Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Warren's Powerful Discourse on 'Segregation'
A truly powerful document has been written by Robert Penn
Warren (author of "All the King's Men" and "Band of Angels")
on the question of integration and desegregation, under the title
"Segregation: The Inner Conflict With the South," published by
Random House (457 Madison, NY 22).
This book is based on a series of interviews with the com-
mon people, of both races, in the South, by a Southerner who
,returned to -his home ground to study the painful subject. He
winds up with an interview with himself in which he presents
his personal views on the subject.
"To learn to live with ourselves" is his summary, and it is
explained: "I don't think you can live with yourself when you
are humiliating the man next to you."
How is the task to be achieved? "If we are to break out of
the national rhythm, the rhythm between complacency and panic,"
in striving for leadership by the South, Warren states, in answer
to the question "Are you a gradualist on the matter of segrega-
tion?":
"If by gradualist you mean a person who would create delay
for the sake of delay, then no. If by gradualist you mean a person
who thinks it will take time, not time as such, but time for an
educational process, preferably a calculated one, then yes. I
mean a process of mutual education for whites and blacks.
And part of this education should be in the actual beginning of
the process of desegregation. It's a silly question, anyway, to ask
_ if somebody is a gradualist. Gradualism is all yrbu'll get. History,
like nature, knows no jumps. Except the jump backward, maybe."
Interesting angles are introduced by Warren, such as church
attendance by both races. When he asked "what will they do in
Heaven?", one woman replied, "I'll just let God segregate us."
But others were realistic in admitting the inevitability of de-
segregation.
Blacks as well as whites were cautious, and some blacks
wanted time, in order not to force the issue into troubles for both
elements.
Then there is the question of "relief from responsibility,"
and Warren points to other areas where there are dangers—in-
volving Porto Ricans, Jews and Italians, as well as Negroes.
One solution offered, in the course of the interviews, was by
way of absorption—by fusing the two races. Said one man he
interviewed: "Anthropologically speaking, the solution will be
absorption, the Negro will disappear." "And the old man in
North Tennessee, a burly, full-blooded, red-faced, raucous old
man, says:. 'Hell, son, it's easy to solve. Just blend 'em. Fifteen
years and they'll all be blended in. And by God, I'm doing my
part!' "
Referring to the "instinctive fear of abstraction," Warren,
seeking an explanation for "what being a Southerner is," recalls a
Yankee friend saying to him: "Southerners and Jews, you're
exactly alike, you're so damned special."
Out of the confusion did come the author's answers to his
own questions, when he interviewed himself. After gathering all
the opinions, of whites and blacks, he got down to brass tacks
and came up with a real, a definite opinion. His "Segregation"
should have been published before the Republican and Democratic
conventions—for all politicians to study the, question and to
know the proper answers.
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`Priest Balks Inter-Faith Graduation'
In a recent issue of the Michigan Catholic, under the above
heading, the following news story appeared with a Bargenfield,
N. J., dateline:
"A protest by a priest brought cancellation of plans for an
interdenominational baccalaureate service for the graduating
Blass of the Bergensfield High school.
"The school's senior class council at first voted to hold a
single service to which Catholic, Protestant and Jewish clergy-
men were invited to speak. Fr. Edward McGuirk, pastor of St.
John's church, declined to participate in the interfaith service,
and advised Catholics in the graduating class not , to attend.
"The council next planned two baccalaureate services, one
for Protestants and Jews and the other for Catholics, but later
decided to call off the entire program. Instead private and sep-
arate services were held' in various churches. Catholic graduates
assisted at a Mass in St. John's."
Such is Catholic policy. We can't complain about it. Our
Catholic fellow citizens oppose "interdenominational" services.
In religion, they recognize the existence only of their own. It
can not, therefore, be interpreted as discriminatory. It is, instead,
self-containment. Perhaps it even has a wise aspect—in that it
could strengthen separation of church and state and the com-
plete omission of all religious practices from our educational
system by way of concentrating them within the inner folds of
each faith.
Jews in American Political Life
American Jews have been and are active in all walks of
life. When they succeed, they are applauded; when they fail,
they suffer the fate of failure.
Jews have played important roles in the judiciary, in foreign
service, in various branches of our Government.
Yet, whenever a young fellow shows an interest in politics,
he usually is discouraged. Politics has been linked with unsavory
tactics. Therefore, many able men have been induced to refrain
from taking part in public activities.
But the atmosphere is clearing up. Politics is no longer rele-
gated to the bar-room or smoke-filled conferences.
Young people more readily respond to political appeals, as
they should.
We have some outstanding young Jews who now are playing
important roles in politics. We commend them for smashing the
myth of "filthy politics" and for creating a new aura about their
share in Government. Let them make themselves felt in their
respective political parties. Let them exert wholesome influence
—and let them benefit personally by advancing themselves in
Local, State and Federal positions. It is all for the benefit of
our country.
G.O.P. Adopts Israel Plank; Ignore _Protests
Of Judaism Council; Leaders Listed as
Israel Opponents; Seek Agreement with Adlai
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(Direct JTA Teletype Wire to
the Jewish News from Its
Cony ention Correspondent)
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
JTA and Jewish News
Washington Correspondent
S A N FRANCISCO — The
Republican National Convention
Tuesday unanimously adopted
the draft platform plank on
Israel submitted it to by its
resolutions c o m m i ttee. The
plank on Israel, as well as the
entire proposed platform, was
passed by the convention with-
out any fight. It had previously
been expected that anti-Israel
elements within the -Republican
Party would stage a last lninute
-effort to block its adoption.
The fight against the plank
was led by Alfred Lilienthal,
spokesman for the so-called "Na-
tional Committee for Security
and Justice on the Middle East,"
who complained that the Re-
publican draft made no refer-
ence to arms.
The Lilienthal group said that
Nixon Waives
Smith's Support
Vice- President Nixon dis-
avowed Tuesday everything said
at an earlier press conference
by Gerald L. K. Smith that
associated him in any way with
the extreme right-wing and anti-
Semitic propagandist. Smith, in
answer to questions, suggested
that he was supporting Nixon.
Nixon's statement follows:
"Generally, what Gerald L.
K. Smith says should never be
dignified by comment. In this
instance, however, I think it is
clearly necessary to depart from
that rule. As I stated unequivo-
cally when I ran for senate in
1950, there is no place . iri the
Republican Party for race-bait-
ing merchandisers of hate like
Gerald L. K. Smith.
"I have been complimented
by the fact that his publication,
the Christian Nationalist Crus-
ade, has on several occasions
attacked me because of my work
in behalf of President Eisen ,
hower's program for guarantee-
ing equality of opportunity for
all Americans.
, "I am proud of the fact that
our Republican platform speaks
out so clearly and unequivocally
on this great issue, that Gerald
L. K. Smith and those who share
his views will take no' comfort
whatever from it."
Turkish Statesman
Backs Israel on Suez
ISTANBUL, (JTA) —.Israel's
right to free passage through
the Suez Canal was defended
by Djihad Baban, chairman of
the Turkish Parliament's For-
eign Affairs Committee.
Writing for the newspaper
Ter c uma n, Baban reviewed
Egypt's "illegal blockade"
against Israel shipping, and pre-
dicted that Egypt's President
Nasser may give guarantees of
free passage to the Western
POwers, but not to Israel be-
cause "to do so would destroy
his prestige in the Arab world."
Baban warned that acceptance
of partial guarantees are not
enough. "Can one say that the
principle of free passage
through the Canal is imple-
mented if Israel is still deprived
of this right?" he asked.
while the Republicans had
omitted mention of arms for
Israel they erred in using
phraseology which was too "pro-
Israel." Lilienthal told a press
Council Protests Use of
Term `Jewish State'
NEW YORK — Strong objec-
tions have been raised over the
use of the phrase "Jewish State,"
in the draft of the foreign policy
plank of the Republican plat-
form, by the American Council
for Judaism. In telegrams to
the platform committee and for-
mer Governor Thomas Dewey,
George L. Levison, national
vice president of the commit-
tee, declared: "Wherever ref-
erence is made to 'State of
Israel' it is proper that under-
lined name of Israel be used and
that incorrect and propaganda
terminology 'Jewish State' be
eliminated.
Contending that use of such
terminology is greatly resented
by a majority Mid-Eastern peo-
ple the telegram goes on say-
ing that the term State of Israel
implies" national attachment for
all people of one religious creed
to the Israel State" Levision
claims this is a source of confu- -
sion for millions of citizens of
other countries who are of the
Jewish faith and want no na-
tional identification "except to
countries of their citizenship."
conference that although some
members of Congress have as-
sisted in keeping mention of
arms for Israel out of the plat-
form draft, they were unwilling
to take the convention floor to
oppose adoption of the draft
plank. ,
Lilienthal identified these
members of Congress as Senator
Arthur Watkins, of Utah; Sena-
tor H. Alexander Smith, of New
Jersey, and Rep. Frances Bolton,
of Ohio.
It was reported that Senator
William Jenner, of Indiana, had
considered taking the floor to
oppose adoption of the Israel
plank, but it was feared by the
anti-Zonists that his extremist
views might react against their
cause.
Lilienthal also told the press
that Senator Ralph Flanders, of
Vermont, had told him he would
seek bi-partisan agreement be-
tween President Eisenhower and
Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic
candidate, after the convention,
to keep the Israel arms issue
out of politics.
Many of the Republicans cri-
tical of the plank and desirous
of a friendlier demonstration to-
ward the Arabs said that despite
their personal feelings they
wished to preserve party har-
mony and party unity and there-
fore did not oppose the adoption
of the Israeli plank.
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
and Me'
(Copyright 1956,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Jewish Teen Agers
Is our young generation Jewish-minded? . . . A study con-
ducted by Bnai Brith among 200 teen agers—all of them members
of the Bnai Brith Youth Organization—offers a gloomy answer to
this question . . . The youths, 120 boys and 80 girls, were selected
at random from a group of more than 2,000 adolescent members
of the BBYO residing in an area from Ohio to the Rocky- Moun-
tains .. They were questioned about their interest in nine types
of activities . . . Interest in athletics turned out to be first among
boys and interest in "Jewish content" activities turned out to be
last . . . Among the girls social activities took first place in
interest while "Jewish content" activities was eighth, one re-
moved from the bottom . . . The definition for "Jewish content"
was given as projects or activities focused on developing Jewish
consciousness, Jewish knowledge, or pride in Jewish culture and
way of life . . . The 'boys rated the 'following quite low: discussing
books with a Jewish theme,. listening to Jewish music, singing
Jewish folk songs, taking dates to' a.Friday evening 'service . . .
The girls rated the following among the lowest items: discussing
books with a Jewish theme, a quiz program on Jewish history,
listening to a lecture on Jewish customs . . . Both boys and girls
rated Jewish cultural activities relatively low . Both boys and
girls were interested in "discussing Reform, Conservative and
Orthodox Judaism," however neither group seemed interested in
"hearing a rabbi discuss some phases of Jewish life" . . . The
younger boys and girls seemed somewhat more interested than
the older boys and girls in "participating in synagogue or temple
services" . . . In answering questions about their interest in
community service activities, the boys and girls listed the fol-
lowing high: collecting toys and clothing for the needy, a party
for orphans, a show for old folks in homes . . . At the .same time,
they rated "soliciting pledges for the U.J.A." at the bottom Of
their" lists.
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Soviet Echoes
From all reports presented by the numerous American rabbis
who have returned from visits to the Soviet Union, a picture
emerges that Soviet government leaders took no notice of the
rabbincial delegation . ... None of the delegations succeeded in
obtaining any government statement, or Fere even received by
high government officials ... They came, they saw Moscow Rabbi
Solomon Schliefer, and they left without even being able to
enter a single Jewish home in Moscow, or in any of the other
cities they visited . . . Actually, they were treated as tourists,
and not as representatives of religious Jewry . . . They were
permitted to visit cities which only tourists can visit, and to enter
only those institutions which are open to sight-seeing parties,
including the few synagogues in existence . . This in itself
indicates that the Moscow rulers, although they now permit any
foreigner to visit the country as a tourist, are not inclined to
discuss the problems faced by Jews in the USSR . . . The only
exception they made was when Krushchev received the French
Socialist delegation ... He discussed problems of Soviet Jewry
with the members of this delegation simply because he could
not help himself since the delegation surprised him in raising
these problems . And his replies to the questions put 'by the
Frenchmen were not at all encouraging . . . The visits of the
American Rabbis in Russia had, however, the effect of making
some Jews in Russia feel that they . are . not altogether forgotten
South African to Play
Leading Role in Movie
LONDON, (JTA) — Martin
Shaban, 21-year-old son - of
South African Jewish com-
munal leader Abel Shaban, has
been signed for an important
feature role in a new film to be
shot in South Africa. The script
was written by a young Jewish
writer, Wolf Mankowitz, and
will be produced by another
by the Jews of the world.
Jew, Mark Lynford.
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