Purely Commentary

Liberals Sell Democracy Down the River
Liberals in this country have good cause to sit in shame over
the tactics of the major periodicals—Progressive. New Republic, the
Nation—which have sold democracy down the river in the present
political campaign.
There is nothing wrong with desiring to form a new party.
Wallace did it, and Thurmond before him. and the latter failed to
undermine Truman's campaign, just as we hope Wallace will be as
much a failure in harming Humphrey. Bob LaFollette tried it in the
mid-1920s, and he had a progressive backing which this commentator
was happy to join at that time.
But conditions are different today. and the timing is unlike the
mid-1920s. We face crucial issues, and we need a tried and dedicated
man for the presidency. That man is Hubert H. Humphrey. but the
so-called liberals have seen fit to advocate a "no vote" procedure.
What a noble way to harm a friend, and how easy this can be to
undermine a just political aspiration!
In spite of the attitude of the so-called liberal boycotters of the
Presidential election. it is our hone and belief that the people of this
country will repeat the 1948 experience and will send the underdog
to the White House.
We are for Humphrey out of deep convictions for his ability, his
qualifications, his having earned not only our respect and admiration
but also a vote of appreciation for his lifetime of labors in behalf
of the great social needs of our time. May the American electorate
see it that way on Tuesday!
*
*

Nation's Duty on Tuesday's
Day of Judgment: We
Humphrey
Urge Vote for

The Day of Judgment for the American People
Day of Judgment is at hand, and we have no hesitation in ad-
November 5 is upon us. The
that face them at the po
p o l l s, the duties
thaeheardespaonnds
monishing our fellow Americans about theresponsibilities
the need to act wisely and to cast a ballot
they must perform, the dangers that
way
of
lifeand
t
o
pursue a path of
that will reflect our determination to uphold the American

tranquility for all of us.
liberal, the m
y, ta hse
man with a record for -
bipnhdreus
uibdeeratIsHt. haHtum
io
It is our deep
d
fellow citizens, is best qualified for the
the basic
justice and for e
Presidency and is ably suited to pursue the tasks that will face us in the years ahead.

We urge the election of Hubert H. Humphrey and his wisely-chosen running mate. We wish
to remind our fellow Americans that only a heart beat separates the Vice Presidency from the
Presidency and that we can take no chances with our future. There can be a feeling of greater
security with Ed Muskie.
Our plea is in support of Hubert H. Humphrey. We pray that we may emerge from a night of
tension into a feeling of confidence on Wednesday morning that our nation will remain in good hands
commencing next Jan. 20.
To the wiseacres who beat around the bush or advise abstention from voting we say again that
there IS a crisis, that they must cast their ballots because our destiny is at stake and the moral au-

thority of the office of President must be kept on the highest level. The best qualified man, the pre-
sent Vice President can give us such an assurance.

*

*

The 'Cousins' Jewry Must Deal With
In a TV Week section of the Baltimore Sun William Hyder had
a story that was entitled " 'Lawrence of Arabia'—From Baltimore—
Tunes Up TV Station," in which are revealed the following:
0 Liberty! The Crimes in Thy Name!
They opened a new TV station in Saudi Arabia a few months
For many years, the magazine Liberty, published by the Religious
ago—the third one in the country—and it rained.
Liberty Association of America, was for us a revealing publication
Jack Marsh, of Baltimore, was there as a member of an
that fought for the preservation of basic American ideas. But the
advisory team from NBC. Rain is not too common in that part of
editors sure have turned the tables in the direction of backward-
the
world,
Mr. Marsh points out, but this time it came pelting
ness with their front-page appeal in the last issue which read:
down for thirteen days straight. There were mutterings among
"Save Our Republic ! Impeach Earl Warren. For information write
the
local
Arabs
that the station was bad luck. The leader of a
American Opinion, Middletown, Md." In one stroke, in an appeal
religious sect charged that the transmitter tower had poked a
to the lowest passions, this magazine has become an ally of America's
hole in the heavens and brought down the deluge. Feeling ran
worst bigots. They did something worse. In an. article by John C.
so high that the government had to throw a guard of soldiers
Fletcher entitled "Have U.S. Courts Gone Anti-Christian?" the editors
around the station. . . .
gave a platform to medievalism by publishing, as part of the author's
Several years ago the government of Saudi Arabia let a con-
contention that this is a Christian country, the following:
tract in NBC International (a division of RCA, as are the NBC
"Further evidence that non-Christian religions were outside
television
and radio networks) to develop a TV system in that
in
City
Council
v.
Benjamin."
the law is to be found
Benjamin, a
country. NBC International sent over a team of technical con-
member of the Jewish faith, contended that it was his right to sell
sultants, and last spring Mr. Marsh was borrowed from NBC
goods on Sunday. an activity in contravention of South Carolina blue
News for a five-month tour of duty with the group. . . .
laws. In upholding the closing laws, the court considered Jews and
Mohammedans are called to prayer five times a day, and
other non-Christians as being outsiders in the United States, implying
Mr. Marsh found the entire staff deserting their cameras and
that the Jewish people had little or nothing to do with the develop-
control panels in the middle of a program and filing out of the
ment of the country, and that Christians were generous in allow-
building to face Mecca. He had to work out a system of replace-
ing them to enjoy the fruits of civilization. The opinion stated
ments and convince the Arabs to stagger their prayer sessions.
(Justice O'Neal) writing):
The Arabian custom of veiling the faces of their women has
"'It is. however, fancied that in some way this law is in dero-
been relaxed in some of the other Middle Eastern countries, but
gation of the Hebrew's religion, inasmuch as by his faith and this
in
fundamentalist
Saudi Arabia it remains in full force. Even
statute he is compelled to keep two Sabbaths. There is the mistake.
Western women visiting the country are required to wear veils in
He has his own free and undiminished! Sunday is to us our day
public. Feeling is so strong on the matter that in the early days
of rest. We say to him simply, Respect us, by ceasing on this
of Saudi Arabian television, when an American rerun was being
day from the pursuit of that trade and business, in which you, by
shown (which was most of the time) the Arab at the control panel
the security and protection given you by our laws, make great gain.
would fade the picture out whenever a woman's face appeared
"In using the words 'our laws' the court left no uncertainty
on the screen. This practice has itself faded out in recent months.
in mind that it meant the laws of the Christians."
If these stories make life in Saudi Arabia sound like a Peter
Of course, the overwhelming majority of the American people
Sellers comedy, Mr. Marsh has others to tell that are not so
is Christian. But would they place the religious membership above
amusing.
Aside from a few areas of modern influence, things
citizenship which must include all faiths? And is it reasonable to
have not changed there in thousands of years. The passions and
revive an old canard without explaining that the established policies

of our country negate the bigotries quoted in the Liberty (sic!) article?
The best answer to Liberty is to quote Madame Jeanne Phillips
Roland (1754-1793) to whom is attributed the despairing cry: "0
Liberty! Liberty! how many crimes are committed in thy name!"

Germany's Lesson for Jeering Students
If there are dissenters from Vice President Humphrey's rebuke
to jeering students who were likened by the Democratic Presidential
candidate to the Hitler Youth of the 1930s, we recommend they
read what President Robben Fleming of the University of Michigan
had to say on the subject. During his "State of the University" address,
Dr. Fleming heard a student shout: "Hang the administration."

Dr. Fleming then found it necessary to remind the unruly
fellow of what had happened under Hitler and he advised the dis-
courteous rebel to read William L. Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of
the Third Reich." The U-31 president said, appropriately: "Uni-
versity students come and go. We're not important. But the uni-
versity must maintain standards, open-mindedness and the courage
to take a stand."

Vice Presidential candidate Edmund Muskie had occasion, after
being discourteously treated by a group of rowdies, to invite the moles-
ters to the platform to express their views, and when they failed to
participate in an orderly discussion, he inquired what sort of dialogue
it was. It was Muskie's glorious moment, not that of the rowdies,
and one wonders whether they were "inspired" by an outside vested
interest or whether they really were students! As in the instance of
those who heckled Vice President Humphrey and U-M President Flem-
ing. they were, after all, a mere handful!
And if there is still a question about the propriety of likening our
own rowdies who are discourteous to men of distinction who are ready
to provide them with a platform for open discussion, let us go to Frank-
furt, Germany.
Last week, tackling a group of taunting youths who, like their
American confreres, were disrupting dialogues and public meetings,
the anti-Nazi author, himself a most liberal-minded person, shouted:

"You're damn right we're not going to let you tear our society
apart! How is it possible that you don't see that you're behaving
more and more like Fascists and helping the right!"
And in relation to the same development in Germany, evolving

out of a youth group that would "tear society apart," Rolf Hochhuth,
author of "The Deputy," said, also in Frankfurt:

"What the students are doing is to frighten the middle class
and throw votes to the National Democrats (the Neo-Nazi party)!"

BY Philip
S10/71ovitz

cruelties of Old Testament times survive with their original
strength. The Arabs have such a blind hatred of Jews that none
is allowed in the country. Mr. Marsh and the others on the NBC
team had to produce baptismal certificates to prove that they

were gentiles before they could go to Saudi Arabia. The president
of NBC International is Jewish, and is, therefore, barred from
visiting his own project.
Ancient punishments are still dealt out to criminals. There
were seventeen executions by beheading while Mr. Marsh was
there. Two men had their hands cut off for stealing, and another
was stoned to death for adultery. All these incidents took place
in public square in the capital city of Riyadh. They were not
covered by the Arab TV newsmen, presumably because after
3,000 years they aren't news any more.
TV news in Saudi Arabia is highly selective. The public'
activities of King Faisal are reported in detail. News from the
outside world is carefully screened by the government before it
is telecast.
In a country of only 6.600,000 people• many of them nomadic,
most illiterate, there are naturally few TV sets. But every town
has its tea-house, and every tea-house that has electricity has a
TV set. In the evening, the Arabs wander in from their mud huts,
or from tents pitched in the desert nearby, to watch television—
just as Americans used to congregate in bars 20 years ago.
The schedule begins with a devotional program-30 minutes'
of readings from the Koran. Popeye cartoons come next, followed
by reruns of American action series such as "Combat " "Th
Fugitive" and "Bonanza," all dubbed into Arabic. There are.
also locally produced quiz shows (try to imagine an Arabi an
"Twenty Questions") and films of sports events. Soccer is a
big favorite. The games are usually two or three years old, but
the Arabs don't know the difference, not being in particularly
close touch with the rest of the world.
Comment on this, of course, is unnecessary—except to indicate
that these are the cousins with whom Israel and world Jewry have
to deal! * s
Israel Battles Hashish Peddlers
Israel consistently battles the hashish peddlers and makes serious
efforts to stem the tide of narcotics distribution. But use of drugs is
so extensive among Arabs, and its trade is so vast that the new ter-
ritories now under Israel's administration add to the problem because
of their vast Arab population.
That is why we often hear about hidden narcotics being found
among passengers on Israeli planes and ships—that is why one such
trafficker was caught on a plane some months ago and a Detroiter
was detected on an Israeli Zim Lines' boat.
It is well that this should be known so that
Israel should not be
inked with hashish. The problem is there, but
it is provided from
Arab quarters.

Isn't this what the howling unreasonable youth (thank God, they
he few!) are doing: threatening to tear society apart and frightening
he middle class?
Yes, they are few, but they make more noise than the majority.
It is because we do not want to see our society torn apart that
%e are in the ranks of the supporters of Hubert H. Humphrey for the
Presidency.
2 — Friday, November 1, 1968

THE DETROIT JEWISH

NEWS .

Judges' Ruling of
'A Pledge Is a Pledge'

and a Local Experience
Judges C. J. Lesinski and J. Can-

ham of the Michigan Court of Ap-
peals ruled interestingly in a case
involving a pledge to a Benton Har-

bor synagogue. "A pledge is a

pledge" is the summary of an im-
portant analysis. They compelled a
donor to pay up.
The Benton Harbor case reminds
us of an experience in Detroit.

There are times when people
pledge and there is nothing to be
done about their failure to live up
to their obligations. There is al-
ways the danger that if law suits
are started to collect pledges, that
those promising gifts will be afraid
to do so lest they, too. if they are
unable or unwilling to pay, may
be sued.
This was the experience in De-
troit. Many years ago, during a

campaign sponsored by the Jewish
Welfare Federation, of which the
late Nathan Gross and Felix Mah-
ler were the co-chairmen, suit was

started against a prominent donor
who was delinquent in his pay-

ments.

concern

It was

that

many

frighten

withdrawn out of
the action might
people who other-

wise would make pledges.
The late Sidney Alexander, who

was so dedicated to our Jewish
causes that he was infuriated when
people failed to make good on
promises, at one time insisted that

pledges be sued to compel them
to pay on their pledges. But he
yielded, and the proposal was
abandoned. It was a wise decision:

more than 96-per cent of pledges
to Allied Jewish Campaigns now

are fully paid and pledges, indeed,

are considered sacred.
*

Help Defeat Daylight
Saving Time Proposal

So much hardship is created for
the Orthodox element in our com-
munity by the daylight saving
idea, that we urge the defeat of
the proposal at the polls next

Tuesday,,
When first proposed, it was
indicated by spokesmen for the
Orthodox and Conservative com-
munities.•.that under , ,this plan
many functions are affected on

Saturday

nights and services

must be held very late at the con-
el usion - of the Sabbath.
We .join with these groups in
urging . a NO vote on the daylight

.

saving proposal.

"les Our Job'

"No responsible Democrat can
sit out this crucial election. It is
the task of all of us to see that this
nation has strong, compassionate,
and effective leadership.
"It is our job — yours and mine
— to make sure that the programs
we have worked so hard to begin
achieve t It e i r full promise for
America.
It is our job to continue building
a peaceful world, where even the
smallest and weakest nations axe
free to chart their own destinies.
Apterica needs Hubert Humphrey

ETtr
aiM
sredusic
enrieL
:lindfin-B.:*Thhtl"n