Purely Commentary

Dramatic Adventure in Chicago

For many months to come, particularly in the course of the Presi-
dential campaign during the coming two months, the incidents in
Chicago will be discussed and it will be difficult to eliminate bitterness
in viewing what had occurred.
They were shocking occurrences and many may never forgive
Mayor Richard J. Daley for the role he played during the convention.
Yet, there were aspects to the situation that are even more
saddening than the position of a man who acts the ruler, who effects
a Tammany-like attitude. An individual can be defeated, but a ten-
dency in social actions may prove difficult either to overcome or to
to alter peacefully.
When the events in Chicago are equated with the Hitler era,
one must ask how fair-minded newspapermen can so delineate an
American tragedy. In Germany it was the stormtrooper over the
crowd, and there was no resort to the courts. In the American
experience it was the police against demonstrators, and the latter
have recourse to justice. If the view of the Democratic candidate
for president, Hubert H. Humphrey prevails, the extreme reactionaries
will be prevented from curtailing the legal system of our land.
The events in Chicago are an indictment of police brutality. But
they also serve a valuable purpose: there is now a strong commitment
against permitting any portion of this country being turned into a
police state. This is the Humphrey pledge and we trust it implicitly.
Meanwhile there must be a full understanding that while rioting
must be curbed, the mob can not be handled like cattle. Policing
needs to be conducted with a sense of self-control and as much in a
spirit of mercy as any other law enforcing duty. The responsibilities
of proper guiding along these lines mounts with time.

McCarthy and the Three-Party System

Convention experiences in Chicago were so varied that they
provided a course in social and political studies. The delegates'
reactions may not have been too different from those at the Republi-
can convention, but the bitterness was more deep-rooted. But as in
most similar instances at political conventions, the "kiss-and-make-up"
aftermath may be near at hand.
Some of the arrests of delegates may have been the result of
arrogance and facetiousness. A New Hampshire professor chooses
to trick the computing machine and gets into a silly mess. Mc-
Carthy supporters are accused of throwing ash trays out of hotel
windows at police and are arrested. Eugene McCarthy himself acts
the poor loser (unlike Senator McGovern), and makes it known that
he can't support "either candidate." Does it mean he can support
George Wallace?
It can also mean that McCarthy chooses not to vote. Which re-
minds us of the confession that was made by the late Gen. George
Marshall, after he had retired as President Truman's secretary of
state, that he had never voted in his life! Will this be Senator Mc-
Carthy's pattern? What a pity that he can't join his good friends
Humphrey and McGovern in setting a pattern for action in a very
crucial period in American history.
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For HHH in November

Chicago's Tragedy, Plight of Embittered
Candidate . . . Once Again: a Humphrey
Endorsement . . The Sirhan Trick

tion of notoriety from the TV crews. That may have been what he
wanted—and he got it. Now, how will his constituents react to his
hysterical act when they go to the polls?
Perhaps the communications media, in their anxiety for more
sensational stories, were responsible for building up a case that
should have been played down. But that's what caused much of the
trouble—and if it weren't for the extreme build-ups many of the
Chicago incidents might have been averted.
We are not condoning police brutality: it is one of the great
issues to be resolved in this critical time of youth and race revolts
and political evolutions. But in solving that problem there certainly
can't be an approval of rioting that incites to brutalities.

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By Philip
Slomovitz

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Saud. But when the leader of a
new anti-Semitic Arab-Negro lineup
speaks about offering "Our lives"
to aid the Arabs in their aim to
destroy Israel, the question may
well be posed to them: Are these
your friends, the oppressors of the
masses Nasser Saud, Hussein,
and is slave-holding Saudi-Arabia
your ideal state? And in our hearts
we pose another question: will they
ever learn?

The TV Role in Averting Hatreds

Commentators and our news media may be put to the test during
the Sirhan Sirhan trial. Robert F. Kennedy's murderer has already
made it known that he is planning to place Zionism on trial. Ramparts
magazine already has given him a platform for the spread of hatred
—and for the Jordanian killer and the anti-Israel forces it is sheer
anti-Semitism that is intended in the battle to harm an entire people.
Will a platform be accorded to an assassin and a bigot during
the Sirhan trial? The judge will be on the spot, the defense attorney
will be tested and our communications media will have an opportunity
to prove whether they permit themselves to be used as means of
spreading hatred during a trial of a man who committing a horrible
crime.

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Testing the Sleeping Voter

Eugene McCarthy is not the only one who is being tested now.
Will he vote or will he sleep through a crucial election?
This question also can be posed to Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
who, like McCarthy, who said last week, while on a visit in Hong
Kong, that he could not approve either of Humphrey or Nixon. Does
it mean he'll turn to Wallace? Or will he be among the political
Dropouts?
Something else to be concerned about: what made McCarthy say
to the peace demonstrators on the day after he lost his bid for the
Presidential nomination: "I'm happy to be here to address the govern-
ment of the people in exile?" Did he tongue slip or was he approving
of the waving of Vietcong flags and the tearing and burning of draft
cards? Is he or is he not (a poor loser?) among the Dropouts?
An exciting two months are in store for this tension-laden nation.

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Senator Gruening's Defeat

It was saddening to learn that Senator Ernest Gruening of Alaska
was defeated for renomination at the primaries last week.
The reason for the decline of his popularity—and he had been
the outstanding spokesman for Alaska as Governor, Senator, advocate
of Statehood—for a generation!—is that he is 82 and his opponent
who beat him at the polls is 39. But at 82 Gruening, still displays
great vitality.
He rendered great service to our country. With Senator Wayne
Morse he spoke out against the Vietnam war at a time when the
McCarthy forces were totally unknown. The Gruening-Morse team
was the most fearless in the U. S. Senate and the two men had paved
the way for a change in national policies in Southeast Asia.
Gruening was a leader in the tasks of exposing the Nasser crimes,
of revealing to the Senate and to the nation the lies inherent in the
Arab refugees' claims. He was a great defender of Israel and in that
sphere he will be greatly missed in the Senate.
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In November, as in the past several months, OUR candidate will
be Hubert H. Humphrey. His acceptance speech, his actions—now,
as in the 20 years of his liberalism—are convincing that he possesses
sincerity, integrity, ability, understanding of the serious issues that
plague our nation.
He is our candidate for the Presidency because he possesses the
experience, the ability, the back-ground, the courage for the most
important elective post in the world. We believe he will be our Chief Exposing the Refugee Falsehoods
Our worthy co-worker in Israeli causes, Ira T-Tirschmann, in his
Executive on Jan. 20, 1969.
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article in Look magazine, exposes the "nonexistent ghosts" represented
by claims of vast numbers of Arab refugees. He shows how the
'Revolt' and the Political Evolution
If it were not so tragic, the situation in Chicago might have refugee scandal had created a black market in ration cards and in
been a comedy. The New Hampshire professor-politician episode, many ways misled the world into believing the refugee tales.
This commentator had shown on several occasions how the re-
for instance. That trick of trying a credit card on a computer and
of .blaming the Democratic Party for what he termed a faulty com- fugee issue was misrepresented, and the column on June 21, written
puting system, his shouting, (did he bite a policeman?) his acquisi- from Tel Aviv, was entitled "The Legend of the Refugees."
Hirschmann again brings the matter to public light and assists
in revealing a lie that has caused well-meaning people to adopt
prejudicial attitudes towards Israel.
NO. 1 DROPOUT
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Protecting the Public . . . Reducing Riots

There is an indisputable right to dissent, and free men have a
right to demonstrate in support of their ideas. It is the only way of
assuring the privileges to be accorded the minority, and since the
minority may unexpectedly become the majority, let us make certain
that we do not go off half-cocked either in judging or in planning.
If the sad experiences of the last few months continue, it may
become impossible to enroll police recruits, and whether we like it
or not we'll be in one helluva jungle without proper protection .
Therefore the right to speak must be protected also by the right
to curb violence, and demonstrations must not be permitted to develop
into riots—as some have, even in Chicago.
The coming year will be a crucial one—on the overseas fronts
involving Vietnam and the Middle East, domestically in relation to
enforcement of the peace of our communities, in establishing amicable
relations between races and those who differ in economic and poli-
tical terms.
We'll be in our synagogues in a matter of two weeks to pray
for a New Year of peace and spiritual inspiration. Let us pray for
a year of amity and common sense and of respect for human de-
cencies among all our citizens. We can start praying now—and keep
praying and acting that this great nation should once again become
the indivisible force for indestructible human values.

An End to Hijacking?

Does the release of the El Al plane and the detained Israelis
denote also an end to hijacking?
Apparently the negotiations that were conducted with Algeria
towards the release of plane, crew and Israeli passengers by the
pilots' associations brought the desired results and the action of the
Air France pilots' association now is understandable.
If the sad experience with Algeria should lead to an end to
hijacking methods, world traveling at least will be made more secure
and the unfortunate incident may have contributed a bit of blessing
on the international scene. • • •

Carmichael — the Ally of the Slave-Holders

We haven't much to expect from a Stokely Carmichael or the

2—Friday, September 6, 1968

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS extremists among the Arabs who have lined up with Nasser, Hussein,

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Sight Saving Month

September has many appeals to
action, and among them are the
aims of the Sight-Saving Month
Campaign of the National Society
for the Prevention of Blindness.
This is the 19th annual cam-.
paig,n, aimed at alerting the com-
munity to causes of blindness be-
fore the malady strikes the victims.
It is contended that half of the
cases of blindness can be prevent-
ed by preventative actions. It is es-
timated that from glaucoma alone
1,702,000 Americans 35 years of
age and older are threatened with
blindness, and that lazy-eye blind-
ness—amblyopia— and other vi-
sion problems may affect one in
every 20 preschool-age children.
In view of these facts, the Na-
tional Association for the Preven-
tion of Blindness is performing a
great service with its current cam-
paign through a specially-designat.
ed month for prevention of blind-
ness.
There was a time when traucho-
ma was a major problem. Now
there are many others. In eliminat-
ing spread of trauchoma, Hadas-
sah, for example, performed a
great task in the Middle East
among the Arabs. Now we are fac-
ing a more vast problem and the
National Society for the Preven-
tion of Blindness should be given
all possible support.
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Sirhan Seeks Limelight
Is it any wonder that there is

rioting, that hoodlums seek the
limelight, that teen-agers who de-
sire to get into the limelight in-
crease their mischief, if they can
attain their goals on TV?
Now it is a murderer who was
caught in the act, who created a
national tragedy, who insists that
he wants to be heard on TV. Sir-
han Sirhan's defiance of all com-
mon decencies apparently stems
from guidance from trouble-seek-
ing groups who are bent upon
spreading the anti-Semitic virus
with proposals that the anti-Israel
program should be broadcast
widely.
The trial set for November may
develop into the troubles which
have created fears in the hearts of
many people. It has been known
for some time (as we have exposed
it from Arabic documents quoted
in these columns on Aug. 22) that
Sirhan is being used "as a tool to
poison American public opinion."
It'll be interesting to watch the
actions of judge and defense attor-
ney and to learn whether an Ameri-
can court will be used to spread
poisonous hatreds agaainst not only
Israel but of all of Jewry.
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Terrorism Doesn't Work

The bomb outrage in Tel Aviv,,
the kidnaping of an Israeli by
Egyptians, other incidents which
intensified the already dynamite-
laden Middle East atmosphere,
combine to prove that terrorism
doesn't work.
Arabs are not benefiting from
the troubles, and the hope for
peace vanishes with every out-s.
burst of terror.
The latest Middle East events
prove that unless the cease-fire
can be made workable, nothing
else will work; and they indicate
that a weak United Nations is no
more than an old-fashioned gramo-
phone marked by talk ... talk ...
talk. Will we ever see a real ef-
fort for peace based on the two
contending forces sitting down
and talking to each other instead
of through others who don't count?

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