Tragic Roles of FDR, Cordell Hull, Brundage, Stat e Department
Officials Told in Morse's Volume Exposing Fa ilur e to Aid Jews
"While Six Million Died — A dent Roosevelt, on the occasion of
to the British ambassador that it
Pehle's name will go down in his-
Chronicle of American Apathy" by the Statue of Liberty's 50th anni- was his "very strong impression an overwhelming margin over
Arthur D. Morse, the heartrending versary "to re-establish the proud that the responsible leaders among Avery Brundage's candidate. But it tory as that of one of the most
was
a
year
too
late
and
the
anti-
courageous
men in the World War
Random House volume that deals principle" of maintaining "an asy- American Jews would be the first Semitic posters that had been re-
II humanitarian efforts. With Ira
with the "acquiescence of this gov- turn for political and religious ref- to urge that no change in the
pres-
moved
for
the
Olympic
games
once
Hirschminn,
McClelland, some
ernment in the murder of the ugees." When FDR spoke on the ent quota for German Jews be
again covered the walls of the men in the consular corps who
Jews," is already fairly well Statue's anniversary, Oct. 28, 1936, made."
Third
Reich."
did not yield to prejudice, this
known because of reviews of it he failed to cancel Herbert
• • •
group rendered great service. Had
While American Jews yielded
that have appeared in our columns Hoover's executive order on "pub-
The way of politicians in play- they been given the means and
and the lengthy extracts from it lie charges" and the doors of this when they were told not to hold
that appeared in Look magazine. country remained shut to the vic- protest meetings, in the best in- ing both sides against the middle, the freedom to act, had Britian
Many of the revelations in this tims of Nazism. Ignoring the many terests of this country, the latter in resorting to public statements lived up to the pledge for a Nation-
volume about American statesmen appeals addressed to him, FDR, in statement certainly was a mis- to give the impression that they al Home in Palestine, millions could
need to be reviewed at greater that speech, failed to refer to the representation of American Jewry's are backing a cause while back- have been saved. The number
position on the need to open the watering when called upon to face rescued was small, but Pehle and
length. refugee crisis.
doors to this country for those who issues squarely, is indicated in his aids accomplished that. And
Morse's revealing facts show the
Morse's charge is emphatic: "In could then have been rescued.
an item in which Morse refers most of the necessary funds came
weakness and refusal to help dis- the White House, Franklin D.
All efforts to have America's to Acting Secretary of State Wil- from Jewish sources, from the
played by Secretary of State Cor- Roosevelt, with detailed reports of
a rabbinical and other funds,
dell Hull. They expose the callous- Nazi atrocities before him, failed doors opened for refugees failed liam Phillips, and to a U. S. Sena- JDC,
tor who frequently appeared as so that a major part of the gov-
ness of President Franklin D. to use his immense influence to re- totally!
• • •
a speaker at Jewish gatherings. ernment allocation to the War Ref-
verse the trend."
Most unsavory was the role dur- Morse was dealing with events in ugee Board was returned intact.
President Hoover before him, on
• • •
1935
in this item:
Sept. 8, 1930, announced that con- ing the Nazi era of Avery Brund-
"Some further insight into the
the president of the American
When the complete story of the
sular officers "will before issuing a age,
political mood of the time is fur- death of the Six Million is recorded,
visa have to pass judgment with Olympic Committee. Attempts nished
by Senator William H. King the role of the World Jewish Con-
particular care on whether the ap- were made for American with- of Utah.
On July 27, the day after gress, the efforts of Dr. Stephen S.
drawal
from
the
Olympic
games
plicant may become public charge
Jewish delegation visited Act- Wise, Dr. Nahum Goldman, Henry
. . ." The Hoover order, it was scheduled to be held in Germany the
ing
Secretary
Phillips, King intro- Morgenthau, Joel Brand, Gerhart
in
1936,
or
to
force
change
of
lo-
charged by a group of notables,
a resolution calling upon the Riegner, Sally Mayer, Cemelia Ra-
Felix Frankfurter, Reinhold Nie- cation. But while the 'demands duced
Senate
Foreign
Relations Com- zovsky, John Pehle, R o b e r t
buhr, John Haynes Holmes, Os- were being made for withdrawal,
mittee to conduct hearings and Pell, Dr. Jonah B. Wise, Raoul
wald Garrison Villard, Jane Ad- Brundage was appeasing, influenc- elicit
evidence concerning the mis- Wallenberg and other who dared
ing Olympic Committee members,
dams, Lillian Wald among them, giving
the impression that all was treatment of Jews and Catholics speak up in time of tragedy; of the
"had the effect of stopping all im-
Cordell Hull
FDR
well
in
Nazi
Germany.
in
Germany.
The Senator ex- Joint Distribution Committee and
migration." Some years later, dur-
While Brundage was appeasing, plained to the press that he wanted its historic efforts, will be recorded
Roosevelt. Assistant Secretary of ing the Nazi terror, Herbert Hoover
to
find
out
whether
there might be indelibly in contrast to the lack
State Sumner Welles does not and Alfred Landon supported a Julius Streicher, the vilest of the
emerge in commendatory fashion. bill for the admission of children German anti-Semites, was spread- grounds for the United States to of vision of those who could have
sever
diplomatic
relations
with the helped but failed.
There are some Americans who whose lives were endangered by ing his propaganda against Jews
in protest against its racial
nobly upheld this nation's tradi- Hitler. But during the trying in his Stuermer. It did not matter Reich
In the efforts to provide seri-
tions. Morse gives full credit to efforts to get such relief Roosevelt to Brundage and to those on his and religious policies.
ous rescue, the name of Mon-
"A few days later Senator King signor Angelo Roncalli, then the
members of the U.S. consular told a press conference that relaxa- committee who were misled by him
corps who recognized the urgency tion of immigration restrictions "is that while he was pushing the met Acting Secretary Phillips at Vatican Apostolic Delegate to
of situations demanding American not in contemplation," that "we plans for the athletic games to be a dinner party. He took Phillips Turkey who was later to be-
aid. He does not mince words in have the quota system." He said held in Germany, Streicher was aside and explained that his reso- come Pope John XIII, is recalled.
his indictment of those who blindly this immediately after the mass goading his Hitler Youth followers lution was meant only as an ex- He responded to the appeals of
hid behind screens and indiffer- burning of synagogues in Germany on the hatred in this fashion, in a pression of the feeling of many Ira Hirschman, was deeply
ently failed to provide even a mini- and the imposition of a billion speech on Hesenberg Mountain on people, not as a basis for action. moved by the tragedy and unlike
As Phillips noted in a memo for Pius XII who had failed to act
mum of help in rescue efforts marks ($400,000,000) fine upon Ger- June 23, 1935:
"Your proper gathering place is the file the next day, King said in the most critical time assisted
which could have saved tens, per- man Jewry for that damage!
After the Kristallnacht cruelty this mountain, where, 2,000 years `that he, naturally, did not expect in saving many who could be
haps hundreds, of thousands of
children and perhaps millions of and the imposition of the "money ago, your forefathers gathered be- to push his resolution, and that snatched from the N a zi s'
adults.
atonement" for the death of Ernst fore the country had been infected if I had an opportunity to tell clutches.
4 • •
von Rath at the hands of the Jew- by a race which at that time ex- the President that was his idea, he
The heroic story of Raoul Wal-
Secretary of State Cordell Hull ish avenger Hershel Grynszpan, ecuted the greatest anti-Semite of would be very glad to have me lenberg
is yet to be told. He was a
was among the most blinded of FDR had a press conference, Nov. all time, Jesus Christ, for high do so,' "
martyr in the cause of justice.
officials who was adamant in his 15, 1938. More than 200 cones- treason. Now this race is an enemy
FDR acquitted himself later with Morse
writes
about him, and Mich-
to
all
people
and
threatens
the
life
refusal to provide any aid what- pondents anticipated comments. of the German people. In front of the establishment of the War Refu- igan readers will be interested to
ever. His role is tragic. He is Morse describes the scene: "They this blazing fire, dedicate yourself gee Board and thanks to the efforts know that he had been awarded an
painted as one steeped in "inepti- found him (FDR) in good humor, to hatred of a people who goad of John Pehle and his associates, honorary degree by the University
especially the Quaker Roswell Mc-
tude." On occasions he even main- smoking a cigarette from his long
into war to profit by it, Clelland, tens of thousands were of Michigan.
tained that reports of Nazi perse- holder, his expression jaunty, his nations
Then there is the story of the
mood confident." He then read a to hatred of those who dishonor finally rescued. Thanks to Pehle
cutions were exaggerated.
statement expressing this country's our women, to hatred of those who the pernicious work of Breckin- efforts of Miss Razovsky. Her
Early in the efforts of the World shock over what had happened in torture animals to death."
efforts
to provide rescue for chil-
ridge
Long
was
vitiated
to
a
small
Jewish Congress to secure Ameri- Germany. Then, when asked if
Streicher met his doom at the degree: Long's record remains an dren whose lives --
can aid in behalf of the refugee, he considered where the refugees Nuremberg trial of the Nazi crim- indelible blot on State Department were endangered
Rob-
when Breckinridge Long and
Rob- were to go he said he was not inals, but he had a free hand even history.
under the Nazis
ert Reames were the evil geniuses ready to make any announcements. while Americans were testing
the
In contrast to the activities of is one of the very
in the schemes to prevent any as- And when a , correspondant asked German atmosphere for the great
dramatic
sistance to the sufferers, Hull had if he would recommend to Congress games which, in 1996, thanks to the War Refugee Board, there had sodes of that epi-
en-
previous fiascos, chief among
a run-in with Dr. Nahum Gold- modification of immigration laws, Brundage, were held in an area of been
them the Evian conference at tire era. She
mann. Hull was challenged by the the President "replied in the neg- humiliation for decent peoples.
played a major
which
there
was
a
lot
of
talk
but
Jewish
spokesman. They were ative. No modifications were con-
Let it be recorded, in honor of no action. It was such a farce role in efforts to
tense
years during which cries for templated."
former New York State Supreme that the name of the location was save the refugees
a humane
approach
to myopic
the issue There was an interesting devel- Court Justice Jeremiah T. Ma- read backwards—NAIVE .
who were escap-
fell
on deaf
ears. The
on the St.
Atnericans who insisted on living opment. Sir Ronald Lindsay, on honey that he led the Amateur
Latin American countries in ing
Athletic
Union
to
almost
unanimous
Louis.
That story
behalf
of
the
up to the immigration laws, the
the
main
refused
to
cooperate
in
is in itself one of
opposition to Brundage's plans.
govern-
British who would not open Pales- British
rescue efforts but due credit is the
ment,
informed
AAU
was
almost
to
a
man
in
major
trage-
,
tine's doors to those who could
given to James N. Rosenberg for
favor of withdrawal of the Olympic
have been rescued from the ovens Sumner Welles
having succeeded in placing sev- dies of World
War
II.
games from Germany. There was
of the extermination camps, were that his govern-.
eral hundred refugees in the
a temporary change in attitude
The manner in
jointly responsible for tragedies. ment was willing"
Dominican Republic.
which Dr.
under Brundage's influence and
The British were among the chief to relinquish
Eddie Cantor sought aid from Stephen Wise's Dr. S. S. Wise
Mahoney
was
defeated
for
the
65,000
places
in
rescuers of Jews within their isles,
AAU presidency's re-election, but the White House in support of legis- efforts to arouse American feel-
but by keeping Palestine's doors the quotas allow-
after the Olympics he was exon- lation for the admission of refugee ing against Nazism, to organize
closed they were accessories to the ed by U.S. laws
erated and again chose to head the children. Eleanor Roosevelt helped, protest meetings, were frustrated
crimes of the 1930s and early 1940s. for immigrants
FDR did not: only through the by the State Department, with the
AAU.
his count
Credit must be given some from
Refugee Board was the Presi- aid of FDR, is one of the shameful
"for
the
purpos
Besides Mahoney there also was War
names of those who would not yield of permittin
dent helpful.
a protest against the games being
chapters in American history.
to the pressures from the reaction. German refugee
"The Allies' most forthright ac-
held in Germany by 41 college and
Morse exposes all of these facts.
aries in the State Department. Sec- to enter the Uni
cusation
of
Nazi
guilt"
was
con-
university presidents. Brundage
His book now is without doubt one
retary of the Treasury Henry Mor- ted States."
tained in the Roosevelt declaration of the most significant
had
the
upper
hand
and
was
un-
among the
genthau Jr. and his staff, John
Morse reports: "The urbane Mr. moved. A motion by Judge Aaron of March 24, 1944, but Morse mounting revelations about the
Pehle, Myron Taylor, Vice Consul
judges
it
as
having
been
too
late,
Steuer
to
have
a
committee
in-
Holocaust,
the Nazi terrors and the
Burke, the American Quaker Ros- Welles was unruffled by the sug-
"millions had perished, only thou- failures to stem
them when it was
well McClelland, Consul Homer gestion." He told Sir Ronald that vestigate conditions was defeated. sands could be saved."
time to stop Hitlerisni.
"When the oratory had ended,"
Brett were among the many who immigration quotas were estab-
lished
under
law
and
were
not
the
Morse writes, "the AAU voted to
were horrified by the State Depart-
ment actions and clamored for aid property of nations to whom they participate in the Olympics, de-
were granted.
feating Jeremiah T. Mahoney by President Backed o n Civil Rights
to those doomed by Nazism.
This is how the death sentences only two votes. Mahoney then re-
NEW YORK (JTA)—Three ma- organizations in messages to the
• • •
were undersigned by politicians signed as president and was im-
FDR's role in the rescue efforts who were upholding the law while mediately succeeded by Brundage, or American Jewish organizations President were Bertram H. Gold,
active
in the fields of human rela- executive director of the American
is tragic. The nation's most dis- the noose was tightening around who said that now the AAU could
tinguished men appealed to him German Jewry, soon to be strung go about its business of getting tions endorsed President Johnson's Jewish Committee, Dore Schary,
to remove cein immigration re- around the necks of all European America's youth to the Olympics civil rights message and urged national chairman of the Anti-
strictions. Prof. John Dewey was Jews. Welles even went so far . . . After the Olympics the AAU prompt congressional action based Defamation League of Bnai Brith,
one of a group that urged Presi- as to state in explaining his reply acknowledged the moral judgment on the President's proposed new and Howard M. Squadron, chair-
man of the commission on law and
of Jeremiah T. Mahoney and once civil rights bill.
48 — Friday, February 9, 1968
social action of the American Jew-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS again elected him as president by
Expressing the support of their ish Congress.