Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. . and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1966, JTA, Inc.)
MISSION TO GERMANY: A visit to Germany, and talks with
members of the Bonn Cabinet, leave no doubt that the two dominating
political parties in West Germany of which the present new Cabinet
. is composed—the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Demo-
cratic Party—are determined to see to it that the rise of the neo-
Nazism in the country should be checked . . . This is especially
emphasized by Paul Luecke, the Minister of Interior, who is now the
most important man in the new German Cabinet, after Chancellor
Kiesinger and Vice-Chancellor Willi Brandt . . . Dr. Luecke is the
Cabinet member in charge of watching subversive movements in the
country and of suppressing them on the basis of constitutional provi-
sions . . . The neo-Nazis fear him; the democratic elements—which
constitute the great majority in the country—trust him; and the
Jews in Germany have great confidence in him . . . He was himself
a Nazi victim and came out of a concentration camp a man physi-
cally tortured by the Nazis, but strong enough to become one of the
most influential members of the Christian Democratic Party . . -. As
I was sitting in his office in Bonn listening to his views on the neo-
Nazi party, which has shown substantial gains in the recent elections
in two states, I was certain that he intends to do something about
checking the influence of the neo-Nazi movement . . . He did not
deny that the Nazis and neo-Nazis are raising their ugly heads in
Germany now and are showing it by voting for the neo-Nazi National
Democratic Party . . . However, he made no secret of his intention
to have the neo-Nazi party dissolved, should it really turn out to be
a danger to the democratic form of government which has been pre-
vailing in West Germany since the end of the war . . . As far as
anti-Semitism is concerned, he was certain that no political group in
West Germany will dare to conduct anti-Jewish propaganda, because
this will spell its certain death . . . Under the present German laws
any organization preaching anti-Semitism is considered a subversive
body and thus can be declared illegal . . . And the person to see
that such a group is declared illegal is Dr. Luecke.
DANGER SIGNALS: Although there can be no doubt that the
new Bonn Government will now watch the neo-Nazis very closely,
danger nevertheless exists that German extremists may gain even
more ground than at present, should the situation in Germany change
from the present prosperity to economic recession . . . A sharp
economic recession will pave the way for the emergence of political
demagogues with extreme nationalistic slogans similar to Hitler's . . .
Up until now. Germany suffered from a shortage of labor and today
there are in Germany more than a million imported workers from
Italy. Spain and other countries . . . In case of unemployment, they
will be the first to be told to go home. so that the German worker
will not he affected for quite a time . . . However, history has a
habit of repeating itself, and when one remembers the good years in
Germany after World War I and the. severe unemployment that
followed those years. leading to the birth of Nazism, one must be
cautious in assessing the outlook for the future . . . It is true that
the young generation in Germany today considers that Hitler was
a misfortune for Germany, but it is also true that the majority of
young adults in Germany are now indifferent to political problems.
. . They feel satisfied because the country enjoys prosperity; they
are anti-Nazi because Hitler after all was a loser . . . In time of
economic depression many of them may fall under the influence of
extreme nationalists . . . Some German demagogues are already now
arguing that Germany lost its "identity" and must regain it . . . They
point out that 20 years after the war Germany is still a country
occupied by other powers; that Germany is entitled to occupy in the
world a place similar to France and England; that she,does not enjoy
the international status which even small under-developed countries
enjoy—she cannot even be a member of the United Nations . .. They
claim that Germany, an industrial giant, is compelled to spend
hundreds of millions of dollars each year on buying armaments in
the United States at a time when she can manufacture these arms
herself . . . They argue that Germany. which was the original de-
veloper of the atom bomb, must be permitted to produce it now . . .
Not to speak of their claim that reunification of the two parts of
Germany is essential to the German nation but is prevented from
taking place by outside powers which fear that a united Germany
might become 'a military threat . . . In other words, they are pre-
paring the ground for extreme nationalist propaganda which—like
Hitler's propaganda in the years of unemployment—may attract many
of those who are now indifferent to political arguments . . . This is
where the real danger lies . . . Such increased propaganda could,
under an economic depression, lead to the development of extreme
right groups in Germany and create a very dangerous situation for
the world, not only for the 30,000 Jews now residing in Germany.
Italian Shipping Line
Asked to Reconsider
Its Bowing to Boycott
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
NEW YORK—An Italian navi-
gation company charged with bow-
ing to Arab boycott demands in
breaking ties with an Israeli ship-
ping line was urged by the Ameri-
can Jewish Congress to reconsider
its decision in the interests of free
trade.
The AJC made its request to the
owners of Linea "C," a Genoa-
based line with at least one ship—
the Federico C—that makes regu-
lar runs from Miami to Caribbean
ports.
In a letter to the Costa Line,
owners of Linea "C," the Con-
gress said it had learned that
the Italian company had discon-
tinued its representation of the
Israeli company, Zim Lines, in
Latin America.
"This termination of a mutually
advantageous arrangement," the
AJC charged, "was brought about
by pressure exerted by the Arab
League which attempts to enforce
an international boycott of the
State of Israel."
Linea "C," the AJC declared,
"has capitulated to unwarranted in-
terference with free trade imposed
by the Arab - League."
Friday, December 16, 1966-11
UN's General Assembly Votes Today
on Texts of 2 International Rights Treaties
(Direct JTA Telegraph Wire
cultural, religious and linguistic
to The Jewish News)
UNITED NATIONS — The Gen- . heritage of minorities.
eral Assembly decided Tuesday to I Earlier, in Washington, a new
vote formally in plenary session call for Senate ratification of the
today on the texts of two interna- UN conventions on human rights,
tional treaties 'which, when rati- not yet ratified by the United
fied, will legally require all states States. was made by Vice Presi- .
acceding to the documents to im- dent Hubert H. Humphrey at a
plement the rights and freedoms Hanuka service at _A.das Israel
proclaimed by the United Nations Synagogue.
18 years ago in the Universal
The "Human Rights Day" pro-
Declaration of Human Rights.
gram, attended by high-ranking
Since both texts, as well as government officials and foreign
some supplementary documents, diplomats, marked the 18th anni-
have already been adopted after versary of the adoption of the Uni-
debates lasting 12 years by unani- versa' Declaration on Human
mous votes in the assembly's So- Rights.
cial, Humanitarian and Cultural
Committee, the action in the
plenary session will certainly re-
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Our next column will deal with the measures taken by the Bonn
Government to indoctrinate the German youth on the harm of Nazism
and anti-Semitism. Also—how the Jews now residing in Germany look
at their future.
New Trials Start in Germa ny Against War Nazis
BONN (JTA)—Eight former of- Jews in Migiletch in the Krakow
ficers of Hitler's SS, charged with district.
More than 40 witnesses from the
shooting and deporting to death
camps of more than 40,000 Jews, United States, Canada, Israel and
have gone on trial as war criminals Germany will testify. The trial is
expected to last until February.
before a jury in Darmstadt.
One of the 16 former SS and
The principal defendant in the
Gestapo members on trial in
proceedings is a former high SS
Stuttgart on charges of partici-
officer, Herbert Hertel. All eight
pation in the wartime murder of
committed the war crimes, accord-
160,000 Jews in the Lvov area in
ing to the indictment, at Kolomeya,
occupied Poland testified that
Polish Galicia, during the period
he had killed one' elderly Jew
1941-1943.
who was unable to walk.
The defendant, Ernst Heinisch,
A new mass murder trial also
began Dec. 9 in Freiburg with 65, also testified against Ernst
Walter Tormeier, 57, a former Epple, another defendant. Heinisch
Nazi security officer in Krakow in said that Epple had shot many
occupied Poland as the ,defendant. Jews in the back of the head and
He was charged with Ordering in had given order for the murder
1942 and 1943 the shooting of 114 of many more.
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