12—Friday, July 22, 1966
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
`Brown Was the Da nube' Describes
Emergence of Nazi Austrian Terror
With the procession of time and
the constant presentation of facts
regarding the holocaust, new facts
emerge and personal experiences
are recounted by the score in re-
viewing the crimes of the 1930s
and the early 1940s.
As part of the revelations, de-
tails are beginning to be related
about the situation in Austria where
the worst of Hitlerism was in evi-
dence.
One such work is a personal
document, a memoir of Hitler's
Vienna entitled "Brown Was the
Danube," by Helen Hilsenrad, pub-
lished by Thomas Yoseloff.
While it is a record of a single
family's experiences, told in the
first person by the author, con-
taining a complete- record of
escape, and of the tragic con-
sequences that affected the mass
of Jews at that time„ there is
sufficient data here to indicate
the extent of the crimes.
Mrs. Hilsenrad commences her
story in Poland where her family
lived before moving to Vienna.
Therefore the record is one not
only of the anti-Semitic acts in Aus-
tria but also those of Poland.
There were the outrages during
World War I by General Haller
and his anti-Semitic hordes.
Then commenced life in Austria.
The emergences of Nazism, the
display of the swastikas, the ac-
claim for Hitler, the abuse of Jews,
the insecurity of those who were
made the scapegoats of the new
Nazi rule — these are part of a
tragic story from which Helena
Hilsen's family—that's how she is
referred to in her book—managed
Philadelphia Civic Groups
Shun Clubs With Bias
PHILADELPHIA — Many lead-
ing civic organizations in Phila-
delphia are opposed to holding
meetings at discriminatory clubs,
Robert K. Greenfield, president of
the Philadelphia Chapter - of the
American Jewish Committee, re-
ported, basing his statement on
recent correspondence with a num-
ber of such groups.
The board of directors of the
committee chapter recently adopt-
ed a resolution urging community
organizations "which seek and re-
ceive support from the total com-
munity" not to hold meetings at
clubs that have racial and religious
exclusionary membership prac-
tices. Copies of the resolution were
sent to a number of the major
groups in Philadelphia.
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in the main to escape alive, except
for a few casualties. But there
were too many who said Hitler's
role would end, there would be a
change, they had hopes—and their
hopes ended in calamity.
The author's husband's associa-
tion with Universal Pictures for
whom he worked in Vienna helped
the Hilsen's get the relief they
needed—the financial aid to start
with, then food parcels and finally
a visa to come to America!
There is too little about Dol-
fuss and Schuschnigg to make
this volume historically signif-
icant. It mentioned them—Dol-
fuss' assassination and Schusch-
nigg's yielding to Hitler's
demands. But these portions are
vague. There is too little indica-
tion about the fascistic attitude
of the Austrian leaders even
when they opposed the Nazi
parties.
But the treatment of Jews and
the manner in which Austrians
acted brutally and altogether in
the Nazi spirit is valuable as an
indication of personal experiences
of travail under Nazism. From this
point of view, "Brown Was the
Danube" is valuable. At the same
time it has special interest as a
description of the life of a family,
its controversies, struggles, suc-
cesses and the final failure due
to the Nazi terror.
The Jews of Vienna were, of •
course, helpless, but at the out-
set the youth did organize de-
fense corps, to protect ceme-
teries, to resist. The Youth Bund
of the Jewish War Veterans
acted temporarily. But it was a
hopeless task against the mass
of the entire Austrian people
that turned Nazi:
The author describes Schusch-
nigg as having been "a man of
more liberal thinking." She relates
the following in relation to tours
he made when he assumed office
after Dolfuss' assassination:
"The arrival of Schuschnigg was
always heralded by a lavish recep-
tion. In one of these cities, Schu-
schnigg asked the mayor: 'How
many Social Democrats are in your
city?' Twenty per cent,' the mayor
replied. 'And how many Christian
Socialists?' Fifty per cent.' And
how many Nazis?' Oh!' responded
the mayor, 'we are all Nazis!' "
This tells the story of Austria.
That's the tragedy that is empha-
sized in Helen Hilsenrad's book.
He Lilies to Chew Flower Seeds
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright, 1966, JTA, Inc.)
man, "there was another settle-
ment."
The other day, Dr. Ralph Bunche
"What happened to them?"
of the United Nations, speaking
asked the Jews.
over the radio told an interesting
story about Moshe Dayan.
"They are all in their graves,"
said the old Arab.
At a conference of the UN with
representatives of the Arabs and
Some of the pioneers thought
the Israelis participating, Dayan,
they should turn elsewhere, but it
while arguing a point was holding
was pointed out that at the time
a pencil in his hand which sudden-
all Palestine was "a swamp and a
ly flew off and hit the Arab colo-
wilderness."
nel sitting opposite him. The Arab,
So they remained and raised
remarking that he had never been
corn and barley and oranges and
hit by an enemy before, indignant-
sunflowers.
ly rose and left the hall. Dayan
And Moshe Dayan doesn't drink
followed after him apologizing but
or smoke but he has one vice—ht
the Arab was adamant and re-
likes to chew flower seeds.
turned to his quarters. Dayon fol-
lowed him there and finally per-
Technion Allocation
suaded him to return to the con-
ference chambers.
The Conference on Jewish Ma-
terial Claims Against Germany
A few days later Dayan received
last year allocated a total of 178,-
a gift from the Arab colonel. Day-
000 pounds ($60,000) to the Tech-
an unwrapped it and found that in
nion-Israel Institute of Tech-
it was another package. He un-
nology.
wrapped the smaller package and
found in it—a lead pencil.
I don't know what the moral of
the story is. Maybe you can say
Moshe Dayan's father, Samuel,
both Moshe Dayan and the Arab who wrote the early history of
colonel had made their point—at Nahalal, where his son was born,
least the pencil point.
tells of the apprehension of the
REPAIR AND
Dayan is one of the most ar- pioneers. They saw an old Arab in
INSTALLATION
resting figures of our time—and the vicinity of their new site.
also one of the most arrested.
"Grandfather," they said, "there
QUALITY WORK AT
As a matter of fact, at the out- was a settlement here before,
REASONABLE PRICES
break of the Second World War, wasn't there?"
he was in prison, serving a five-
"Yes," he replied. "There were
year sentence for his activities some Germans, but some of them
in organizing the Haganah, but died and the others ran away."
"Get Our Price Lost"
the British freed him in order
"And after that," said the old
that he might do some secret
espionage w o r k f o r them.
Dressed as an Arab, speaking a
fluent Arabic, Dayan consorted
among the Nazis in Syria and
was able to expose much of the
Nazi machinations.
Everything about Moshe Dayan
has some kind of picturesqueness.
He was the second Moshe to make
Southfield Rd. at 9 1/2 Mile Rd.
Sinai thunder !
Then there is the patch over the
eye. He lost one eye when a bullet
struck it while he was looking
Cordially Invites the
through a telescope. He broke a
leg in a parachute jump.
Jewish Community
I think fascination is lent to him
by the fact that "one of our boys"
to
should emerge a great military
leader. Militarism is not our line.
We have produced an Isaiah and
Tour Our New Sanctuary
Einstein but no Napoleon or Alex-
ander the Great.
Now Being Completed for
Once, the story goes, a Jew was
praying with great fervor, scream-
The High Holy Days
ing his prayers to God.
Another Jew stood nearby and
Sunday Mornings at 10, 11 and Noon
watched. "Yankel," he finally said,
"mit gevald vest du nit oisfiren.".
LAWN
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CONGREGATION BIN DAVID
(With violence you will accom-
Anti-Nazi Parley in Israel plish nothing.)
We Jews don't believe much in
Demands End to Bonn Tie the conquests
of violence. To be
TEL AVIV (JTA)—An appeal
by a speaker for Israel contacts
with "democratic, pacifist and pro-
gressive elements" in West Ger-
many touched off an uproar Sun-
day night at a convention of anti-
Nati organizations here.
The proposal was made by Prof.
Muszkat, chairman of the Israel
Ex-Servicemen's League, who told
the convention also that "to strug-
gle against the whole Germany and
all Germans is tantamount to racial-
ism."
The convention closed with adop-
tion of a declaration by all the
participating groups called for the
removal of Dr. Rolf Pauls, West
Germany's first ambassador to Is-
rael, and West German Embassy
counsellor Alexander Toeroeck,
and for an end to all relations
whatever with West Germany.
The other anti-Nazi groups were
the Partisans and Ghetto Fighters,
the Disabled Veterans of the War
Against the Nazis, and the Anti-
Nazi Fighters.
resist them, instead of diminishing
violence, you are helping to in-
crease it.
The Israelites did not wish to
annex the Suez. They merely
wanted to put an end to the Egyp-
tians' blocking the waters of the
Gulf of Akaba, threatening the
economic existence of Israel.
Dayan is no stereotyped mili-
tary leader. In the midst of the
Sinai campaign, he paused to do
a little digging in the ground, Un-
covering an ancient tomb. His
hobby is archeology. He let the
captured Egyptian prisoners im-
mediately return home, after he
had their guns.
One reason why Dayan is a good
soldier is that he has been one
since boyhood. At the age of 12, he
was already doing sentry work
and his parents before him had to
protect themselves from maraud-
ing Arabs and had to fight even
worse things — mosquitoes which
brought a heavy mortality toll
through malaria.
sure Israel has had to take to
arms, but that is out of sheer self-
preservation, with the Arabs
roundabout repeatedly threaten-
ing to wipe them off the map. If
someone threatens to destroy you
and you do not show that you can
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