A Yellow Stripe in Arab Blackmail THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association. National Editorial Association. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35. Mich., VE. 8-9364. Subscription $5 a year Foreign $5. Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879 PHILIP SLOMOVITZ SIDNEY SHMARAK FRANK SIMONS Editor and Publisher Advertising Manager City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twenty-seventh day of Adar, 5716, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portions, Vayakhei, Pckude Hahodesh, Ex. 35:1-38:20, .38:21-28, 12:1-20. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 45:18-46:18. Rosh Hodesh Nisan reading of the Torah, Tuesday, Num. 28:1-15. Licht Benshen, Friday, March 9, 6:13 p.m. VOL. XXIX. No. 1 Page Four March 9, 1956 Maior Issue:Arab Bias Against U.S. Jewry The major issue erupting from the un- fortunate Arab-Israel conflict and the en- couragement given to the Arab states by anti-Israelis in this country is the discrimi- nation practiced in Arab lands against American Jews. Our State Department unfortunately has yielded to pressure to condone such dis- crimination. Instead of pursuing the poli- cies that were set down by President Taft, when he broke trade relations with Tzarist Russia as an answer to Russia's refusal to recognize passports of Americans of the Jewish faith, our State Department has Ike Said 'Yes' President Eisenhower's affirmative reply to the country's anxiety to know whether he had decided to be a candidate for re- election carried with it very happy tidings. His "Yes" meant that our President had recovered from his illness, that he is pre- pared to continue to serve our country, that he is confident that he is restored to full strength. To President Eisenhower's "Yes" now will be added many political speculations and the opinions of opponents as well as friends. In a sense, his declaration of Feb. 29 signalized the opening of the 1956 Presi- dential campaign. We are certain to have a few exciting, months, until the American electorate de- cides who is to occupy the White House for another four years. In the course of the campaign, many vital issues will be discussed. That of segregation or desegregation will affect the thinking of many voters. Similarly, the Middle Eastern situation will figure in political debates. It is an inevitable issue because upon it may hinge the peace of the world. The late Hilaire Belloc had chosen to title one of his books with the challenging assertion: "Palestine, the Battleground of the World." That area threatens to assume the position of the Balkans of World War I, and the elimination of tensions that may lead to another world war must be eradi- cated in that area. Elimination of strife can not be accomplished by way of "secret diplomacy." We may as well recognize the issue and face it. The Middle East will figure in political debates. We have only one warning on that score: whether it is the Arab or the Israel view- point, it is not a one-sided, one-party mat- ter. It is of concern to all Americans, to all the peoples of the .world, and we must view with suspicion any attempt to stifle discussion of it. Israel happens to be on the defensive. If Israel is enabled to hold her ground and to defend her people, a world conflict may be averted. But if our prayers for peace and the help we give Israel should fail, then the worst conflagration may result, especially in view of Soviet Russia's de- termination to gain a foothold there. , It: is our earnest hope and prayer that President Eisenhower will recognize the need for frank discussion of the issue, and that he and his associates will strive to render justice in a trying situation. The cry for fair play for Israel must not come froni Democrats alone or from Republi- cans alone: it must come from the entire American people. Perhaps it will develop fully out of the free discussion that dis- timliiishes American politics. yielded to Saudi Arabian demands not to send Jews as members of its diplomatic corps in that country; and not to use boats owned or manned by Jews or destined for Israel in making shipments to Egypt. This country's Jewish citizens are not the only sufferers from such discrimina- tion. Last week, Lord Rea, leader of the Liberal peers, asked in the British House of Lords what his government had done about the Arab states' refusal to grant transit visas to British Jews and the re- fusal of the Arab states to recognize the validity of a power of attorney held in behalf of any British firm in which a Jew had a proprietary interest. According to a JTA report, Lord Read- ing, Minister of State in the Foreign Of- fice, replying for the British government, said that these discriminatory measures were an outgrowth of the Arab League boycott against Israel. He added that the British- government considers this a viola- tion of international law and has protested on numerous occasions. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, in reply to a similar question at his press conference, expressed the hope for a grad- ual development of tolerance but declared that it was a difficult problem to cope with and is comparable to certain prob- lems in the United States. In either case, insufficient effort has been exerted to remove the injustice of the Arab boycott. When will the great powers act to avert violation of interna- tional law and human rights? A View of U. S. Jewry Returning to London from a visit in this country, R. N. Carvalho, president of the 'Anglo-Jewish Association, gave this opinion of American Jewry: "From our point of view, it (the Ameri- can Jewish community) is unorganized or over-organized, whichever you will," he said. "There is no coordination and intense competition . . . leaders are well informed, but I thought the rank and file surpris- ingly ignorant of conditions in other coun- tries. The outstanding characteristic of them all is an intense wish to do good and a real desire to be advised how good should be done. There is a tremendous potentiality in the American community and I believe it is being harnessed." We read this opinion of us, as reported in a Jewish Telegraphic Agency cable from London, with a sense of gratitude. It is well that we should see ourselves as others see us. It is important that we should understand ourselves, in order that we should better be able to improve our status as a cultural entity. Recently, however, we have been study- ing the opinions of British Jews about themselves, and we come to the conclu- sion that the ills that are ours also are those of British Jewry; that Mr. Carvalho's community is affected by the same short- comings as ours. Which proved to us that we are not alone in our ignorance; that all the Eng- lish-speaking communities need bolstering in their cultural aspirations. Perhaps all of us—in this country, in England, in Africa, in Canada, in Australia—should work together for a common program of self-improvement. If we could work that out, we would feel doubly .grateful to Mr. Carvalho. 'Night Fell on Georgia' Story of Leo Frank Case "The only celebrated American murder case of the 20th cen- tury in which religious prejudice Played a dominant role, the sensational case of teen-age Mary Phagan and her employer Leo Frank," is described in all its details in a new 25-cent First Edition by Charles and Louise Samuels, published by Dell Books (200 5th, N. Y. 19), under the title "Night Fell on Georgia." A documented story, containing lengthy excerpts from the record, the title itself reveals the authors' view of the case. "And Night Fell on Georgia" is the title of the sixth and final chapter in the book. It is the chapter. dealing with the lynching, with the brutality of crazed people. The authors believe that if Frank- had not been a Jew, the- conspiracy against him would not have developed. It is evident from all the happenings recorded in this new book that mass hysteria dominated the scene, that the influence exerted by the crowds in and out of the courtroom was the deciding factor in the jury's verdict, in the appeals to passion and to hatred, in the threats that- regardless of the verdict Frank would be murdered. In "Night Fell on Georgia" the compilers of the data in the Frank case derive comfort from the fact that "millions of men and women who had never before heard the names and would never see the faces of the victims, or be thanked by them, gave of their time, their money, and their hearts to help" Leo Frank and defendants in other similar cases (Mooney-Billings, Sacco- Vanzetti, Scottsboro boy) ; and that "these millions of Americans were of all races, religions, ages, and political parties." It is little comfort—except that the judge_in the - Frank case asserted his doubts (too late! . . . they were revealed in a posthumous letter!), and Governor John M. Slaton sacrificed his political career to commute Frank's death sentence to life imprisonment. - But the mob succeeded! It lynched! It caused Night to Fail on Georgia! There still are some who are not convinced that Frank was innocent—among them so noted a liberal as Ralph McGill, editor of the Atlanta Constitution. But the actions of Tom Watson, the works of the mob, the attacks on the Jews,, the acceptance of evidence from Jim Conley whom many believed to be the true killer and who was described as a "black demon," will continue to cause consternation and create sorrow among those who read the Samuels' story that revives interest in the shocking Frank case. The entire country was stirred by the case. The .late Louis Marshall joined the corps of lawyers who assisted in exposing the horrible injustice against an innocent Jew. But the con- spirators were too strong, the defense often too • weak. It is well that the facts again are made known. All genera- tions must be kept aware of what can happen in an American community, in order to strive that it should not happen again. Richman's `Laughs from jetvish Lore' Contains Scores of Good Stories Many scores of Jewish stories, applicable to all occasions, are incorporated in Jacob Richman's "Laughs From Jewish Lore," issued, by Hebrew Publishing Co. (79 Delancey. N. Y.). Richman is an excellent story-teller, and his - art is reflected in the tales recorded in his book. The numerous chapter titles offer a clue to the topics touched upon. Feasts and Fasts, Jewish Leaders, Guests and Hotels, Preachers, Philanthropists, Traders and Tradesmen, Matchmaking and Marriage, Parents and Children, Medicine and Law, Thieves and Sinners, Buffoons, etc. There are hundreds of stories in this book, and while many of them have been told and retold, they have a place in a com- pilation of Jewish humor in order that every generation may be treated to them. Some of Richman's stories are too long, but all of them are well told. Many of them—being commonplace—cannot be digni- fied with the title "Jawish Lore," but they nevertheless are part of good Jewish humor.