#1,

Egypt's Shocking
Threats to Israel

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Shevitz as FEPC
Head: Wise Choice

T E JEWISH NEWS

Ernest Bloch: 75
Editorials, Page 4

A Weekly Review

of Jewish Events

Truman Excoriates
`Striped Pants Boys'

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Yom Kippur
In Russia
Commentary, Page 2

Hadassah's Vast
Development

Smolar, on Page t

Michigan's Only English - Jewish Newspaper — Incorporating The - Detroit Jewish Chronicle

VOLUME 28—No. 5. 44.#414='
. . 27

17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.—VE. 8-9364—Detroit 35, October 7, 1955

$4.00 Per Year; Single Copy 15c

Middle East Crisis Forces Israel
To Expand Defense Preparation

Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News

Molotov Corrects Himself

Failure to Mention Israel
At UN Not Intended as Slur

UNITED NATIONS, N. Y. — (JTA) — V. M. Molotov,
Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, has corrected himself
on what appears to have been an unintended slur against
Israel during a major speech before the General Assembly
here. In his address in the general debate on Sept. 23, Mr.
Molotov, in discussing various countries-that have gained
independence since world War mentioned four members
of the Arab League—Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Libya—
then referred to Israel by implication only with "etcetera."
Several days later Mr.. Molotov told Jewish correspon-
dents here that his failure to mention Israel by name was
not intended as a slur and asked the correspondents to
include Israel when referring to that speech. The corres-
pondents refused to make such a correction on the grounds
that the Soviet Union's Foreign Minister could do so offi-
cially if he chose to.
It appears that Mr. Molotov, using the Russian news
agency, Tass, which is frequently used . for official announce-
ments, did make the correction. Copies of Moscow's "Pravda"
reaching here,. carrying the Tass report of the Molotov
speech, included Israel in the Middle East section along with
the Arab countries, and eliminated the "etcetera."

High Soviet Official Says He Saw
Only One Yiddish Writer In Moscow

E. F. Ilichev, head of the Soviet Union Foreign Ministry's
information - service, who is here now with Foreign Minister
V. M. Molotov, has virtually admitted that Yiddish writers
•are no longer seen in the Soviet capital.
At one of the numerous cocktail parties given by various
- delegations, Mr. Ilichev was asked what had become of
Peretz Markish, Itzik Feffer and David Bergelson—three
noted Yiddish authors who have been reported dead—as well
as of other Jewish authors in the USSR. He replied that he
knew nothing about any of the others, but that he knows
_ Markish is in Moscow and that he had often met him at the
offices of "Pravda," official organ of the Communist Party.

-

Yiddish Reported Thriving in Minsk
Half of 100,000 Jews Survived Nazis

NEW YORK—Yiddish still is a living language among
. Jewish adults in Minsk, Russia, but there are no Yiddish
books or -cultural institutions where the language can be
taught to the children.
This report was made by Harry Schwartz in a special
cable to the New York Times. Most Jewish children receive
no religious training at all, the cable added.
Schwartz writes that 100,000 Minsk Jews were wiped
out by the Nazis in World War II, but that some 30,000 to
50,000 who escaped are now in Minsk.
There is only one synagogue, a wooden structure where
. 150 aged Jews attended Sukkot services last weekend. The
congregation was filled to overflowing, however, during
Yom Kippur services.
The Jews of Minsk have clung to the old Yiddish cul-
ture and language much more than in Moscow, Schwartz
•reports, although the beginnings of assimilation seem
apparent.

TEL AVIV—The most recent armaments developments in the Middle East will force
Israel's army of defense to prepare new equipment and training plans, Shimon Peress,
director general of the Defense Ministry, de Glared here Monday night, at a meeting of
employees of the Ministry. Mr. Peress said that the so-called Ben-Gurion Plan of Devel-
opment which the army had been followin g for the past two years was two-thirds com-
pleted as of now, but would have to be scrapped in favor of a plan to meet the needs
of the neW situation.
He reported progress in the expansion of arms of every division of the armed forces.
Progress in building up artillery arms was "immense," he stated, although the army still
lacked several types of artillery pieces. The newest types of jet planes acquired by Israel
would give the Jewish state new air superiority, Mr. Peress noted. He reported that Israel
had obtained a number of naval vessels of various tonnages, including t w o destroyers
from Britain. Communications and infantry branches had obtained new equipment and
arms, including rifles, which would increase the fire power of the army, he said.
Discussing Israel's own armaments industry, Mr. Peress said it had increased its
productivity and its overall production and that its production total had increased in
value to several million pounds annually, aside f r o m arms produced for export. The
industry had acquired some new patents and was -producing artillery shells. Also, he
disclosed, a cornerstone of a network of jet engine maintenance and repair bases had been
laid,
Mr. Peress spoke of efforts invested in research for military purposes and in exploit-
ing scientific developments in the field. He said the recent discovery of oil in the Negev
and production of uranium from phosphate ores would contribute to this development,
Israel has been engaged in rocket research, he revealed, and there are possibilities of its
developing bigger, longer ranged and more p owerful rockets.
He criticized British newspapers and public figures who hit France for selling Israel
arms. He said it was the British who were responsible for this development because they
first introduced new weapons into the Middle East by selling them to Arab states.
Premier-Designate David Ben-Gurion, who also spoke at the meeting, praised "the
encouraging progress" of the defense organization both qualitatively and quantitatively.
He said that while Israel's equipment was inferior to that of the Arab armies, the Israel
army was superior in manpower and quality. Another speaker was the acting chief of
staff of the army who also reported on arms acquisitions and the local arms industry.

Knesset Summoned to Deal with ArIns Threats

JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Israel Parliament, now in recess, has been summoned for
Oct. 10 or 11, a week earlier than schedule d, to consider the Egyptian arms situation.

Premier Moshe Sharett conferred with British Ambassador John W. Nichols over this matter.
Mr. Sharett asked the Ambassador to convey t he British government the Israel government's
anxiety over Egypt's acquisition of arms from the Eastern bloc, Britain has already expressed to
Cairo its disquiet over the situation.
Czechoslovakian charge d'affaires M. Jebolnik was called to the Foreign Ministry and was asked
to clarify the announcement of the Egyptian purchase of Czech arms.

Allen Mum on Talks with Egyptian Premier in Cairo

LONDON—(JTA)—George V. Allen, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near East-
ern Affairs, saw Egyptian Premier Gamel Abdel Nasser last week-end, but later denied that he had
threatened that the United States would cut off economic aid to the Arab state if it
accepted weapons from the Communist countries, it was reported here in dispatches
from Cairo.
Mr. Allen, who precipitously flew to Cairo after the Nasser regime announced
that it had concluded an arrangement to obtain arms for Czechoslovakia, declined to
say whether he had offered Nasser American munitions as an inducement for Egypt
to scrap the deal with Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. He told newsmen that
it was the sovereign right of .any country to purchase arms where it pleases.
Reports were published in Cairo newspapers that Mr. Allen had come to Egypt
to threaten that if Communist arms were accepted, the United States wiuld cease
economic support. Mr. Allen said that he had not discussed that matter with Col.
Nasser and that he knew nothing about such a development except that he had read
G. V. Allen
about it in some newspapers. (Additional Report on Page 24).
After Mr. Allen saw Col. Nasser, the Egyptian strong man saw the British, French and Soviet
ambassadors in that order. Col. Nasser was supported in the Communist arms deal by the Arab
League Council which sent him a message congratulating him on his "strong stand"
Meanwhile, it was reported here that owing to these developments, American military com-
manders in Europe favor United States participation in the Bagdad alliance as a means of forestalling
Soviet penetration of the Middle East region. C5ncerning Israel, these commanders are said to be-
lieve that the United States can make better arrangements in Israel's behalf from within the alliance
than in the present situation. The State Department is reported to be opposing such entrance until
Iran joins the "northern tier" pact, too.

Israel to tialance Arms Possessions: Elban
Asks 'Peace-Loving Nations' Not to Aid Arabs

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Cabinet decided to acquire whatever arms are needed
to maintain a balance of armaments with Egyp t, who announced that it was obtaining arms
from Czechoslovakia in a "munitions for cotton" swap. The Cabinet decision was haminered out
at a two-hour extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet called to deal specifically with the question
of Egyptian arms acquisition.
Premier Moshe Sharett reported on the various developments in the arms situation, includ-
ing the steps taken by Israel in relation to the B ig Powers to insure Israel's security. The Cabinet,
in a communique issued after the meeting, expr essed deep concern about the anticipated boost
in Egypt's weapons stores and underlined its be lief that if the • present gap betwen Israel's arma-
ment and Egypt's deepened, Egypt would be enc ouraged to new aggression.
The communique stated that during the Cabinet meeting Egyptian Premier Nasser's state-
.
"thents that Israel had obtained huge supplies of arms were denied as being "devoid of founda-
tion." It was stressed that Egypt's arms budget alone was three times as great as Israel's and that
the figures presented by the Egyptian Premier w ere exaggerated out of all proportion,

U.

S. Offers Munitions to Syria; Arms Deal with Russia

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The United Stat es Government is offering Syria war munitions
through a reimbursible military agreement in an attempt to prevent Syria from negotiating an

(Continued on Page 24)

Search for Oil Intensified

JERUSALEM—(JTA)—The number of heavy oil drill-
ing rigs in Israel will be doubled during the coming half.,
year and the search for oil will be intensified, it was learned
here in the wake of the recent discovery of Israel's first oil
in commercial quantities.

One of the most intensive projects is lined up for the
Heletz sector where the Lapidoth company brought in its
first well and where that will be deepened as a new one is
bored nearby in the hopes of opening up a vast underground
pool in the strata just below the one in which oil was
found. Geologists and prospectors are also very hopeful
over drillings halfway between Sdom and Ein Gedi.

The Huleiqat well in Israel, where the oil strike was reported,
is located 30 miles south o:a. Tel Aviv and six miles northeaSt of
the border if the Gaza Strip. The British-owned Petroleum Devel-
opment (Palestine) Ltd., a subsidiary of the Iraq Petroleum
Development Company, had drilled on this location in 1947 but
suspended operations at a depth of 3,464 feet because of the

Arab-Israeli

