Purely Commentary
Selecting a Presidential Candidate
The farcical of one political convention has ended and the
American people now must hope that the next and the competing one,
which will open in Chicago on Monday, will not have the symptoms
of a circus. There is something akin to the ridiculous in a gathering
whose spokesmen inject fear into the hearts of their followers,
emphasizing the crime wave that calls for law and order, the race
issue that was spoken of with tongue in cheek, a war which was
escalated as a result of near-unanimous Congressional action regard-
less of party—and while purusing such programs many millions of
people were witnessing silly interviews, selfish aims at achieving
power, bargaining for votes.
Every four years, since television brought the political circuses
into our homes, we have had assurances that the carnival spirit will
be abandoned. Will the Democrats effect a change when they meet
next week? It seems doubtful, yet the hope lingers that a higher
level of political manipulating will be introduced in Chicago.
In the meantime, we adhere to our preference for the Presidency
in the hope that Hubert H. Humphrey, who seems assured of the
nomination by his party. With a background of courageous adherence
to the most liberal approaches to the basic. American problems,
experienced, an able leader who can be expected to select the most
trusted of our citizens for the most responsible jobs—there are few
to match HHH for the tasks ahead.
In the meantime, some defiled properties must be mended, and
at the moment it is the GOP that is in the greatest dilemma. At the
convention in Miami Beach, Senator Strom Thurmond strutted and
posed as the great guide and adviser to the Republican nominee. He
said, several times, in response to questions posed in interviews, that
Richard Nixon promised him not to select a Vice Presidential candidate
without consulting him.
J. Strom Thurmond, the man who fouled the air of a U.S. Senate
room during the interrogation of Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas,
is now among the Southerners in the saddle !
Tom Wicker writing for the New York Times from Miami Beach,
made these pertinent comments:
Long after the Republican party had nominated Warren G.
Harding for President at Chicago in 1920, William Allen White
looked back in melancholy at his part in the debacle:
"I was torn," he wrote, "as I often am in politics, between the
desire to jump in the fiery furnace as a, martyr, and the instinct to
save my hide and go along on the broad way that leadeth to
destruction. In the end I toddled along, followed the Kansas banner
in the parade, ashamed, disheveled in body and spirit, making a
sad, fat figure while the bands played, the trumpets brayed, and
the crowd howled for Harding . . . A sad spectacle I made, and
time has not softened the shabby outlines of the picture in all these
long years."
Surely some Republicans straggled out of Miami Beach last
week in much the same spirit, wondering if they had gone along
"on the broad way that leadeth to destruction," when they might
better have "jumped in the fiery furnace."
They had had to bear the shocking sight of J. Strom Thurmond,
the burning-eyed racist of Southern Carolina, standing shoulder to
shoulder with Richard Nixon when Nixon came to the platform to
accept the nomination of the party of Abraham Lincoln.
There was the disreputable fact of a major-party candidate for
President of the United States, and a "law and order candidate" at
that, attacking the judicial branch of the government for his own
political profit.
There was the intellectual dishonesty of the same candidate
pledging "no more Vietnams," while in the same breath rattling off
dangerous demagogic blatches about throwing so much weight
around the world that no "fourth-rate military power" would dare
to "hijack" an American ship.
And if the "first civil right of every American" really is, as
Nixon asserted to great roars from his audience, the right "to be
free from domestic violence," then all the safeguards of the Bill of
Rights are secondary to the straightforward power of those armed
by government to keep order. One would have thought such words
unutterable for any lawyer, much less a man standing on the
threshold of the White House and a sworn duty to uphold the
constitution.
It is true that Nixon has said all these things before, and re-
peatedly, during his primary campaigns. But if such calculated
applause-getters are permissible for a man seeking the nomination
of a conservative party with growing strength in the racially haunted
South, they are shoddy and disappointing from a man who has won
that nomination, who is asking to lead a great nation gripped in a
crisis of its spirit, whose main pledge is to unite all races and
all sections.
These views are presented in the interest of the national honor
of our nation. Voters may be compelled, in November, to ask whether,
by voting for the GOP candidate, they will be voting for Thurmond.
The solution is at hand. Hubert H. Humphrey has won our respect
and admiration and has retained it. That is why, for the first time
in this commentator's newspaper career, he now takes a political stand
publicly by endorsing HHH for the Presidency.
Sirhan as a Tool to Poison American Public Opinion
It is no wonder that many in Israel and a large number in this
country fear that the trial of Sirhan Sirhan for the murder of Senator
Robert Kennedy may be turned into an anti-Semitic demonstration.
In an article by Salim el-Luzi, in the Lebanese daily El-Hawadeth,
on June 21, under the heading "How to Exploit Sirhan's Trial in Sup-
port of the Arab Palestine Problem," a plan of action is presented.
That article, published in Arabic, stated:
The Arab eye would have to be struck down with blindness
not to discern the historic opportunity created by Sirhan to place
the Palestine problem before the American public. This is particu-
larly true in light of the statements made following the debacle,
on the need to strengthen the Arab information facilities with
maximum speed so as to exploit the new opportunity—statements
that have not met the test of reality.
Two weeks after the assassination of Robert Kennedy, Arab
bodies are still casting around in mutual contradiction and irrespon-
sible postures—which could mean the loss of the opportunity offered
by Sirhan's bullets that have now cleaved the wall of American
propaganda. And this at a time when the Zionist information
2—Friday, August 23, 1968
THE. DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
HHH — the Experienced, Practical, Truly
Liberal Candidate . . . Poisonous Arab Tale
Linked to Sirhan . . . Truth About ME Travel
machinery, and that of the agencies supporting it, has drawn up
a calculated program to becloud the true motives that drove Sirhan
to shoot Senator Kennedy—immediately grasping as they did the
rare opportunity which his deed offered to the Arab propaganda
cause.
The Sirhan episode, which is the incarnation of the Palestine
problem, is in no sense a political murder or crime. The young
Palestinian refugee volunteered to take upon himself the burden
of guilt of the Arab nation, and to pay for it with his life.
Were there a meaningful Arab approach to this episode and to
the untold opportunity it offers the Arabs—to present the full
impact of the Palestinian tragedy before American public opinion—
the following would take place:
a) Members of the Arab intelligentsia everywhere would send
letters to the American press and would transform the incident into
a vehicle for the propagation of the Palestine problem for whose
sake Sirhan perpetrated the murder.
b) A project for the collection of donations would be organized
forthwith, designed to bring in minimum $1 contributions in support
of the "Campaign on Behalf of Sirhan." The purpose of this
campaign would be to cover the costs of the trial and to publish
the statements of the accused throughout the United States both
before and after the trial.
c) Twenty Arabs, experts in the Palestine issue and in legal
affairs—in collaboration with a number of Americans who are
experts in public relations and in the Palestine problem—would be
appointed to take full advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.
They would deliver lectures, give interviews to the press, take
part in television talks, pursue personal contacts, and the like.
Their task would be to give content to the ultimate aim enshrined in
the act carried out by Sirhan, namely to transform his trial into a
trial of American policy which has been responsible for the
collective crimes that have brought catastrophe upon the heads of
thousands of Palestinian Arabs.
The initiative displayed by the Association of Arab Lawyers
should serve as an example to the many—before the opportunity is
squandered away.
Audaciously, without regard for common decency, Arabs already
have commenced a letter writing campaign to newspapers to justify
Sirhan's insane actions. The murderer, who undoubtedly will plead
insanity, already is hailed as the great hero who used a gun to express
hate for Israel.
The case can turn into an extreme abuse of legal procedures
in America. That can be avoided both by judge and defense attorney.
A tragic event must not be turned into an Arabic inspiration for hate
in an American law court.
By Philip
Slomovitz
A foreign observer, who has
read the Arab hate propaganda,
can hardly believe that any link
between Israel and the neighbor-
ing countries exists until he
sees the Allenby Bailey bridge:
With the official check-post
about 400 yards away, only two
armed soldiers are seen on the
Israeli side of the bridge.
Every now and then one " of
them, *rather loudly, calls to
the Jordanian soldier on the
other side to let more people
cross. Meanwhile, the traffic
of the various vehicles moving
in both directions continues
almost every second of the day.
Heading east, visitors from
the West Bank and Jerusalem
go in buses and sedans, while
merchants usually travel in the
dozens of heavy trucks loaded
with boxes of farm produce.
From the other end of the
bridge come the returning resi-
dents and tourists, who are ar-
riving for the summer holidays
fromJordan, Lebanon, Kuwaii,
Saudi Arabia, together with stIti ,
dents from Egypt and Syria. -
But Jews, as Jews, risk their
lives if they try to enter Saudi
Arabia, Syria, Yemen. Jews as-
Jews can travel to and from
Lebanon and Egypt, but not from
Israel and not if Israel is stamped
on their passports !
* * *
Notable Family Tradition
Followed by Carl Levin
There was a tragic miscarriage
of justice 30 years ago when
Charles Clark, a 38-year-old Negro,
was sent to prison for a crime he
did not commit, and he was given
*
total clearance, belatedly, when he
was freed as an innocent man,
Imitativeness and Accuracy
In its imitativeness of the Free Press Action Line, the Detroit from Jackson Prison, a few days
News' Contact 10 regrettably tried to be too facetious and was not ago.
As chief legal defender of the
too accurate in handling the following item:
I'm an American Jew who has always wanted to see the unjustly accused man, Carl Levin
Pyramids and the Sphinx. But I'm afraid to travel in the Arab did the research in the case in
behalf of the Legal Aid and De-
countries. Should I be?
fender Association, and thereby
-S. L., Oak Park rendered a great service. By this
"Why are you afraid?" asks the Lebanese consul general for act he followed a notable family
the Middle West. "In the two years I have been here we have not tradition. Carl's father, the late
refused a visa for anyone."
Saul R. Levin, was deeply inter-
Other Arab consuls say the same—that there are no restriction ested in ,:penology. The studies he
on American Jews, although religion is asked on most Arab visas. made 'on the subject, his written
"But let's face it," says one high Middle East diplomat in works. on ' criminology, elevated
Washington who asked Contact 10 not to reveal his name, "sensi- him to a:high role in society, and
tivities are high now. We know of many American Jews who have his untimely death interrupted
spied for Israel."
efforts in the direction of correct-
So why not play it safe, Sol? Change your name to Murphy ing penological errors.
and masquerade as a Unitarian.
Carl Levin (son of Saul Levin,
In the first place, this is not a laughing matter. There is room brother of Sander Levin who di-
for more genuine fun about Unitarians, Junitarians, Murphys and rects the activities of the Demo-
Cohens than the sad restrictions upon travel in Arab countries. But cratic Party in Michigan, nephew
Contact 10 could at least have gotten the proper facts. The truth of Judge Theodore Levin and con-
is that anyone from anywhere Christian and Moslem—can travel to sin of Judge Charles Levin) has
and from Israel while Jews are limited. enhanced a family record with his
The truth is that there is a vast two-way traffic crossing the labors in defense of Charles Clark.
* * *
Jordan as the following account from Israel indicates:
The number of Arab visitors crossing both ways daily over Unfair Publicity
There ought to be a limit to un-
Allenby Bridge, which spans the River Jordan, is nearly 2,000,
while the number of trucks is close to 200. On July '7 the traffic ! due notoriety to a given name.
included 1,700 persons, and 186 trucks which transported mostly I Because John F. Kennedy Jr. has
farm produce eastward, said Col. Shlomo Gazit, head of the military so famous a family name was no
government bureau in Israel's Ministry of Defense, during a recent reason for publicizing his having
press tour of Allenby Bridge. Since the Six-Day War an estimated failed in his school stUdies at the
200,000 persons have traveled across the bridge, where traffic age of 7. Perhaps the many family
was interrupted briefly by Jordanian instigated shooting incidents tragedies had much to do with his
difficulties and his reported rest-
three times during the past year.
lessness. At any rate, to play up
Col. Gazit added that residents who had applied for entry his school record as it was is in-
permits involved some 6,000 students and 11,000 families, each of excusable, especially since the re-
which has an average of three persons. All in all, over 40,000 port came jointly from UPI-.AP.
applications for entry permits into Israel-controlled areas had been
*
I
received so far. He noted that 2,000 permits for student have been UN's Perpetuated Injustice
approved so far, with the possibility of "completing the process of
Once again, the United Nations
security screening of the rest within about two weeks." He added Security Council saw fit to con-
that "very few" are likely to be turned down. The number of demn Israel for having retaliated
permits issued so far for vacationing families was 4,000.
against those who seek the nation',:
Since the launching in mid-June of the scheme permitting entry destruction. Only the American
of visitors from Arab countries, 327 students and 1,040 others have delegate, George Ball, spoke Of
crossed to the West Bank. Col. Gazit noted that 83 of the students against the Arab terrorists,aft
were from Jordan while 244 came from other Arab countries. Up the vote had been taken.'
to July, 786 of the summer visitors were from Jordan while the
Meanwhile the UN is on record
balance of 254 came from other countries, mainly from Lebanon as being controlled by forces of de-
and Kuwait.
struction! There is no justice there,
Replying to a question, Col. Gazit said that under the family and there is little if any courage to
reunion scheme which in February 1968 had replaced last August's . reject prejudice.
"Operation Refugee," 1,400 persons were repatriated from Jordan.
And U Thant is about' to visit
Writing in Jerusalem Post, Anan Safadi recently reported: A Algeria—the country that condones
Bailey bridge was built last winter across the Jordan River, next hijacking of planes and the .incar-
to the Allenby Bridge, which was wrecked during the Six-Day War. ceration of pilots and travelers.
With the consent of both the Israeli and Jordanian governments, Neither U Thant, whose record
the bridge spanning both sides developed into an open passage for isn't too good vis - a -vis Israel any-
Arab residents living on the banks of the river. More recently way, nor his associates have ade-
visitors from various Arab countries are crossing the river on quate defense for anti-Israel ac-
tions in international headquarters.
holidays or business.