Purely Commentary

Vilification of Americans of

. . The By Philip
the Jewish Faith
Passport Question and its SIOMOYItZ
Abuses in the Middle East.

Whitman Foundation
To Honor Feinberg

The Walt Whitman Founda-
tion of Brooklyn will honor
Charles E. Feinberg, of Detroit,
nationally prominent collector
of Whitman's
works, with a
citation to be
presented to
him at 3 p.m.
Sunday, March
11, in the
George Gersh-
win Theater of
Brooklyn Col-
lege it was an-
nounced this
C. E. Feinberg week.
The address on Walt Whitman
will be delivered at thiS presen-
tation ceremony by John Ciardi,
poet and critic.
An exhibit of Whitman ma-
terial and portraits will open
at 2:30 that day in the Alumni
Lounge off the Gershwin Thea-
ter.
Mr. Feinberg was responsible
for the presentation of Whitman

The Detroit Free Press recently published this interesting the abrogation of the treaty. Resolutions for abrogating the
editorial comment: "The lady at our table remarked that when treaty were introduced in the House of Representatives as well
she got her grammar school introduction to civics Theodore as in the Senate. The agitation began in the latter part of
Roosevelt was president. She said she remembered distincly two February and continued to the end of the year. On December
things she learned in civics. One was that Teddy Roosevelt 19 and 20, 1911, both Houses of Congress unanimously declared
would see to it that an American was safe anywhere in the for the renunciation of the treaty. The President apparently wel-
world. The other was that Teddy had said the difference between comed the support of the people against the pressure of Big
Business. On December 31, 1912, the trade agreement with Russia,
Europeans and Americans was that Euro-
which had been in force for eighty years, was in fact abrogated,
peans must carry a small bale of identifi-
abrogation to take effect at the end of the following year. For
cation cards and show them on demand.
the representatives of the Jews it was a great satisfaction that
Americans, he said; could go around
right had prevailed over might. Before negotiations for a new
without a shred of documentation and
treaty could get well under , way the World War broke out,
nobody had the right to ask them for any.
and with it fundamental changes in the Russian situation."
We murmured something about times
As Secretary of War in Theodore Roosevelt's Cabinet, Wil-
having changed and society having be-
liam Howard Taft passed through Russia. According to the late
come move complex, but we couldn't put
Simon Wolf, who was American Jewry's unofficial Ambassador
much heart in it."
in Washington and who had conferred with several Presidents
This provides us with the kind of in-
on matters involving civil right, Secretary Taft's stay in Russia
troduction we wanted for a discussion of
was "without making an official visit (not a personal visit) to the
the Arab boycott of American firms
Czar." Philip Cowen, in his "Memories of an American Jew,"
whose owners either are Jewish or may
quotes from a letter written to him by Mr. Wolf, Sept. 24, in-
have contributed to the United Jewish
dicating that Secretary Taft "was charged by the President to
Appeal. Arab countries also have dis-
bring to the Czar's attention a condition of affairs existing be-
Teddy
Roosevelt
criminated against Americans whose pass-
tween the two countries in regard to the passport question and
ports indicate their intention to visit Israel. They have denied other important matters, which lead to the wholesale immigration
visas to American Jews.
of our coreligionists; that after he had started, the Russian Am-
Which takes us back to the era when Czarist Russia refused bassador came in haste to the Secretary of State, and pro-
to grant passport visas to Americans of the Jewish faith. On tested against Mr. Taft's communicating anything to the Czar materials to many American
the contrary, the United States adhered to a principle that if or to the Russian government in matters that were pending be- universities during the past
our citizens are treated alike, regardless of their religious be- tween the two governments; that it might lead to a -great deal year and was awarded an
liefs, the same poliCy is to be applied to Russian citizens. On the of unpleasantness and destroy all possible chance of any future honorary doctorate, in recogni-
basis of the commercial treaty of 1832, our Government asked negotiations, in consequence of which protest a cablegram was tion of his work, by the Uni-
reciprocity in admissions of foreign visitors to and from the sent to Taft, asking him not to make the representation which versity -of Southern Illinois.
two countries. Dr. Ismar Elbogen, in "A Century of Jewish Life," he had been officially charged to deliver. Thus it shows that
issued by the Jewish Publication Society as an addendum to the President had acted, that Taft was ready to act, and that the
Graetz's History of the Jews, describes the Russian-U.S. con- State Department at the last moment, in the interest of pend-,
2 For 1 Bomb Policy
ing treaty relations was compelled to cable as above stated."
flict as follows: -
Outlined By Israel
History records, however, that despite State Department
"Proposals repeatedly came up in • Congress to insist upon
the dignity of American citizenship and to renounce the trade intervention, and trade temptations, President Taft had abrog-
LONDON (JTA) — Every
agreement. President Theodore Roosevelt wished to avoid a ated the treaty with Russia.
bomb dropped by Egyptian
Now we have a similar situation. Arab states are discriminat-
break, and when Count Witte was present in the United States
bombers on Tel Aviv will be
the President made strong repreSentations to him and handed ing against Americans of the Jewish faith. They have injected
answered by two on Cairo,
him a personal note to the. Czar -in which he emphasized the themselves into internal American affairs by assuming to reg-
Maj. Gen. Yigal Yadin,
ulate
the
conduct
of
American
businessmen
in
their
choice
of
urgency of the matter. One group of Russian ministers was in-
former Chief of Staff of the
clined to yield, but the government as such would not agree to favorite charities. They are denying visas to Americans on
Israel Army of Defense, de-
the request and irritated . American public opinion by further grounds of religious affiliations.
clared here. If Premier Nas-
•
Will
our
Government
act
in
this
matter,
as
President
Taft
provocations.
ser of Egypt decides to at-
had
acted
45
years
ago,
or
will
threats,
bordering
on
blackmail,
"The Russian government refused to recognize naturalization
tack Israel, Gen. Yadin
of its subjects and claimed permanent jurisdiction over those occur on the basis of availablity of oil? A real challenge faces
warned, "Jerusalem will be
who had become citizens of another country. Instead of pro- our Government in a matter involving the rights of American
defended on the banks of
citizens.
If
an
American
passport
is
not
to
be
treated
as
a
scrap
of
testing against this assumption, the American Secretary of State
the Nile." Gen. Yadin spoke
paper,
all
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
race
and
religion
must
at the opening of the 1956
issued a circular in which-he,WakIled.American Jews not to re-
be rejected. The precedent for firm action has been set by
Joint Palestine Appeal here.
quest passports for Russia, for these would only be granted if
the visa of the Russian government could be counted upon. The President Taft, and Congress has upheld it. We have no doubt
Ambassador Eliahu Elath
that
Congress
and
People
of
the
United
States
would
pursue
also spoke at the dinner.
American Jewish Committee entered - an energetic protest against
this untenable position, which surrendered the honor of Amer- a similar policy today.
ican .citizenship. -
"The situation was exacerbated by unscrupulous business
practices on the part of the Russians. Their propaganda induced
Jews to sail to Europe on Russian vessels, but entry to Russia
was made impossible, for Russian envoys refused their visa.
Important American personalities received invitations to visit
NEW YORK—The Dead Sea held to be significant for an-
tunateiy, in academic halls no
Russia, the government being quite willing to make exceptions
ticipating the ministry of
less than in the humdrum
for such Jews. Jacob H. Schiff repeatedly refused to enter into Scrolls "have no value for Ju-
daism or the history of early Jesus. "Detailed study of these
world, fashions and patterns
commercial relationships with Russia and declined personal invi-
Scrolls show that they were
once established, become sac-
tations so long as the Czar's government refused to grant the Christianity," a noted Jewish
written in the Middle Ages by
rosanct and hard to combat.
poorest Jew the same right as it did him. He looked upon the scholar declared at a lecture de-
uneducated Jews who either
"Prof. Zeitlin has from the be-
problem as a matter of principle. The Russian government had livered at the New. York Public
belonged to one of the Karai- ginning raised the flag of oppo-
Library.
declared that it was unable to grant foreign Jews privileges
The scholar, Dr. Solomon tic sects or were influenced sition and dared to oppose the
- which it denied its own Jews. Schiff insisted that discrimination
Zeitlin,
professor of Rabbinic by one of them," he said.
fashionable views regarding the
against foreign Jews be abolished, so that the Russian govern-
In introducing Prof. Zeitlin, Scrolls to the point of arch-
Literature
at Dropsie College,
ment could not deny to its own Jews what it granted to foreign
Philadelphia, asserted that "the whose lecture was sponsored by heresy. He-dared ask hard ques-
Jews.
the Friends of Dropsie College, tions, based on internal evidence
"In the course of years, indignation over the affront to scrolls are not of great anti-
quity, but were written in the Dr. Abraham A. Neuman, presi-
American citizenship and the disregard of United States pass- Middle Ages by none-too-literi- dent of the Philadelphia Col- which, if unresolved, explode
the entire fantastic structure
ports grew very high. Before the presidential elections of 1908 ate writers and hence have no lege, stated: "The Dead Sea
which
was so lightly erected.
both major parties adopted planks on the subject in their re- value for Judaism or early Scrolls have unfortunately be-
He exposes numerous mistrans-
spective platforms, and the successful candidate, William How- Christianity."
come a matter of wild specula- lations, misconstructions and
ard Taft, gave assurances of his disapproval of the Russian pol-
Dr. Zeitlin based his argu- tion and popular sensationalism. anachronisms in many of the
icy, both before and after the election. But actually he did noth-
Fantastic conclusions have been current interpretations of the
ing, and the cases involved grew more numerous and more ment on his study of "the in- proclaimed which affect Juda-
Dead Sea Scrolls. He has writ-
ternal
evidence"
in
the
scrolls.
flagrant. The Jewish organizations turned to the President per-
ism to a minor degree but are ten many learned, brilliant ar-
sonally. In a lengthy conference with a Jewish delegation Pres- He pointed out that "the much more serious, perhaps
ticles in the JewiSh Quarterly
ident Taft expressed much good-will, but showed no understand- spelling of various Hebrew revolutionary in their implica-
Review which have attracted
words
and
terms
which
occur
ing of the nub of the problem. Louis Marshall pointed to the
in the scrolls did not come in- tion, concerning the foundations the attention of scholars
inexorable logic of international law, and the President countered
of Christianity.
throughout the world."
by mentioning his consideration for individual firms and the to usage among the Jews un-
"The Dead Sea Scrolls,"
Dr. Neuman added that the
danger of the loss of their Russian investments. The Jewish dele- til the Middle Ages.
He also indicated that the Dr. Neuman stressed, "are es- lecture, arranged through the
gates left the White House in a state of despondency. Jacob H.
Shciff -was the first to find his voice, and he called out, 'This scrolls Contained references to sentially a scholarship prob- courtesy and cooperation of the
Means War.' In a courageous letter which he addressed to the Jewish laws which were not in lem. Their significance, their New York Public Library, was
President a few days later he repeated his determination to make vogue during the pre-Christian age and their authenticity held in response to many earn-
period but were enacted cen- cannot be settled in 'best est requests for clarification of
a fight of it.
sellers' but on the platforms this much-discussed problem.
"Since no help was to be expected of the government, the turies later. Prof. Zeitlin asked,
of scholarly debate and
"If
one
assigned
to
Shakespeare
Prof. Zeitlin is co-editor of
Jewish leaders decided 'to appeal to the people of the United
learned publications. Unfor- the Jewish Quarterly Review,
the
authorship
of
a
newly-found
States.' In nearly all cities mass meetings were held, denouncing
the only scientific journal of
Russia's course. Several states adopted resolutions requesting the manuscript wherein there were
words like !Fabian', 'telephone',
Jewish
scholarship published
government to act. The press was almost a unit in demanding
Labor Zionists Spur
`automobile', 'New Deal', and
today in a modern language. He
reference was made to laws Drive for Week's Pay
is also editor-in-chief of the
which were enacted in the Vic-
Jewish Apocryphal literature
A rapidly growing nation- series published by Dropsie Col-
torian age, would any student
of English literature regard the wide response is reported by lege in collaboration with Har-
manuscript as that of Shake- the membership of the Labor per and Brothers. He is the
speare? Similar reasoning ap- Zionist Movement to the or- author of "Who Crucified Je-
plies to the Dead Sea Scrolls". ganization's call for a gift of sus?," widely acclaimed by bi-
Prof. Zeitlin also disputed the a minimum of one week's pay blical scholars as an authentic
importance of the famous ' . so- to the United Jewish Appeal's account based on historic evi-
dence showing- where the blame
called Manual of Discipline" Special Fund. -
The progress report on the for the crucifixion of Jesus Is
of the Essene sect, and the
week's pay drive was issued to be placed.
Commentary o n Habakkuk
and the Zadokite Fragments by Baruch Zuckerman, chair
2—Detroit Jewish News
in which the expression man of the Labor ZiOnist As-
Friday, February 24, 1956
"Teacher of Righteousness" is sembly.
Louis Marshall
President Taft
Jacob H. Schiff

Dr. Zeitlin Warns Dead Sea Scrolls Have
No Value for Judaism or Early Christianity'

