THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS —Friday, October 3,

Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Robert Briscoe Provided Much-Needed
Humor in His Exciting Life Story
Robert Briscoe has justified reason for boasting of a double
heritage: the Irish and the Jewish. He has acquired remarkable
strength from both, and his pride in having shared in the battle
for freedom for the two peoples will
undoubtedly encourage many of his
coreligionists and compatriots in their
continued struggles for justice.
His life story is told in a most
remarkable book, "For the Life of
Me," written with Alden Hatch and
to be issued on Oct. 6 by his pub-
lishers, Little, Brown & Co. (34
Beacon St., Boston 6). There are so
many unusual factors in this book—
elements of courage, devotion, religi-
osity — that the colorful former
Jewish Mayor of Dublin emerges
even more picturesque out of the
pages of his own book after his story
is completed.
What makes the Briscoe story
all the more valuable is the sense
of humor displayed in the frank
Robert Briscoe
narrative of this remarkable man.
In the darkest hours of the struggle for Irish independence, in
which he played a very valuable role, he did not forget to crack
a joke, to tell a humorous story, to think of the lighter side
of life, to see even tragedies in a lighter vein.
This element of humor makes his work exceptionally impor-
tant, especially for Jewish readers. It is a great relief to turn
away from the ultra-serious and to find yourself break into a
smile. There is such a paucity of humor in Jewish life — indeed,
in life generally. Perhaps Bob Briscoe is teaching his readers
a lesson on how to recapture the quality of being amusing and
amused.

Nate S. Shapero Appointed Jewish
Co-Chairman of Detroit Round Table

Nate S. Shapero, president of
Cunningham-Kinsel Drug Stores,
prominent civic leader, was
chosen Jewish co-chairman of
the Detroit Round Table of
Catholics, Jews and Protestants,
at a meeting of the board of
directors of the good will move-
ment held yesterday at the Tal-
ler Hotel.
Judge Joseph A. Moynihan,
the Catholic co-chairman, who
presided at the luncheon meet-
ing, installed Mr. Shapero into
his new office. The selection was
acclaimed by Robert M. Frehse,
executive director of the Round
Table, and by leaders of all
faiths who were present at the
meeting.
T h e important community
honor accorded Mr. Shapero took
place less than a week after his
66th birthday.
Born in Detroit, Sept. 27,
1892, he acquired his drug store
experience as a soda jerker at
the age of 12. He earned his

It Should be a Best-Seller: Will It?
Before proceeding to relate some of the more outstanding
features about "For the Life of Me," this reviewer desires to
express the opinion that it belongs in the best-seller qualification.
Will it reach the high mark in book sales, as it should?
Briscoe's book is not a sex novel. It is straight-forward, frank,
and it narrates in simplest terms the most fascinating stories
about eras in the lives of an interesting man and his interesting
family and two embattled peoples.
It will be an interesting test, as to whether or not a book
must be sexy to be a best-seller. "For the Life of Me" is far
superior to Golden's "Only in America" which has remained on
the best-seller lists for several weeks. The latter — in spite of
the notoriety it has just received through the "revelation" that
the author had once served a prison sentence — is merely a
collection of episodes from a paper that has unjustifiably taken on
a Jewish name. The Forward said editorially a few days ago
that Golden's paper would have been the same spasmodic sheet
under any name, and it rightfully rebuked him for capitalizing
on a Jewish name. This Commentator already had pointed it out
in his review of Golden's book on Aug. 29. But the public is
gullible. The press is gullible — and gullibility has skyrocketed
Golden's work into a best seller.
Repeating: Briscoe's story is better told, more interesting, far
superior. Will it sell? . If it doesn't, it will merely prove that
best sellers are not necessarily the best books.

4:

History More Interesting Than Fiction
Briscoe's book reads like fiction. It is packed full of action
— with the additionally meritorious asset of being humorous —
and it holds the reader's attention from beginning to end. Yet,
it is not fiction: it is history, told by one of the heroes in the
events related. It is the re-enacting of nearly six decades of
most interesting occurrences in our time.
Son of a peace-loving Russian immigrant, Briscoe, whose
training was thoroughly Irish yet most devotedly Orthodox-
Jewish, cast his lot with the Irish freedom fighters. His father
was heart-broken that his son would have aligned himself with
extremists who did not hesitate to murder British oppressors
in retaliation for the murders of Irish freedom fighters.
It is no wonder that Bob Briscoe was so utterly anti-British
and that he should have regained his antagonism for British
foreign policies in the years when Jews were prevented from
entering Palestine and during the struggle against British inter-
ference with the aspirations to translate the idea incorporated
in the Balfour Declaration into a reality.
Thus, Briscoe became an associate and guide of Vladimir
Jabotinsky whom he advised on guerrilla tactics — in the
manner that they were conducted by the Irish against the com-
mon enemy.
Briscoe came to the United States in behalf of the New
Zionist Organzation (the Revisionists) and he sought support
from Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, who, in turn,
advised him to see the retired Mr. Justice Louis D. Brandeis.
In spite of his age, Brandeis, who is described by Briscoe as
having been "delicate," as Frankfurter had said, gave the Irish
Jew an audience. Briscoe was told that Brandeis could not go
along with him in his ideas, which called for support of the
Irgun, and that he could not approve of them, but he invited
his guest to have a cup of tea with him. Before they parted
Brandeis said:
"If I were a young man like you I would be with you,
talking as you have talked, doing exactly what you are trying
to do." And he wished Briscoe luck.
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, who years ago baCked his I.R.A.
activities in support of Irish freedom, stood in his way. Briscoe
made friends with him in the end, but he states in his book that
"Rabbi Wise was an Anglophile. He believed the promises and
protestations of the British, and he saw in them the only hope
of saving the world from Hitler — about this he was probably
right. But it made him regard me as a foolish fanatic . . . Once
I sent Wise a telegram saying, 'You have chosen the wrong

way through Cass High School
as a violinist and also saved a
little to earn his Ph.B at Ferris
Institute, Big Rapids, Mich. He
began his career as a chain drug
store owner at the age of 26,
when he acquired his first drug
store on Cass and Ledyard. He
labeled it "Economical No. 1"
and out of it developed the
Economical chain which later
merged with Cunningham's. The
merger with Kinsel's took place
two months ago.
Shapero annually a war d s
scholarships at Wayne State
University, Detroit Institute of
Technology and Ferris Insti-
tute. He has served on the board
of his alma mater.
Mr. Shapero was chairman of
the Allied Jewish Campaign in
1946. He has held important
positions in the Jewish Welfare
Federation, was one of the or-
ganizers and first officers of
Sinai Hospital and he donated
$500,000 towards the construc-

tion of the Shapero School of
Nursing at Sinai Hospital.
During the last war, he was
chairman of the Wayne County
Retail War Savings Committee
and he was honored for his ac-
tivities in behalf of the sale of
War Bonds.
He is a member of both
Temple Beth El and Shaarey
Zedek and is a former presi-
dent of Temple Beth El.
His numerous civic and char-
itable activities included the
presidency of the Detroit Board
of Fire Commissioners, presi-
dency of Franklin Hills Country
Club, board member of Boy
Scouts, member of Wayne Coun-
ty Board of Supervisors and
membership in a score of pro-
fessional and communal organi-
zations.
He was married Jan. 27, 1924,
to the former Ruth Bernstein.
They have a daughter, Mrs. Al-
len Schwartz; a son, Raphael
A., and four grandchildren.

Risina Tide of Anti-Semitism in the South

• Continued from Page 1. •
even heard of Mrs. Orenduff.
Neither had the local syna-
gogues. The teacher respectfully
suggested that the principal
check Mrs. Orenduff's religious
affiliations. He did. It turned
out that the horrendous Mrs.
Orenduff, despite her Jewish-
sounding name, was a member
of a leading Protestant church.
She was not now and never had
been a Jew.
* R *
Yom Kippur sermons pre-
pared by a number of rabbis in
Virginia urged Jewish support
of social justice. A general
theme voiced by rabbis was that
Jews were morally obligated as
individuals to oppose segrega-
tion.

Meanwhile, a leading member
of the "Defenders of State Sov-
ereignty," a Virginia-wide seg-
regationist group, has used a
hate sheet published at New-
port News as a vehicle for a
new attack on the Jews.
Charles G. Carter, writing in
the "Virginian," accused the
Jews of being behind the cur-
rent anti-segreation movement.
Wrote Carter:
"The Jew's money is his pow-
er and he is merciless in its use
. . . Typical. of this is his use of
the Jewish-financed and led
NAACP, intended to gain for
the Jew the coveted social
equality and power he craves
. .. The South's problem — its
implacable enemy — is not the
Negro but the Northern Jew."

Anti-Semitism in Japan Hinted in
Delay of Hilton Hotel Construction

TOKYO, (JTA) — A new
Japanese magazine charges that
anti-Semitism in Japanese gov-
ernment circles is delaying the
construction of a long-planned
Toyko Hilton Hotel.
The hotel has been in the
works since February 1956,
when financial tycoon Keita
Goto signed a contract with the
Hilton interests to build a To-
kyo branch of the famous inter-
national chain. Since that time
plans have been drawn up for a
750-room, $15,000,000 hotel, but
a suitable site has never been
found. At present, Goto's Toyko
Hilton Hotel Co. is trying to
purchase Palace Heights, a
choice location near the Imper-
ial Palace and Moat recently re-
leased by the U.S. Army.
There are strong indications
that Goto will have to look else-

where. An article in the quar-
terly, "Who's Who in Japan,"
declared: "One of the problems
delaying, if not preventing, the
realization of this project is the
rumor being spread that Conrad
H. Hilton is a Jew. There are
forces both within the Japanese
government and other circles
that are manipulating strings
behind the scenes in an anti-
Semitic campaign."
The publication quotes Goto
as s a yin g: "I don't know
whether or not Conrad H. Hil-
ton is a Jew. That makes no
difference to me. But I do want
our countrymen to reflect what
would have happened in 1905
if Jacob Schiff, or Kuhn, Loeb
and Company did not extend a
helping hand to Japan by taking
the lead in raising a loan for
us in the midst of the Russo-
Japanese War."

vocation. Mephistopheles as in Faust would suit you better.' It
was rude, but I was ardent."
And so, Briscoe failed to get an audience with Franklin D.
Roosevelt, in his efforts to overcome British antagonism to
Zionism: "My way was blocked by the man to whom Roosevelt
turned for advice on all matters concerning Zionism," meaning
Dr. Wise.
A number of years later, Wise asked Briscoe's forgiveness.
They understood and respected each other.

'Captain Swift' and Fighter Against 'Coffin Ships'
Thus, ad infinitum, story after story is told about Briscoe's
activities — in behalf of the Irish and of the Israel-to-be. He was
the famous "Captain Swift" in the Irish underground movement.
He struggled against the British tactics which acquired a new
low in the era of the "Coffin Ships" — when hundreds were per-
mitted to die on the shores of Palestine, in dilapidated boats,
rather than be admitted to the Holy Land.
As Lord Mayor of Dublin, as campaigner for the United
Jewish Appeal, as an advocate for justice for his kindred peoples,
Briscoe, as the Irish know him, as those participating in Jewish
causes, especially in Zionism, have . learned to know him, as
those of us who met him during his American UJA tour learned
to admire him, Robert Briscoe is a most colorful figure. His
book attests to it. It is a fine book and it should, as we believe it
will, be read by a great host of people.

Another "Defender" agitator
is Mrs. Vivian Jarrell, chairman
of a Defender real estate com-
mittee in Northern Virginia.
She appeared a number of
times on a Fairfax, Va., audi-
ence participation radio pro-
gram and read portions of no-
torious hate literature.
The management of the sta-
tion finally intervened, pointing
out that the propaganda she
promoted was prepared by a
group cited by the House Com-
mittee on Un-American activi
ties as "neo-Fascist."
• * *
An important daily newspap-
er, the Richmond News-Leader,
published an editorial that
brought renewed concern to
Jews. The newspaper had pre-
viously denounced the Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai
Brith because the ADL sup-
ported Negro rights. While fav-
orably reviewing Harry Gold-
en's best-seller "Only in Amer-
ica," the News Leader editorial
permitted itself to take an ac-
cent mocking Jews.
The newspaper said of Gold-
en: "Already he is counting the
royalties yet." It asked "who
can get mad at Harry? You
should maybe get mad at dill
pickles?"
Outright hate material circu-
lated in Virginia came from
various sources. One mimeo-
graphed tract, traced to the
Gerald L. K. Smith group, said
"world Jews always help blacks.
To destroy the white race is
genocide . . . pretty girls of Ire-
land leave for rich Israeli and
African chiefs."
Causing greatest concern in
the Arlington and Charlottes-
ville areas is the "Seaboard
White Citizens Council." Its
leader is John Kasper, recently
released from Federal prison
where he served a sentence
arising from his racial agita-
tion in Tennessee.
Kasper is not reported in Vir-
ginia at this time but is repre-
sented by a native of Arlington,
26-year-old Eugene Collton. An
admirer of Adolf Hitler, Coll-
ton has said "Niggers are not
difficult to get along with until
the Jews get hold of them."
Collton warned that violence
would befall Jews if Arlington
schools are integrated.
Seniors at Washington-Lee
and Wakefield High Schools in
Arlington have received
through the mails a 32-page
pamphlet, "White Man Awak-
en" by Gerald L. K. Smith. The
pamphlet accuses "the Com-
munists, the Jews, and the
demagogues" of fomenting race
trouble.

