
that notwithstanding the fear and resentment felt toward Israel
by the Arab states, they do not, in the opinion of the Depart-
ment, possess the intention or the capability of adopting a
policy of aggression against Israel."
This view was communicated in a letter written on behalf
of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in reply to a query
from Rep. Sidney Yates, Illinois Democrat, on the Iraq arms
question. Assistant Secretary Thurston B. Morton answered for
Mr. Dulles.
"The Department does not consider that the provision of
arms to Iraq under a carefully devised program will be used
for a 'second round' against Israel or construed as an invitation
to the Arab states to renew a state of war against Israel," Mr.
Morton said. He added that the United States Government has
decided that "any effective plan" to defend the Near East from
Communism must include the granting of arms to Iraq.
The State Department communication was in reply to a
letter from Rep. Yates who suggested that it might be a wiser
course if the Arabs were required to make peace with Israel as
a prerequisite to the granting of arms to them.
Mr. Yates made public the correspondence at the conclud-
ing banquet session of the annual convention of the American
Association of English-Jewish Newspapers.
Israel Anxious-Despite Soothing U.S. Statement
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — "Soothing statements now coming
from the United States cannot dispel Israel's anxiety in view
of the fact that previous announcements followed a long array
of ideas, evaluations and approaches derived from a prolonged
and thorough study of problems confronting us," Premier and
Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett declared in the Israel Parlia-
ment.
Parliament, by a vote of 60 against 6, expressed confidence
in the government's foreign policy. The vote was taken follow-
ing Mr. Sharett's speech in which he declared that "the Israel
government greatly appreciates every expression of friendship
as seen recently in the United States on the part of govern-
ment sources following Israel's reaction to certain declarations
and deeds concerning Israel's vital problems."
Eminent Israeli Leader Guest
At Closing Drive Rally Monday
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — National Jewish religious bodies representing all
branches of the Jewish faith and national and local Jewish community relations organ-
izations joined in urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject a proposed Consti-
tutional amendment that would declare that "this nation recognizes the law and au-
thority of Jesus Christ."
Rabbi Isadore Breslau, representing the Synagogue Council of America, and Leo
Pfeffer, representing the National Community Relations Advisory Council, presented a
statement declaring that "Jews cannot in good conscience recognize the law and au-
thority of Jesus Christ."
"Every American Jew would regard it as an act of religious discrimination to
be deprived of the cherished right to give wholehearted and unqualified allegiance to
every sentence of the United States Constitution or to be compelled for conscience
Turkey Rej'ects
Iraq Pressures
Against Israel
ISTANBUL, (JTA)—Tur-
key is unwilling to inter-
vene in the Palestine situ-
ation as the price of Iraq's
joining the Pakistan-Turk-
ish military pact, it was
learned in the wake of the
four-day meeting here of
American diplomatic en-
voys from 13 Middle East-
ern countries.
It became known that
the Iraqis have said that
they would be more pre-
pared to join the Ankara-
Karachi alliance if Turkey
used its influence with Is-
rael and the Western pow-
ers to obtain a settlement
of the Arab-Israel conflict
favorable to the Arabs.
American diplomats were
pictured as optimistic that
Iraq would join the alli-
ance if it could be diverted
from the Israeli problem.
During t h e American
conference h e r,e strong
support was voiced for the
issuance of a new form of
the tripartite declaration,
one which would go far-
ther toward guaranteeing
the borders of the Arab
states and Israel by pledg-
ing the use of force to pre-
vent aggression by one side
against the other in the
current Israel-Arab con-
flict.
sake to make the slightest reservation in taking an oath of
allegiance," the statement said.
The American Jewish Committee, in a separate statement,
expressed "unqualified opposition" to the proposed amendment.
It urged that the.proposed Senate Joint resolution to this effect
be rejected because: 1. What it seeks to achieve is beyond the
competence of civil authority; 2. Its purpose is inappropriate for
a Constitution, which is the basic law of a nation consisting of
many religious groups, denominations and sects; 3. It is in dero-
gation of the accepted principle of voluntarism in religion in
American life."
The Senate Judiciary Committee is hearing testimony on
Senate Joint Resolution 87, introduced by Senator Ralph Flan-
ders, Republican of Vermont. This resolution proposes that
there be added as an amendment to the U. S. Constitution, a
new section declaring recognition of "the authority and law of
Jesus Christ, Savior and Ruler of Nations."
The resolution also specifies that this shall not be inter-
preted as sanctioning the "establishment of any particular ec-
clesiastical organization" or abridgement of freedom of religion,
- speech or assembly; and empowers Congress to substitute "a
suitable oath or affirmation" in the case of any citizen whose
religion prevents "unqualified allegiance to the Constitution as
herein amended."
Joining in the testimony offered by Rabbi Breslau and Mr.
Pfeffer were the 41 affiliated organizations of the Synagogue
Council of America and the National Community Relations Ad-
Visory Council, coordinating agencies for the organizations rep-
resenting the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of
Jewish life and national, regional, state and local Jewish com-
munal civic organizations.
Noting that the Jews of the United States will commemorate
this year the 300th anniversary of Jewish settlement in America,
the statement of the Jewish organizations declares that the
occasion is one on which all American Jews will wish proudly
and enthusiastically to reaffirm their "full identity with the land
through which they have been so greatly blessed" and expresses
the hope that the occasion may not be impaired by "the spectre
of the proposal now under consideration by the Judiciary Com-
mittee."
A plea was made by a woman witness who said she wanted
the subcommittee to "protect Christians from attacks by anti-
Christians." Material published by the American Jewish Com-
mittee and Anti-Defamation League was cited in an attempt to
show Jewish hostility toward Christianity. Among the extremist
winesses were : Mrs. P. De Shishmareff, representing the "Chris-
tian Patriotic Rally" and Mrs. Nancy Applewhite, representing
the "Militant Christian Patriots."
2,600 Israeli Physicians on Three-Day Strike, As
Government Refuses to Negotiate Wage Increase
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
General YIGAL YADIN, former Chief of Staff of the
Israel Defense Army, eminent archaeologist, who is arriving
in this country today, will be the guest speaker at the closing
rally of the Allied Jewish Campaign, at a buffet supper and
meeting at the Woodward Jewish Center, Monday evening.
Detailed Story, Page 3
Editorial, Page 4
JERUSALEM—More than 2600 Israeli physicians employed by the Ministry of
Health, the Hadassah medical network, the Joint Distribution Committee's Malben pro-
gram, the Histadrut's sick fund and other institutions Tuesday went on a three-day strike.
For the time being, the Israel Medical Association is maintaining skeleton medical
crews in all hospitals and medical centers, but has warned that if no solution to the doc-
tors' problems is found within the next two days, the work stoppage might be "tight-
ened." The strike followed the government's refusal to negotiate for a wage raise.
Tuesday's action, which had been set two weeks ago, was mainly in the nature of
a protest at the decision not to negotiate. Dr. A. Avigdori told newsmen that neither the
government nor the Histadrut had treated the doctors with the dignity their profession
required. He complained that the Labor Federation had threatened to expel the doctors'
association and was attempting to "break" the association, while the government main-
tains it cannot increase the doctors' salaries during this fiscal year.
Late Monday, Premier Moshe Sharett convoked a meeting of the praesidium of the
coalition parties in an attempt to reach a solution of the problem and head off the strike.
He failed. The directorate of the Histadrut sick fund stated that since it had recently re-
duced fees for membership in the medical plan it could not grant a salary increase.
Both the Cabinet and Parliament are busy attempting to find a way out of the sit-
uation. The doctors meanwhile have adopted a more inflexible position. While they were
prepared earlier to delay action while a mixed commission was named to investigate their
claims, they now insist upon immediate salary increases.
After Monday night's decision by the Histadrut to oust every physician who would
participate in the strike, 1,500 physicians employed by the Histadrut Sick Fund were sus-
pended from membership Tuesday afternoon,