Meyer Levin's Novel 'Stronghold' Portrays
Nazi Terrorism in Hours Before Liberation
Meyer Levin has to his credit so leased, and the former prisoners
many noteworthy works, and his of the Germans, with the aid of
creative efforts during the years the Baron of the castle, now •be-
of his residence in Israel were soilieve themselves liberated. But
enriching, that a new novel from Kraus is let loose by the Baron,
his pen must attract wide atten- he finds aid, brings back the
tion. Non-Jews as well as Jews will guards, and an attack begins on
find material of enormous value the castle. Too much is made of
that battle by the novelist when
account is taken of the other vital
I elements in his story.
The meditations are the most
vital factors. The Catholic priest
who proves a hero in the battle
is in remorse over the treat-
ment of the Jews. The woman
in the castle, who was attached
to Vered as his secretary and
later became the secretary of
the successor to Vered, Remy,
and Remy's paramour, has
much to reminisce about. The
Jew, too, is put to the test.
MEYER LEVIN
in his latest work, "The Strong-
hold," which was issued this week
by Simon and Schuster.
"The Stronghold" is a castle in
which prisoners of the Nazis were
held during the last war. But it is
more than a castle that is de-
scribed here: it is the experience
of men and women under the heel
of Nazism, the reactions of a
group of important figures who
had held leading positions in their
countries before they were sub-
dued by the Nazis.
It is a story with a great moral
lesson, a novel that incorporates
all of the tragedies suffered from
Nazism and the reactions to them—
the struggle against the brutalities
that still threatened a group of
survivors during the final hours
of the Nazi rule. The men in the
castle had learned that the war
was ending. that Hitler was dead,
that the victorious armies were
approaching, but a lone Nazi
criminal still sought to exact ven-
geance and to threaten their lives.
He had a purpose, this Nazi
colonel, Kraus, the counterpart
of Adolph Eichmann. He was
among the most guilty who were
seeking the Final Solution. But
he sought the signatures of the
captives to attest that he had
spared their lives in order that
he might himself thereby acquire
mercy.
Levin's tale incorporates many
incidents. As the incarcerated in
the castle discuss their fate, they
are not united. Former premiers
of their former homeland, they all
have hopes to regain power. Then
the arch-Nazi Kraus brings the
Jew, Paul Vered, the venerable
leader of their country, also a
Lormer premier. In the group of
detailed also is an anti-Semite.
A plot is hatched, the Nazi,
Kraus, is jailed, the guards re-
Brussels Mayor Labels
Vandalism 'Odious Crime'
BRUSSELS (JTA) — The daub-
ing of swastikas and anti-Semitic
slogans on Jewish shops here was
condemned Monday by the Mayor
of Brussels at a meeting of the
Municipal Council.
In rejecting a request for an
urgent debate by the Municipal
Council on the anti-Semitic acts,
the mayor termed the daubings "a
crime of a particularly odious
character" but pointed out that
this was a matter of concern to
Belgium's state organs of justice
and not the municipality. "A
debate at the Municipal Council
would not serve any purpose," he
said.
Vered is not a practicing Jew,
yet he found it agreeable that the
woman he married was Jewish.
It was the martyrdom of his wife
who died at the hands of the
Nazis that moved the imprisoned
Australian Synod
Urges Combatting
of Anti-Semitism
more than anything else in the
appeal not to yield to Kraus. And
in the hour of great tragedy
Vered's Jewish loyalties were
awakened in numerous ways.
The guilt of the Nazis is review-
ed in Kraus' mind as he finds him-
self defeated. He returns to bat-
tle in the hope of retrieving a box
that contained jewels from Jews,
and as the Baron opened that box
he found at the bottom of it a
solid bass of gold—the dental Bill-
ings reboved from human teeth.
The accumulation of evidence
against the Nazis, the struggle
for freedom, the hatreds and the
British Aide Hopeful on Mid East
JERUSALEM (JTA) — George Thomson told newsmen at Lydda
Thomson, British Minister of State Airport, just before his plane de-
for Foreign Affairs, declared at parted for London, that his visit
the conclusion of a tour of Middle to the Middle East indicated that
Eastern capitals: "I view the Mid- his Government's wishes "for a
dle Eastern situation with much greater degree of understanding
less concern than when I joined with the Arab countries in the area
the Foreign Office. At that time, and will never be at the expense
chances of an explosion looked of normal and friendly relations
much more serious to all of us." with Israel."
In a conversation with Deputy
Prime Minister Abba Eban, he was
WHEN YOU
A COCKTAIL
reported to have said that the Arabs
have been showing "more realism"
of late and that "this might lead in
time to their acceptance and
possibly eventual recognition of
UNITED BRANDS • DETROIT, U. S. A. • 42 PROOF
Israel."
ffliv
loyalties—many are the elements
that go into a story about that
Promise YOU the Finest Deal,
the Finest Service in the Area ! ! !
era that help make "The Strong.
hold" a powerful novel.
But it is primarily the medita-
ttive factor—the review of events
that torment the human mind—
that make Meyer Levins stand
out.
The noted novelist knows the
score. He had made a deep study
of the events he dealt with in his
novel. He mastered the theme and
produced a good work that should
go high on the list of leading book
sellers. P.S.
MELBOURNE (JTA) — A
resolution urging all churches in
Australia to set up programs to
combat racial and religious bigotry
was adopted at a synod of the
Australian Anglican Church follow-
ing a report that an anti-Semitic
group was infiltrating churches to
spread anti-Semitism.
The report was made by Rev. D.
J. Pope, the Anglican Vicar, who
identified the organization as the
"League of Rights." He said "its
members are secretly entering the
churches and through subtle means
are giving the impression that Jews
are trying to seize control of the
world." He added that Australian
Jews "feel that this League is
reviving old techniques used
against Jews."
Other sources described Eric
Butler, president of the League, as
notorious for his anti-Semitic
activities, including authorship of
many anti-Jewish pamphlets, in-
cluding tracts on "the International
Jew" and the "Truth About the
Protocols of Zion." He is an
active importer of anti-Jewish
material which he sells in his book-
store.
The synod also approved a
proposal that study groups be
formed on Jewish history with
special reference to Christian-Jew-
ish relationships. Also approved
was a statement declaring that use
of anti-Semitic and other racist
devices was un-Christian a n d
morally indefensible, "especially
when the name of the church is
used to gain respectability for such
activities." The statement was ap-
provide unanimously.
Dr. Frank Woods, the Anglican
Archbishop of Melbourne, told the
synod that "anti-Semitism is fairly
general in business and academic
circles and in some schools in
Melbourne," adding that some clubs
and other Melbourne organizations
barred Jews from membership.
EARL ORR'S
HODGES DODGE, INC.
Oakland County's Largest Dodge Dealer
IRV KATZ
Sales Manager
23000 WOODWARD AVE., FERNDALE
2 Wks. No.
of 9 Mile
LI 1-3032
CONSUL GENERAL OF ISRAEL
PRAISES ED CAREY
CONSULATE GENERAL OF ISRAEL
r1s55: rts5lbrp
5hirt4
836 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE
CHICAGO Ii, ILLINOIS
WHITEHALL, 3.0265
august 5thl 1965
lief. 553*1
Mr. Ed Careyj President
Detroit Common Council
City-Council Building
Detroit4 Michigan
Dear Er. Carey:
May I take this opportunity of wtpressinfg to you
my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all your efforts
in the successful passing of the Resolution condemning the
Arab boycott of Israel by the Detroit Common Council. The
resolution indeed expresses the traditional fi.merican atti•
tude regarding . the freedom of trade and the support of
freedom-loving countries,
Sincerely yours,
D'Nel
Jdcob B more
C8nsul eneral
35,000 Jews In Italy
The Jewish Community of Italy,
which dates back to the early
Roman Empire, numbers some
35,000 persons, about one third of
whom live in the capital city of
Rome, with sizable communities in
Milan and Venice.
29 NON-PARTISAN BALLOT
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, October 22, 1965-15
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