Purely Commentary By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Register . . . Register . .. Register Now! We are facing a serious period that will be marked by many controversies and conflicts during which the American constituency will have to choose the ablest and most depend- able men to represent us in local offices, in the State Legis- lature, in the governorships, in Congress and in the White Mouse. Those who have not voted during the past two years are especially affected by a plank in the new state constitution which disqualifies them from voting unless they re-register. There are many young citizens who have just reached Voting age and who have not qualified as registered voters. Others are affected by recent removals to new homes. A battle is ensuing for political domination, and regard- less of the party of any citizen's preference, he must become acquainted with the candidates. And what is especially im- portant is that all qualified voters should cast their ballots at the primary election on Sept. 1 and at the national election on Nov. 3. But too many of our citizens are unregistered, and this presents a serious problem. The last day for registration, to be able to vote on Sept. 1, is Monday, Aug. 3. Whatever responsibilities our citizens may have, how- ever busy they may be, they must take time to register— now, immediately, or before the end of the Monday deadline! This is a duty to our country, to ourselves, to our chil- dren! Register now, if you are not already registered! The urgency of the serious time in which we live demands the prompt fulfillment of this responsibility. * * * Race Riots . . . A Country Divided The crisis in our midst resulting from disrupted race relations has emerged into a challenge to our sense of fair play, to our ability to rationalize properly and dispassionately, to be able to judge our fellow men by the standards of humanitarianism rather than the passions which have caused human beings temporarily to turn into hoodlums. It is to the credit of the leaders of the afflicted minority in our midst that they have begun to think and to act in terms of an extended educational program to guide their youth and those who have acted as gangs away from the paths of destruction. An encouraging result of the conferences held in New York be- tween Martin Luther King and Mayor Wagner in the past few days is the decision by the Negroes to declare a moratorium on demonstra- tions during the political campaign. That should be helpful in the crisis. It is inconceivable that a large portion of our population, the close to 20,000,000 Negroes who are such a vital factor in our large cities, should condone the rioting that has taken place in several cities. What has happened in Harlem and in Rochester, the pillaging and plundering in the Brooklyn area, the sense of fear that has been in- jected in our population, is the result of hoodlumism. The responsible leaders among the colored population, like the level-headed among the whites, must, as many already have done, condemn lawlessness. Some agitators, however, are responsible for extremism which must not be condoned. There are extremist actions that are often justified: when they are conducted within the law. When Negro leaders demand their rights NOW,.they have justified arguments to defend their position. Those who struggle for liberty should carry on their efforts in accord- ance with their convictions. But the moment people take the law in their own hands, as soon as every riot is interpreted as a campaign against police brutality, with or without justification for such charges, the dangers that are faced by our people begin to multiply. In every instance of charge-hurling that police brutality has been responsible for the riots we learned afterwards that many concessions had been made, that more Negro policemen were placed in areas of discord. It is possible that in some instances the charge is justified. In that case the demand for equality and for just treatment should be carried to the highest authorities with proposals for reforms and for enforcement of just approaches to all emerging problems. But it must be done lawfully, else we will become an embattled people fighting another civil war. There is cause for serious concern. In his report on what had happened in Harlem, where one Negro leader was especially extreme in his accusations against the author- ities, thereby inciting to riot, the New York Times reporter told the following to which he was a witness: "Some of the policemen were Negroes. Shouts of 'black cop, black cop' and 'Uncle Tom' were directed at them. "A loud cheer arose when one demonstrator shouted, 'Let's get the Jews before this is over.' Indeed, Jewish stores were not the only ones that were looted: the sufferers also were Negro-store owners. Indeed, the entire population is the sufferer. The brunt of it all is the responsibility of Negro leaders as much as •of white leaders and heads of city, state and federal governments. Unless the pillagers and the rioters are outlawed the troubles will multiply and the fears that have invaded our communities will multiply. Gangsters, whatever the color of their skin, must be branded outside the law and undeserving either of our respect, our defense of them or even their rights to honorable citizenship in our American society. But in the process of re-establishing law and order there must be an even greater effort to provide a group that has been turned into pariahs with means to uplift itself, to acquire proper housing, to be adequately trained for jobs, 10 be assured of the humane treatment that is due all human beings. While assuring the due processes of law, we must guarantee the due processes of decency and fair play. We owe it to our colored fellow-citizens and must strive for the attainment of the basis decencies in American life lest the cancerous race issue grows into teh deadliest of all threats to the very existence of all our sacred American traditions. 2 . Friday, July 31, 1964 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS French Aircraft Firm of Dessault Threatened ------ With 'Blacklisting' by Arab League; Boycott Is Condemned by Belgian Socialist Daily (Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News) LONDON—Thirteen Arab League countries and five Arabian gulf nations have warned the French aircraft firm of Marcel Dessault it will be blacklisted in three months if it does not stop doing business with Israel, it was reported here hub, also said that the French firm Wednesday from Beirut. must also cancel an agreement The company makes the Mirage with Israel for production of air- and Mystere jet fighters which craft spare parts. Franch has supplied in substantial BRUSSELS—The Socialist daily quantities to Israel. The Arab boy- cott commissioner, Mahammad Ma- "Le Peuple" sharply criticized Wednesday the publication by al government trade publication of the content of an Iraqi anti-Israel boycott statement aimed at Belgian exporters. London Commerce Chamber Members Called 'Frightened Bunch of Men'; Group Backs Mancroft for President LONDON (JTA) — While the British press, as a whole, con- tinued to assail the decision of the London Chamber of Commerce to cancel the candidacy of Lord Mancroft for the Chamber's presi- dency, due to Arab pressures, 10 members of the Chamber an- nounced that they are ready of- ficially to sponsor Lord Mancroft as president. W. S. Sharp, a member of the Chamber, pointed out that, under the organization's by-laws, only six bona fide sponsors are needed to make the nomination official. He denounced "senior officials" of the Chamber for forcing the with- drawal of Lord Mancroft's can- didacy. "If Arab pressure was not the cause," the Board asked, "what was?" "The implications of the entire affair," the Board declared, "are too ominous for us to leave it at that." The Sunday Citizen denounced the effort to cancel Lord Man- croft's candidacy as an illustra- tion of the British government's "craven acceptance of the Arab boycott." The Sunday Times, re- porting that the Earl of Verulam is to meet with seven Kuwait busi- nessmen who said they have come here "to prepare the ground for more infOrmal commercial rela- tions between the two countries," said this move "illustrates just why Mancroft is no longer the heir apparent to the Chatnber's presidency." The Sunday_ Express said the leaders of the Chamber of Corn- merce are "a frightened bunch of men, ashamed of themselves— and so they should be." * * * Officials Probe Action by Australian Airline (Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News) MELBOURNE—The reason why Qantas, the Australian air line, can- celled the appointment of a sales representative to Israel is being "fully investigated," Senator Den- ham Henty, minister of civil avia- tion, informed the Australian Par- liament Tuesday. He m.a d e that statement in a letter to. W. W. Aston, government whip in parlia- ment, who had asked for clarifica- tion of the issue. Henty stated that the matter "is receiving urgent consideration." Qantas had appointed an Aus- tralian, Colin Atkinson, last May, as its sales representative in Israel, and Atkinson had left for his post in Israel after having been offi- cially presented here to leaders of the Jewish community. Ti,vo weeks ago, it was discovered that he was Labor Committee Head, Brandt Eye Restitution BERLIN (JTA)—Adolph Held of New York, chairman of the Jewish Labor Committee, arrived here on invitation from Mayor Willy Brandt to discuss final liberalization of West German compensation and restitution legislation. Held will go from here to Bonn to discuss the problems with offi- cials of the Social Democratic Party. One of the principal re- quests of Jewish organizations is extension of the present October 1953 deadline for filing of claims by victims of Nazism. back in Australia, but there was no official explanation from the airline for his return. It was in- dicated that his appointment had been cancelled. and there were re- ports that the cancellation was due to Arab pressures. B. B. Newman, president of the new South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, Tuesday requested of Qantas that its chief executive meet with a delegation of Jewish leaders to explain the reasons for the cancellation of Atkinson's ap- pointment. The statement was published by the bi-weekly publication of the Belgian Office of External Trade. It called to the attention of ex- porters the "obligation" to present to the Iraq embassy in Brussels for approval documents such as a statement from the shipowners cer- tifying that he ship carrying the goods is not Israeli and will not touch an Israeli port." C The Socialist daily said it was "regrettable and even inadmissa- ble" that an official Belgian publi- cation should support the Arab blockade against Israel by publi- cizing the demands of the Iraqi embassy. .1 ■ 10.0.1.1•.1 ■ 11=4) •I1W11.0”O•IMIM•0 ■ O••IMIN)IIIM.O.a•Inn.0 ■ .HIMMHI.MMWIIII•1DO- ■ (11 ■ 41 ■ 11141•1•1•111.0 II•Min 0 01IM /141111 ■0■ 11.r. Boris Smolar's I '- I I 1 1 'Between You ... and Me' (Copyright, 1964, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) Communal Problems The biggest problem of the Jewish Community Centers today is the continuous decline in membership of young people between 18 and 24 ... This decline has been going on for the last 15 years, despite the fact that this age group has increased in the general population . . . . Why are the Jewish Centers unsuccessful in attracting young adults at a time when the Center programs register success with other adults and with juniors? . . . A joint study was undertaken by the National Jewish Welfare Board and Brandeis University to identify the needs of Jewish young adults who participate in Jewish Community Center programs, as well as those who do not .. . This, it was believed, would enable the gaining of a better understanding of the means by which Jewish_ Comm-unity Centers can best meet the needs of Jewish young adults today . The need for such a study was especially urgent be- cause, since 1947, young adult members dropped from 23 per cent of the total Center membership to less than 6 per cent within 10 years, and is even lower today . . . In 1957, there were approximately 105,340 Center members in the 18 to 24 year-old category; within 10 .years, their number declined to approximately 34,600 . . . This at a time when the number of community centers has been growing during the same years . . . Many professional workers in the Centers claim that, increasingly, a large proportion of young adult members are "socially inept" or "inadequate" or "disturbed" . . . The study — conducted' by Dr. Harry Specht — evaluates the loss of young adult members in the Centers and suggests the kind of programs that might meet their needs .. . A major suggestion is that the Center programs for young Jewish adults should be so constructed as to offer courtship opportunities on a mass basis . . . There are other suggestions, based on the recognition of social class differences, on bridging the gap between lower-educated young adults and those who have higher education, and on characteristics by which different groups of young adults are identified. * * The Young Generation The most interesting part of the study is the picture that emerges of the typical Jewish young adult . . . He is seen to be well integrated into American society . . . His ties to Jewishness and to other Jews are mainly on the level of social activity . . He is interested in group activities, like dances and' parties, which provide opportunities to meet members of the opposite sex . . ;He is native-born, and there is little conflict in his mind between being "Jewish" and being "American" ... He has little investment in formal Jewish religious and educational institutions . . He is no longer the child around whom so much Jewish religious and educational activity revolves .. Neither is he yet one of the parents who plans and sponsors these activities for his children . . He looks upon the Jewish Center as an institution, the main function of which is to bring Jews together and "to have Jewish boys meet Jewish girls" . . . Contrary to the beliefs of many Center workers, the Jewish young adult appears, according to the study, to be generally comfortable about his Jewishness . . While having little interest in Jewish educational and religious experiences, an extremely large proportion of young adults seeks opportunities through which they can develop and maintain relationships with other Jewish young adults .. . The lower-educated young adult is the most readily access- ible element for the Jewish Centers . . . The more educated and more cosmopolitan young adult between 21 and 27 years of age is not as accessible . . . It is interesting to note that the study which was conducted for a period of two years—did not find any evidence that there has been a Jewish population explosion in the United States .. . Ev.en if there has been such an explosion, the study comes to the conclusion that, in the next decade, the numbers of Jewish young adults who use the Jewish Centers will be fewer than today . . . This is because of such social factors as earlier marriage, more people marrying, education, military ; service, and the generally high mobility of the Jewish young adults . . . This mobility among Jewish young adults is higher than among .young adults in general because of their high educational level and the occupational patterns of a highly educated population. ' — (