Purely Commentary

Austria Fails to End Nazism, Anti-Semitism;
Justice Thwarted, AJC European Office Reports

PARIS—While top Austrian gov- ing him to be sent to Belgium, have poured in on Austrian an-
thorities both from within Aus-
ernment officials tell the world which had asked his extradition.
tria
and from abroad.
But
the
Austrian
courts
refused
want
to
wipe
out
Nazism
and
they
New Immigration Law and the Historic
anti-Semitism, Austrian jurors are to annul the act of citizenship, and
Reintegration of former Nazis
Veto of McCarran-Walter Act by Truman
thwarting justice by freeing Nazi Verbelen was brought to trial in into normal Austrian life took
place rapidly after the war, the re-
A new immigration law is going into effect and the obnoxiously war criminals or giving them light Vienna.
A jury, asked to vote on five port goes on, "a process aided by
restrictive McCarran-Walter Act is, in the main, being so altered as sentences, indicating a widespread
to eliminate the worst elements of the law that have been in operation state of mind that is dangerous for murder charges, two weeks ago the diplomatic fiction that Austria
democracy in Austria, it is re- unanimously ruled "not guilty" on had been a victim country ot%__
since 1952.
here by the European of- two counts, ruled "not guilty" on nazism and by the fact that the
For 13 years, liberals fought against that measure. Presidents ported
Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson spoke out against its fice of the American Jewish Com- another by a 5-3 vote, and in two two major political parties, almost
instances voted "guilty." Yet the equally divided in strength, have
unjust provisions which created more enmity for the United States mittee, which states:
"Four times in the past year, jury set him free on the ground catered to the former Nazis, seek-
than possibly any other factor in international relations.
Austrian jurors have sat in de- that "it was impossible for Ver- ing their votes."
But restrictive anti-immigration measures date back long before
"One can see why, therefore,"
cision on important cases in- belen not to obey the orders of
the McCarran-Walter Act. They go back to the early 1920s when
the report adds, "many an ordi-
volving Nazi and neo-Nazi murd- his superiors."
prejudices rose against newcomers to this country. These venomous
nary Austrian would still today
erers. Four times their verdicts
The Viennese press almost
feelings developed into witch-hunts, and the abandonment of the
have been such as to make a
unanimously assailed the ver- feel his situation implicitly or in-
national origins system is one of the blessed Congressional acts of the
mockery of justice and arouse
dict, one newspaper declaring directly threatened by condemna-
century.
international indignation."
that "until now no court in the tion of men like Verbelen, Novak
Yet, the new provisions in no sense revolutionize the immigration
The criminals involved in the world has accepted this excuse and Rajakowitch. In excusing the
standards. The old quota system won't be abolished until 1968. Out-
as absolving highest SS officers." actions of men like Verbelen on
four
cases are:
side the Western Hemisphere, whose allotted numbers will not be
Indignation has run particularly the ground that he acted in sub-
affected, only 170,000 immigration visas will be allotted to countries
1. Franz Novak, SS assistant of
high in Belgium, where the mission to orders, he would be
that were hitherto discriminated against. The percentage of new- Adolf Eichmann who organized the
windows of the Austrian consu- excusing himself. Or he might
comers will be so small that it will hardly, if at all, affect the economy transport of Jews to the gas late in Antwerp were smashed, still indeed feel positive sympathy
chambers during World War II. and in Holland, where protests for a former fellow Nazi."
of this country.
Nevertheless, the abolishment of the discriminatory aspects of An eight-man panel in December,
■ ■
■0■4
■
■
the old law is a welcome sign of a return to more rational judging of 1964, found Novak guilty by a 5-3
vote, yet ruled only that his- action
major events in this country.
Boris Smolar's
had been responsible for "danger
When the McCarran-Walter Act was being discussed, one of the for the health and bodily security
most courageous fighters against it was the frail, aging Senator Herbert of the persons deported," refusing
H. Lehman. He stood up against abuse, he confronted the biased Sena- to indict him for having "directly
tors with dignity, fearlessly. Those who then read the texts of the incited to murder." The sentence
speeches, witnesses to the spectacle during which venom was spewed of eight years was quashed recent-
on the Senate floor, feared that the personal attacks on Senator Lehman ly by the Austrian High Court as
might result in his collapsing on the Senate floor. But he faced antag_ unsatisfactory, making a retrial
(Copyright, 1966, JTA, Inc.)
onists bravely.
mandatory.
Then there was the strong stand against the McCarran-Walter Act
VATICAN ECHOES: American Jewry is now facing many Catho
2. Erich Rajakowitch, another
taken by President Harry S. Truman. His message vetoing the measure
Jewish dialogues and public discussions based on the Vatican declara-
Eichmann
aide,
responsible
for
the
will no doubt be recorded in parliamentary history as one of the wisest
and most courageous positions ever taken on any issue by an American deportation of Dutch Jews. Un- tion on Jews, adopted by the Ecumenical Council . . . EvaluationS
covered two years ago in Italy as of this declaration are being made by various Jewish organizations
President.
a prosperous importer going un- in this country after fundamental study of the text and against the
So
much
bias
was
displayed
in
the
years
of
the
mid-20th
der the name of Erico Raja, he
•
Century that we should feel fortunate over the turn of events in this fled to Switzerland, was expelled background which brought about its adoption . . . There seems to be
decade.
to Munich, and finally was re- unanimity among all Jewish groups that the declaration falls short at
For example, when President Truman's veto of the Internal turned to Austria. Despite the the highest hopes of even its supporters ... But some Jewish organi-
h anti-Semite
Security Act was overruled on Sept. 22, 1950, t e arc
of a tele gram signed by
Congressman Rankin, charged that "the rumor is that Felix Frank- evidence ing the deportation of zations consider the document a hopeful beginning of a new Catholic.
th
Jewish relationship in which the Catholic Church will resist and coun-
fitter" wrote the veto message. Presidents have speech writers, ey
of him
83 Dutch Jews from the Drancy
are assisted in the preparation of state documents, but the sens
camp in France to - Auschwitz, teract with specific programs and projects the anti-Jewish feelings it
their expressions is theirs and they edit the copy submitted to them. from which only one came out stimulated for generations in its teachings . . . It is quite clear to
Only a Rankin could have said what he did about Truman.
alive, the jury verdict of 5-3 in them that the antagonism against Jews implanted by Catholic Church
The bigots of the early 1950s are beginning to suffer defeats. March, 1965, found him guilty only leaders for centuries will not be swept away overnight .. . But they
They have lost out on the civil rights issue. They have been repudiated "for having created, with male- are encouraged by the fact that American and Canadian church dig-
ration n t resty
av that was imposed on this country y men volent intention, a situation put- nitaries are already engaged in making plans to further the spirit
on the immig
with a lack of visio. If we could only hope for equal success b in the ting human life in danger" and not of cooperation with JewS through dialogues and a more candid ea .
of "complicity in murder." He change of views . . . Also by the fact that a special body for Catholic-
urgent quest for peace !
*
was sentenced to two and a half Jewish relations has been established by the United States Bishops'
Commission for Ecumenical Affairs to promote better understanding
years.
The Truman Veto - Message of 1952
3. Gunther Kimmel, a 25-year- of Jews among Catholics. •
The veto message that was sent to Congress by President Truman
*
*
*
on June 25, 1952, was among his most courageous pronouncements old avowed neo-Nazi student.
ANALYTICAL
VIEWS:
An
excellent
analysis of the Vatican's
inst
injustice.
Analyzing
our
immigration
'problems,
the
President
When
a
Viennese
professor
named
. .
ga
branded the adopted measure as a discriminatory Taras Borodajkewycz last April declaration on the Jews and its possible impact on Catholic-Jewish
policy. "It was thought," he said, "that people asserted to his students that he relationships has now been issued by the Farband-Labor Zionist Order
of west European origin made better citizens had been a pre-war member of the . . . Prepared by ex-Detroiter Joseph Edelman, program director of
than Romanians or Yugoslays or Ukrainians or Nazi party and uttered anti-Se- that organization, this analysis finds that while the document, AS
Hungarians or Baits or Austrians. Such a concept mitic remarks, a protest demon- finally promulgated, is a welcome first step in developing a more
is utterly unworthy of our traditions and our stration was touched off. During positive tone in the relationships between the Catholic Church and
ideals. It violates the great political doctrine of a counter-demonstration of neo- the Jews, it has serious intrinsic limitations . . . The text of the
the Declaration of Independence that 'all men Nazi elements, Kimmel knocked declaration, Mr. Edelman asserts, includes elements that are "regret-
are created equal.' " Referring to the quota down one of the anti-Nazi pro- table and even objectionable". . . It pretentiously "forgives" Jews,'
system he said that its basis "was false and I testors, an old man, who died as for a crime they did not commit, but nowhere in the text is there
unworthy in 1924. It is even worse now. . . It a result. Witnesses testified that a note of repentance for Christian wrongs perpetrated against Jews...
is incredible to me, that in this year of 1952, I Kimmel had acted without provo- It states that the Jews of today are not "responsible" for the death
we should again be enacting into law such a cation, but a jury cleared him of of Jesus, however it does not absolve all the Jews of this charge ..
slur on the patriotism, the capacity and the the murder charge and found him "The rotting seeds left in the declaration still have the potential of
decency of a large part of our citizenry."
guilty only of exceeding his legiti- causing the efflorescence of the noxious weed of anti-Semitism at
The expose of the "defects and mistakes" mate rights of self-defense. He some future time," Mr. Edelman points out . . . He also cites numerous
of that law was thorough, but Congress was was sentenced early in December other shortcomings in the Vatican declaration . . . At the same time,
biased and fearful and the Truman veto was to ten months.
however, he sees many hopeful signs of basic change in the Catholie
overriden. It took another 13 years for a liberal
Church with regard to Jews ... He speaks of the new textbooks that
4.
Robert
Jan
Verbelen,
former
attitude to be adopted and for the wrongs that
are being developed for Catholic parochial schools, in which the Jews
Flemish SS colonel, a Belgian are presented in a positive light and where no reference is made to
were on our statute books to be erased.
Truman
from Flanders who was a member
*
*
*-
Jewish role in th crucifixion story . . . He stresses the fact that
of the German-Flemish movement a
some anti-Jewish elements have been eliminated from the Catholic
Senator Hart's Leadership in Liberal Ranks
called De Vlag, all of whose mem- ritual .. . And he speaks of other indications of positive change in
It is thanks to liberals like Senator Philip A. Hart of Michigan bers swore loyalty to Adolf Hitler. the Catholic-Jewish relationship . . . On the whole, Mr. Edelman
that the errors were corrected, that a halt was called to injustice, that In 1947, the Brussels War Council wants it to be clearly understood that the declaration by the Ecu-
the discriminatory law that dated back to the early 1920s was amended condemned him to death for war menical Council should not be seen as an effort to "exonerate" the
crimes that included responsibility
considerably to eliminate the bias that was un• WM'
of
for a hundred assassinations and Jews from the guilt of deicide, but should be viewed in the light
worthy of our traditions.
the Catholic Church's attempt to exonerate itself from the grievous
reprisals
in
Belgium,
recruitment
A number of Senators and Congressmen
of 1200 Waffen SS, aid to the Nazis responsibility and guilt it bears for the many forms of anti-Semitism
were active in the struggle against the McCarran-
Vatican
in
hunting down Jews, and work and the horrors that have resulted from. them ... To him, the finally
Walter Act, the provisions of which besmurched
document on Jews is an act of Catholic conscience which, as
as
head
of
the
Flanders
Police
America's character in many lands. Senator
Battalion charged with "main- promulgated, leaves much to be desired.
Hart was a leader among them in the several::
*
*
*
taining order" during von Run-
years that preceded the final liberalization that
The
new
Israel
Parliament
has a new face
INSIDE
ISRAEL:
sted's Ardennes offensive in the
was attained four months ago. Without his con-
Thirty out of its 120 members are new, many of them relatively
last month of the war.
sistent efforts we might still be plagued with
young . . But none is under 40 . . . Most of the new additions to
the offending regulations. It took courage to
By 1947 Verbelen was in Aus- the old deputies are outside the party machines, independent persows
battle against misinformation and to oppose
tria, hiding under the name of Al- who may prove to have independent minds . . . It is yet too early
discrimination. Senator Hart, as on many other
bert Kluge after having worked to say how the parties will be affected by their new additions, and
occasions, displayed his dedication to justice, and
first for the Allied occupation
when it comes
Sen. Hart
the new immigration law is one of the high
forces and later as a secret agent whether they will be able to maintain caucus discipline
in the repre-
new
blood
to
voting
.
.
.
But
for
the
first
time
there
is
marks in his splendid record.
for the Austrian police. Posing
The new Parliament includes more
of
the
Israel
people
sentation
There were other liberals who acted consistently against the as a journalist, he ultimately ac-
reach
immigration injustice. Congressman John D. Dingell was among the quired Austrian citizenship. Aus- lawyers and journalists than before, but the lawyers do not yet
leaders in that group. His son, let it be recorded to the family's credit, trian President Franz Jonas, then 10 per cent of the membership in the House, and this is considered
scientists
lives up to the noble precedents that were set by the elder of the mayor of Vienna, sought to have insufficient for informed legislative work . . . Doctors and
are
hardly
represented
at
all
in
the
new
Knesset
...
The
preponderant
this citizenship set aside on the
Dingells.
grounds that it had been acquired representation is still from the agricultural sector, whether the kib-
under false pretenses,thus allow- butzim, or moshavim, or of an individual variety.

By Philip Slomovitz

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IMIIIMPIIIMMKAMINII.

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'Between You
. . and Me'

2 Friday, January 14, 1966

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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