Purely Cornmentary

Lidice was a Czech village. It and its population
were destroyed by the Germans. But the "reprisal" for
the assassination of a Nazi was not limited to the
Czechoslovakians in the community whence stemmed the
assassins of a brutal tyrant. It was another occasion for
the Nazis to exact not only vengeance for the murder
of one of the fuehrers but to pursue the policy of
persecuting Jews and of sentencing them to extermination.
• Much will be written between now and May 29—the
25th anniversary of the murder of Reinhard Heydrich-
"Hangman Heydrich" is the way he became known—and
the world will be told about the martyrs of the village
and the present population of the rebuilt community.
Let it be known also that Jews became pawns again
in the Nazi game of mass murder as a result of what
had occurred in a Czech village.
Reinhard Heydrich was the chief of the Security
Police, the deputy chief of the Gestapo. William Shirer
brands him as "the genius of the 'final solution'." He
not only framed the policies of mass murders of conquered
peoples:( he sought more power and he aspired to
replace Heinrich Himmler, his chief, as head of the
Gestapo.
In 1941 Adolf Hitler elevated him to the post of
Protector of 'Bohemia and Moravia and he operated his
deVilish schemes from the Hradschin Castle in Prague,
the ancient palace of Bohemian kings.
Heydrich was driving in his Mercedes sports car
to his castle, on May 29, 1942, when a British-made
bomb was thrown and blew him to pieces. Jan Kubis
and Josef Gabeik, who had served in the free Czecho-
slovak army in England, had been parachuted by the
R.A.F. into that area and they fulfilled their mission
against Heydrich, then' escaping into Karl Borromaeus
Church in Prague where they were given refuge.
Heydrich lived until June 4. Then a veritable
slaughter commenced. In retaliation for the death of
the hangman, Gestapo reported that 1,331 Czechs were
executed immediately. Included were 201 women. The
SS learned that the assassins and 120 members of the
resistance forces were in hiding in the Karl Borromaeus
Church. The house of worship was besieged and the
entire resistance force, including Kubis and Gabeik,
were murdered.
To teach the conquered people that they must
submit and not retaliate, 10 truckloads of Gestapo
members, a German Security Police force, arrived in
Lidice on June 9, 1942, and the entire 'male population
was massacred, in batches of 10. A 12-year-old boy and
a woman who tried to escape were shot. There were

Lidice and the Holocaust

1'72 victims—men and boys—and 195 women were sent
to Ravensbruck concentration camp. Four pregnant
women were taken to a maternity hospital and the
children were murdered after birth, the women afterward
sent to Ravensbrueck. Ninety children were sent to
Gneisenau concentration camp and were later transferred
to German homes to be raised as Germans by - 'racial
experts." Some later were reunited with their mothers
who survived the concentration camps.
William Shirer, in "The Rise and Fall of the
Third Reich," calls attention to this added cruelty
as a German act of vengeance for Heydrich's death:
"It was the Jews who suffered the most for this
act of defiance against the master race. Three thousand
of them were removed from the 'privileged' ghetto of
Theresienstadt and shipped to the East for extermi-
nation. On the day of the bombing (of Heydrich)
Goebbels had 500 of the few remaining Jews at
large in Berlin arrested and on the day of Heydrich's
death 152 of them were executed as a 'reprisal'."
In spite of the mass murders and of the destruction
of Lidice, 143 women and 17 children returned to the
Czech village, the village was rebuilt, the men residing
there now again work, as did many of those who
were executed nearly 25 years ago, in the Kladno steel
mills and coal mines. There is caution not to frighten
the children. There is a measure of forgetting in order
to wipe out the horror of the past.
Yet, Lidice will be recalled as one of the worst
tragedies of the last war, and on the 25th anniversary
of the Teutonic murder of an entire village male
population the world will surely be reminded of what
had occurred under Nazism.
In "Death in Rome," published by Macmillan, the
author, Robert Katz, might have given the impression
that the massacre in the Ardeatine Cave near Rome
did not have its equal. Surely, the Lidice crime matched
it in bestiality. Shirer, in "The Rise and Fall of the
Third Reich," lists other similar extermination acts by
the Hitlerites. Shirer lists these crimes:
"Lidice, though it became the most widely known
example of Nazi savagery of this kind, was not the
only village in the German-occupied lands to suffer
such a barbaric end. There was one other in Czechoslo-
vakia, Lezhaky, and several more in Poland, Russia,
Greece and Yugoslavia. Even in the West, where
the New Order was relatively less murderous, the
example of Lidice was repeated by - the Germans though
in most cases, such as that of Televaag in Norway, the
men, women, and children were merely deported to

By Philip
Slomovitz

separate concentration camps after every building in
the village had been razed to the ground.
"But on June 10, 1944, two years to a day after the
massacre of Lidice, a terrible toll of life was taken at
the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane, near Limoges.
A detachment of the S.S. division Das Reich, which had
already earned a reputation for terror — if not for
fighting — in Russia, surrounded the French town and
ordered the inhabitants to gather in the central square.
There the people were told by the commandant that
explosives were reported to have been hidden in the
village and that a search and the checking of identity
cards would be made. Whereupon the entire population
of 652 persons was locked up. The men were herded
into barns, the women and children into the church.
The entire village was then set on fire. The German
soldiers next set upon the inhabitants. The men in the
barns who were not burned to death were machine-
gunned and killed. The women and children in the
church were also peppered with machine-gun fire and
those who were not killed were burned to death when
the German soldiers set fire to the church. Three
days later the Bishop of Limoges found the charred
bodies of fifteen children in a heap behind the burned-out
altar.
"Nine years later, in 1953, a French military court
established that 642 inhabitants-245 women, 207 chil-
dren and 190 men—had perished in • the massacre at
Oradour. Ten survived. Though badly burned they had
simulated death and thus escaped it,
"Oradour, like Lidice, was never rebuilt. Its ruins
remain a monument to Hitler's New Order in Europe.
The gutted church stands out against the peaceful
countryside as a reminder of the beautiful June day,
just before the harvest, when the village and its inhabi-
tants suddenly ceased to exist. Where once a window
stood is a little sign: "Madame Rouffance, the only
survivor from the church, escaped through this window."
In front there is a small figure of Christ affixed to
a rusty iron cross.
"Such, as has been sketched in this chapter, were
the beginnings of Hitler's New Order; such was the
debut of the Nazi Gangster Empire in Europe. Fortu-
nately for mankind it was destroyed in its infancy
not by any revolt of the German people -against such
a reversion to barbarism but by the defeat of German
arms and the consequent fall of the Third Reich, the
story of which now remains to be told."

(Copyright, 1967, JTA, Inc;)

U S Pub he Welcomes srae r s First Premier

.

.

Ben-Gurion declared that on in Boston, the Boston Hebrew Col-
MIAMI BEACH — A testimonial
lege, Harvard University, Brandeis
volume containing 80,000 names of his three-week tour abroad, he University and BoAon University.
subscribers to Israel Bonds in will not confer with any national
In New York, Ben-Gurion will
tribute to David Ben-Gurion will leaders in the countries he is to
be presented to the former prime visit, and that he will refrain receive the Herbert H. Lehman
minister of Israel at a dinner cele- from discussing internal Israeli Memorial Award for Distinguished
Humanitarian Achievement at the
brating his 80th birthday at the political affairs.
inaugural dinner of the United Jew-
Fontainebleau Hotel- Saturday eve-
In the United States, he is sched- ish Appeal at which Gov. Nelson
ning.
uled to deliver five major ad- A. Rockefeller will be one of the
The dinner also will mark the dresses under the sponsorship of
principal speakers.
official launching of the 1967 cam- the United Jewish Appeal and the
The award was established by
paign to sell 8115,000,000 in Israel UJA's Israel Education Fund, as
Bonds to promote every major well as before the Israel Bond con- the United Jewish Appeal of
phase of the country's economic ference. Among the cities he will Greater New York in the form of
development.
visit will be New York, Chicago, a bronze medallion.
(Ben-Gurion will appear on
Admission to the Ben-Gurion Los Angeles, Boston and Phila-
birthday tribute will be based on delphia. In Canada he will spend "Meet the Press" 11:30 p.m. Sun-
day on Channel 4.)
the purchase of $1,000 or more in several days.
The Israeli leader, hale and
During
the
trip,
Ben-Gurion
will
Israel Bonds.
vigorous after a direct flight
Before le a v ing Jerusalem, also celebrate the 50th anniver- from Lydda airport in Israel to
Ben-Gurion envisaged the expan- sary of his marriage. He and the the John F. Kennedy Interna-
sion of the population in the former Paula Munweis were mar- tional Airport, voiced first of all.
Negev Desert to 2,000,000 in the ried in Brooklyn in 1917. Ben- upon his arrival, his and Israel's
next 20 years and said that ad- Gurion recalled that the marriage gratitude to the four Presidents
vocacy of Negev development is was in the afternoon because, who have been in office since
the main reason for his trip to that morning, he was busy ad- Israel was reborn in 1948. To
dressing a meeting of the Poale
the United States.
Presidents Truman, Eisen-
Ben-Gurion discussed the plans Zion in New York.
hower, the late Mr. Kennedy
The invitation to Ben-Gurion to and President Johnson he ex-
for Negev development at a con-
ference with foreign correspond- come to the United States was
pressed his grateful apprecia-
ents who honored him prior to his extended by the United Jewish tion for the help they have ex-
Appeal
and
the
"Public
Commit-
departure.
Another of his principal aims tee for the Celebration of the 80th
during the tour, he declared, will Birthday of David Ben-Gurion"
be to urge an increase in the teach- of which Detroiter Max M.
ing of the Bible to the younger Fisher, general chairman of the
generations of Jews. He called the UJA, is also chairman. The com-
Bible "one of the main links mittee is composed of Jewish or-
among the Jews today, a link ganizations representing every
which will become even more im- shade of opinion in the Jewish
community.
portant in the future."
While here, Ben-Gurion will be
The development of the Negev,
he told the journalists, is "prac- the guest of college students and
tically the key to Israel's future." faculty members at the following
To accomplish that goal, he said, institutions of higher learning: He-
the Negev will need an increase in brew Union College—Jewish Insti-
pioneering as well as "the most tute of Religion, Jewish Theologi-
efficient tools of modern tech- cal Seminary, Yeshiva University-
nology, both in industry and in and New York University, in New
York City; Dropsie and Gratz Col-
agriculture."
"If I had my choice," stated the leges in Philadelphia; the Bnai
ex-premier, "I would want every -Brith Hillel Foundations of the
Jew immigrating to Israel to settle University of Southern California
in the Negev." Asked whether he and University ;1 Zalifornia, Los
thought many American Jews Angeles in Los Angeles; the Uni-
would do so, he replied: "Maybe versity of Illinois and other uni-
David Ben-Gurion is shown
versities in the Chicago area; and
not many, but certainly some."
when he was a private in the
THE DETROIT IEWISH NEWS Jewish Legion in World War I.
2 Frrday. March 3. 1967

—

tended to us on behalf of the ing and rebuilding the land. The
difference is that, now, I know we
American people.
can do these things. I know it be-
As Ben-Gurion and his wife cause we have already done many
stepped off the El Al Israel air- of these things—and have won
lines plane that brought them here, many successes. And I am here
they were greeted formally by a to ask the help of our American
distinguished gathering represent- friends so that we can get them
ing officially the city of New York, done."
the Israeli Diplomatic Corps in
A pledge that the American Jew-
the United States, and the sponsor
ish community would respond gen-
of the trip to America, the United erously to Ben-Gurion's appeal was
Jewish Appeal. Included among voiced during the synagogue ses-,
the small group on the airport's
sion by Ginsberg. He said Ameri-
tamarc were Avraham Harman, Is- can Jewry will work arduously to-
rael's ambassador to the United ward carrying out "the great so-
States; Edward Ginsberg of Cleve- cial tasks that remain to be done
land, associate general chairman in Israel—the full absorption of
of the UJA; New York City Com- all of Israel's immigrants; the
missioner John F. Palmer, repre- greater advancement of education
senting Mayor Lindsay; Rabbi Her- and science in Israel; the greater
bert A. Friedman, executive vice advancement of education and
chairman of the UJA; and Michael science in Israel; the attainment
Arnon, Israel's consul-general in of economic self-sufficiency and
New York.
the peaceful conquest of the
From the field, the guests were
taken in a caravan to the airport's Negev."
International Synagogue. There,
an overflow assembly of 400 Jewish Israel to Put $63 Million
lay and religious leaders greeted Into Aviation Development
them. Ben-Gurion submitted to in-
TEL AVIV (JTA) —
terviews and photographs by a
large corps of newsmen represent- spend 190,000,000 pounds ($63,-
000,000) in the next few years to
ing press, television and radio.
Ben-Gurion told the audience keep the nation abreast of aviation
that packed the synagogue about development, Transportation Min-
Israel's yeoman work over the ister Moshe Cannel told the ninth
years toward the ... ingathering Aviation and Aeronautics Confer-
of the exiles . . . He noted that ence here.
Israel had admitted and is in
He said that sum included 90,-
the process of absorbing 1,250,- 000,000 pounds ($30,000,000) for
000 immigrants . . . from all cor- development of two long runways
ners of the world," more than and installation of a new terminal
half of them coming from back- with the most m oder n landing
ward lands—without skills, with- devices at Lydda Airport. Another
out knowledge of life in the 20th 90,000,000 pounds will be allocated
century, and without education. to El Al Israel Airlines for pur-
"Given the right kind of help," chase of new planes and ground
he emphasized, "these newcom- equipment.
ers and their children will be-
The conference was the occasion
come notable builders of Israel,
for the publication and display for
as were our pioneers."
the first time of a prototype of the
The aged leader, who first came
planned
to Palestine 60 years ago as a pio- first Israeli cargo plane,
Aircraft
for
production
by
Israel
neer, said: To my American
Industries in late summer of 1968.
friends I can say that, at 80 years,
The planned twin turboprop air-
I find myself still engaged in many
of the things that brought me to craft is capable of carrying two
Palestine six decades ago—bring- tons of freight. or 20 passengers.
ing in immigrants, making them The plane is designed for short
a Dart of the nation. and reclaim- takeoffs and landings.

Jr

