1

JEWISH

The Suez Issue:

Freedom of the

Seas Again Put

A Weekly Review_

to the Test

Editorial
Page 4

Negativism of
Jewish
Novelists:
'All the Jewish
Guilt Without
the
Jewish Pride'

of Jewish Events

Commentary
Page 2

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

VOLUME XXXV—No. 16 looPrZinttgoPsahop

17100

W. 7

Mile Rd.—VE 8-9364—Detroit 35, June 19, 1959

$5.00 Per Year; Single Copy 15c

U. S. Rejected Opposition to ',Jewish National Home'

State Dept. Documents Reveal
'Diplomatic' Efforts During
World War 11 to Harm Zionism

WASHINGTON, D.C. (JTA)—A chapter of the political activity
of American Zionists is reflected in a volume of diplomatic papers
relating to U.S. foreign policy in 1941. It was released_ here today
by the Department of State.
About 30 pages are devoted to Palestine, a considerable part
of which deal either directly or indirectly with the activities of
American Zionists on behalf of what was then called a "Jewish
National Home." The volume is one of a series, entitled "Foreign
Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers."
It transpires from memoranda on conversations of State
Department officials with British and Turkish diplomats in Wash-
ington that these two embassies professed to be greatly alarmed
by the formation of the American-Palestine Committee—made up
of Senators, Congressmen, Cabinet members and other prominent
Americans—and asked State Department officials to explain to
members of the committee "the dangers inherent in such an organ-
ization." The British were particularly alarmed by arrangements for
a dinner at which Dr. Chaim Weizmann was scheduled to sp.eak.
Lord Halifax, the British Ambassador, called upon Secretary
of State Cordell Hull regarding the "pro-Jewish activities" and was
told that it would be difficult to deal with this matter. The U.S.
Minister in Cairo, Alexander C. Kirk, went as far as stating in a
cable to the Secretary of State that "the maintenance of present
concepts in respect to Zionism constitutes a major obstacle to the
successful prosecution of the war." He urged a U.S. declaration
which would mitigate the state of animosity prevailing among Moslems.
The U.S. Government declined to follow the advice of the
Minister. Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles explained in his
answer that "well-informed Arabs are quite aware that the Zionists
play a far more important part in American politics than do Arab
sympathizers; thus the Arabs themselves would value an American
declaration of this character as a mere self-convenience statement."
Welles noted that "American Zionists do not grant that the move-
ment is a handicap to the British war effort in the Near East, but
hold it to be a source of strength if the British will but use it."

Israel Postpones Shipments
Through the Canal Pending
Hammarskjold's Cairo Visit

Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
JERUSALEM Israel has decided to postpone

—

further efforts to ship Israeli goods to the Far East
through the Suez Canal until United Nations Secretary-
General Dag Hammarskjold visits Cairo later this
month. The UN chief has announced he is going to
Cairo where he would discuss with United Arab Repub-
lic authorities their action of almost a month ago in
halting the Danish freighter Inge Toft which was carry-
ing Israel products from Haifa to the Far East. The
ship is still tied up at the Port Said entrance to the
Suez Canal ; the captain of the vessel refusing to heed
the Egyptian request that he unload the cargo which
Egypt would then confiscate.
Two more ships were reportedly scheduled to leave
Haifa for the Far East. One the SS Spiro, had been
scheduled to leave Wednesday. Instead, the Spiro was
ordered into drydock at Haifa Tuesday morning for
repair of some damage this vessel suffered while en
route to Israel last week. The second ship scheduled
for the Haifa-Far East run is still on the way to Israel.
Meanwhile Egyptian authorities were reported to
have issued strict orders to Egyptian shipping plying the
coastal route to Lebanon and Syria to avoid approaching
Israeli territorial waters. Egypt evidently fears that
Israel may retaliate against stoppage of the Inge Toft
by seizing any Egyptian vessel encroaching upon Israeli
waters, even if the encroachment is unintentional.
Until recently, the Israeli practice has been to
halt Egyptian ships penetrating Israel waters, releasing

(Continued on Page 3)

Another of Kirk's prophecies did not come true either. He wrote
that the project of a national Jewish home in Palestine "has not
only failed in the past, but is incapable of realization in the future."
This should be made clear to American Zionists, he urged the State
Department. Replying to this, the Acting Secretary emphasized that
Zionists in this country do not admit and could not be brought
to admit the validity of this theory.
An exchange of letters between Rabbi Stephen Wise and Sumner
Welles, as well as related memoranda, highlight the efforts to prevent
British commitments or negotiations involving a legal and political
change of the status of Palestine before the end of the war. The
U.S. Government was asked to elicit from the British Government
authentic information as well as assurances to this effect. Dr.
Emanuel Neumann also was instrumental in this effort, made on
behalf of the Emergency Committee for Zionist Affairs.
It is evident from the diplomatic papers that the U.S. Govern-
ment was aware of the danger to Jews in Palestine, should the Axis
units advance further. It made some provisions for transportation
of U.S. Citizens who would want to leave Palestine, and planned
to approach King Ibn Saud, of Saudi Arabia, to make him exert
his influence upon his co-religionists to refrain from blood-shed. In
another area where Jews were in jeopardy—in the French zone of
Morocco—the U.S. Government could find no legal basis for a protest
against discrimination, although the American Jewish Committee
had suggested that it do so.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is also mentioned in the
diplomatic papers. Secretary of State Hull inquired from his Am-
bassador in London about JTA dispatch regarding certain statements
by Prime Minister Winston Churchill; about a visit by Moshe Shertok
(now Sharett) to Cairo; and about alleged private talks between
Arab leaders in Cairo. The requested information from the Am-
bassador bore out the JTA's dispatch on Churchill's statements and
on Mr. Shertok's visit. The volume does not contain all diplomatic
papers of that period. Documents which might prejudice relations
with foreign countries are still classified.

Detroit Jewish Population Slightly Under
909 000, Latest Study by Dr. Mayer Reveals

By FRANK SIMONS
There are slightly less than 90,000 Jews in the Metropolitan Detroit area today.
This figure is recorded in a population study of the JewiSh Welfare Federation released
here this week. The report is based on a survey made by Dr. Albert J. Mayer, of Wayne
State University.
Although taken in 1956, when the Jewish population showed a record high of 93,700
persons, the survey has subsequently been brought up to date.
As of May, 1959, following a slight de cline in population, the official estimate is
accepted at the 90,000 figure, along with a total of 27,000 families.
The report is the first of a series on the characteristics of the local Jewish population.
It will be supplemented with specific studies, at a later date, of 1. the characteristics of the
aged; 2. economic characteristics of Jewish families; 3. congregational membership; 4. edu-
cation; 5. nativity; and 6. fertility.
The Mayer survey is the first conducted here since 1935, when a total community of
75,000 was reported.
The increase in population during the years between surveys, the Mayer report states,
was due, almost exclusively, to a rise in the birth rate, which boosted the average family size
to 3.30.
A chart of age composition shows 28,700 persons (31 percent) under the age of 15;
8,400 (9 percent) between 15 and 24; 24,700 (Z6 per cent) between 25 and 44; 25,400 (27
percent) between 45 and 64; and 6,500 (7 percent) over the age of 65.
The report indicates that the breakdown of the community into age groups will be
significant in community planning during the next decades, and adds that communal facili-
ties during the next 30 years will be subject to varying degrees of use.
Because of the small number of 15-to-24-year-olds, the report observes that, even with
a higher fertility rate, their numbers are so small that fewer children will be born in the
next decade.
Another problem foreseen by the survey, which already is generally known, is the in-
creasing numbers of the aged.
In compiling statistics for the report, Dr. Mayer used a complicated system of random
sampling, which was later tested and verified as being an accurate estimate of the Jewish
population figures.
The study attempted interviews with 824 households in a specific area known to contain
93 percent of the total Jewish population: Of those Contacted, 228 were known to be Jewish,
while 556 were non-Jewish_
(1 ,):inn

• ,