Purely
Commenter Y
Is 'The American's Creed' Still Valid?
Is the age of draft card burning, the tearing down of the Ameri-
can flag and the challenge to "patriotism" still a valid form of protest?
In the early years of World War I there was a contest, sponsored
by the city of Baltimore, for a summary of political faith. William
Tyler Page, who began as an errand boy in Congress and rose to
become clerk to the House Minority and later became executive
secretary to the Centennial for Celebration of the 200th anniversary
of the birth of George Washington, authored what became known as
••The American's Creed," the text of which is:
I EFT TFVE Es, tlx United State; °filmier:la
af a go,rnmsent of the people by for peop14 for
she peoplc whose jua powers are derimi from
the consent of the gosernak a democracy in a
Republica scnorign nation of many tosrreign
Stater. a perfect union; one and in.reparabk
established upon :base principles of frations
equality, justice -and humanity for which
.American patriots sacrificed their Ares and
fortunes
I THEREFORE BFUFVE it ir my duty
to my country to low i4 to support its Corral-
tutica• w obry its lanv.to triplet its Flag and
to defend it against all enemies
William Tyler Page
It is seldom quoted today, yet it is a part of American historic
documents, because it had been quoted time and time again and was
widely accepted.
Would the protesters dissociate themselves from it today? Is it
to be judged as an unnecessary flag-waving in view of the experiences
of this era of tension? Can't it be a part of our life simultaneous with
insistence upon the right to criticize and to differ?
Youth speaks volubly, but we do not believe that it rejects the
American Creed.
Be Learned
Lessons to
From Election ... American
Credo ... Anonymous Note
By Philip
The basic principle of granting the right to free speech to all who
'disagree applies universally. Wallace has as much right to speak as
Humphrey or Nixon, and their critics have equal rights. It'll be a sad
day for all of us when public officials are censored—and the same
principle applies to critics. All of us have a right to differ and to
criticize.
There is, of course, a matter involving the danger of irresponsi-
ble people shouting fire in a crowded theater. Threatening to run
people over if he is elected President might not have been classified
in such a category, but it certainly approached it in Wallace's
speeches. Therefore whoever raises disrupting shouts, whether it Is
a Presidential candidate or a pack of hoodlums who transform
dialogue into barbaric acts, is subject to condemnation.
It is only when people turn into hoodlums that we face dangers.
When youngsters without rhyme or reason assume the right to burn
and - to pillage, to use blinding liquids to silence their opponents, to
shout down and to refuse to join in dialogue, that we get into trouble.
It is in this sense that we quoted University of Michigan President
Robben Fleming and the noted German writers Guenter Grass and
Rolf Hochhuth who likened destructive demonstrators to Hitlerism,
Nazism and Fascism. That's how we interpreted it—and for the
courteous dissenters we have much respect and hope they'll continue to
differ with their opponents in the American way of fair play.
Synagogue Body
Voices Concern at
School Conflict
Conference in Israel Set
.
American Jewry
SIOMOVitZ by Latin
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
BUENOS AIRES—The first con-
ference of Latin American Jewish
organizations to be held in Israel
will convene in Jerusalem Jan, 27-
3L
According to Michael Graiver,
executive secretary for the parley,
its purpose will be to stimulate
Jewish immigration and tourism
from Latin America to Israel and
to increase Israeli exports to
Latin American countries.
Graiver said that last year the
rate of aliya (immigration) from
Latin America was only about 150
a month—a small number com-
pared to other countries. He said
that of 40,000 to 50,000 Latin
American Jews who travel to
Europe each year as tourists, only
about 4,000 extend their journeys
to Israel. He also noted that Is-
rael's exports to Latin America
during the first six months of 1968
amounted to only $3,500,000.
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. and Me'
NEW YORK (JTA) — Concern
over deteriorating Negro-Jewish re-
lations was expressed here by the
(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)
Synagogue Council of America:
(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)
Focus of its remarks was the New
:Or
York teachers' strike which has . VIENNA—The stream of Jewish refugees from Poland reaching
kept public schools closed sincel Vienna with every train from Warsaw brings out horrible facts about
Some Post-Election Lessons
the determination of the Communist regime to get rid of all Jews'in
the
Feelings ran high prior to Nov. 5, yet the American principle of the beginning of September, except -country in the shortest
possible time.
good sportsmanship was in full bloom immediately after the votes for a few days of classes.
Jews
are
no
longer
wanted
by
the
Warsaw
government,
not
The
strike
stems
from
a
conflict
were counted. The ballot divides up before election, serves as the
even
cement that unites all Americans who recognize that the majority between the predominantly Jewish Jews who are Communists. They are being thrown out of the Party,
United Federation of Teachers and dismissed from their government jobs, and are mistrusted and treated
rule principle must abound at all times.
It is true that the President-elect has not been chosen by a the mainly Negro and Puerto Rican in a way that leaves nothing for them but to emigrate, like countless
Ocean Hill-Brownsville school dis- other Jews whose lives have been made miserable. They walk around
majority of the people, and that changes may have to be
effected trict, which is engaged in an ex- depressed, disappointed, embittered. They were devoted patriots and
in our system
of choosing a President. But on the basis of the existing pertinent in school decentralization. now find themselves branded as an "unwanted element" by the party
system we are a united people today—united in the sense of accept- The new York situation has been and the country which they served so loyally.
ance: the people's choice is incontrovertible. We'll have a working aggravated by charges of anti-
Their tragedy is even greater than the tragedy of the ordinary Jew,
minority,
critics, and woe unto him who will deny a plat- Semitism and counter-charges of since most of them have long given up their Jewishness. They changed
form to a dissenters,
critic!
white backlash. The Synagogue their names and intermarried and were happy to forget that they were
We
always
have mistakes
much to are
learn
from elections,
but we
Council, in a policy statement, con- ever Jews. Time suddenly caught up with them. The Polish government
apply
the
lessons:
repeated
and life goes
on. seldom
In every
generation youth rises up to protest shortcomings, then it becomes demned "irresponsible and reckless brands them as "Zionists" no less than ordinary Jews who are told to
individuals" for "exploiting the leave the country.
-
their turn to hear objections from their own offshoots. Perhaps
*
s
s
we ;tensions created by the (school)
are in a more productive age in which the young will guide their
di spute to fan anti-Semitic and JEWISH EXODUS:
There
had been about 25,000 Jews in Poland until
elders to more practical ways of governing this land.
the anti-Jewish campaign there started officially mo
re than a year ago.
If only the youth could correct one chief obstacle to true democ- racial animosities."
The council, national coordinat- Today there are no more than 15,000 left, and within the year set by
racy—the fact that the wealthy now predominate and that the
the
of the masses has a lesser chance politically than the one of the product ing agency of the lay and rab- Polish authorities to make Poland entirely "Judenrein," even this num-
classes! binical branches of Reform, ber will be reduced drastically through intensified emigration. Only the
One headlines
has to be a of very
rich weeks:
man today
to run
for office.
Let's look
at a Orthodox
and both
Conservative
Juda. old Jews, who are not able to move, will remain.
few
recent
"Florida
Senate
Race Costs
a Million,"
ism, urged
sides
Anxious to get rid of the remnant of Jews—who before the outbreak
in the
"Three Javits Campaign Groups Report $844.000 Expenditure," a
strike to agree on a compromise. of World War II numbered more than 3,000,000 the
report that one U.S. Senate race in New York involved an expendi-
Polish authori-
But
it
noted
that
the
chance
of
ture in excess of $3,000,000 and the acknowledged study made three
ties have now eased somewhat the emigration formalities required
compromise "is made virtually earlier, when the anti-Jewish campaign was initiated by branding
years ago that a Senate race must cost more than a million dollars.
impossible by the excesses of a JewS as "Zionists" and "enemies of the country." Jews leaving the
And it has been indicated that an average Congressman spends $100,000
the
few irresponsible voices who country now must still pay very high fees for exist visas for each
to be elected—twice the salary he gets for the two years in office!
have inflamed the situation by member of the family; they must still repair and paint their
What can we do about it? How can we secure the dynamism of
apart-
racist and anti-Semitic ments before leaving, in order that the Poles who move in
a Fiorello LaGuardia, or a Robert LaFollette (senior) and their
should find
kind who were fearless, who went direct to the people, who rang aspersions. Racism and anti- them in good condition; they must still sign a paper giving up their
Semitism
must be condemned, no Polish citizenship—and this means their jobs—when they apply for exit
doorbells and got results? But we now have an era of pollsters many
of whom play games, of the radio and television appeals which have , matter what their source," the visas; they must still bring a clearance of payment of back taxes.
replaced the corner soapbox and the mass meeting. So—politically ' statement said-
However, other "formalities" have been eased in order to quicken the
i "Equally imperative is that re- process of leaving the country.
we
we have suffered from changing times and from affluence.
By now, the anti-Jewish atmosphere in Polind is so intense that the
(The cost of running a political campaign has become a matter sponsible leadership on both sides
for deeper interest. NeWsweek this week carried this item on "What not permit the uninformed and the Jews seeking emigration do all they can to get through the formalities
the Campaign Cost": "How much does it cost to run for President? 1 reckless to obscure the real issues. as speedily as possible. They sell their furniture and all their valuables
Between 'the national conventions and the election alone the Nixon I To dismiss the legitimate goals of for next to nothing, in order to be able to meet the heavy ransom pay-
forces admit to having spent well over $20 million (the Democrats ' the teachers' union as motivated by ments imposed upon them. All a Jewish family in Poland wants today
claim the Nixonites spent more like $40 million). The Humphrey anti-Negro racism is as false and is to be out of the country and to forget Poland as a bad dream.
a
a
people place their own costs at an estimated $12 million, about half immoral as to distort the legiti-
*
borrowed from big lenders, who advanced as much as $250,000 apiece, mate desires of the Ocean Hill- CULTURAL LIQUIDATION: The Polish authorities accelerate this
and about half in contributions. George Wallace's forces say they raised Brownsville local board as anti- wish by making it crystal clear in every way possible that they
do not
an estimated $8 million. Note: roughly half of each candidate's white racism or anti-Semitism."
want Jews in the country any longer. They have liquidated all Jewish
expenses went for television time, one-fourth for newspaper, billboard t A full page advertisement in the cultural institutions and have closed down the Jewish schools. They did
and radio advertising and one-fourth for staff and travel expenses, I New York Times Monday accused not permit the reopening of camps for Jewish children this summer,
including salaries, phone tolls and air charters"). I the leadership of the teachers' and they stopped the publication of the only literiry magazine which
The 1968 election results may be studied and talked about longer i union of trying to attribute the appeared in Yiddish since the liberation of Poland from the Nazis. The
than any other in our history. Perhaps the eventual results will serve anti-Semitism of a few extremists Yiddish newspaper Folkstimme in Warsaw—the only Yiddish daily
in
to create more rational approaches to everything that affects our to the Ocean Hill - Brownsville all the Communist countries—has been reduced to once-a-week publi-
domestic conditions and the foreign relationships. school district. The advertisement cation, and it is expected that even at that it will not be permitted to
There are aspects involving the Jewish community. It was wrong i was signed
by many
of themd
by some
400 teachers
exist long. The publication of Jewish books by the Communist-controll-
tier to inject the Middle East situation into the campaign_ It has in the di strict,
•
cultural a
i Warsaw has been suspended. Jewish youth
in
h
been established that all the candidates supported aid to Israel Jewis .
centers have been disbanded. The Jewish State Theater scarcely exists
against the threats that stem from Russian influences and from Arab .
since its actors, headed by Ida Kaminska—the winner of an Oscar in
intransigence. But there is always the need to defend Israel and to Brochure Lists Basics
Hollywood for her appearance in an anti-Nazi Czech film "The Shop
protect the young state that is ever in danger of being strangled by l
on Main Street"—have been forced to leave Poland.
its neighbors. That is why it is regrettable that five of Israel's noted ' for Jewish Home Library
In the economic field, the Jewish artisan cooperatives which the
defenders, Senators Scott, Morse, Gruening, Kuchel and Monroney, havel NEW YORK—The Association of JDC and ORT have established in Poland before they
were ousted
been removed from the national political scene. But there are others— Jewish Book Publishers has corn- from the country last year, are now no
-longer Jewish. They are being
and we must hold on to hope that the spirit of fair play and of justice pleted the first edition of the Jew- taken over gradually by Poles, while the
Jewish members are forced
will never vanish from the American scene. ish Book Brochure, containing a to leave. In the field of welfare, the beautiful home for Jewish
aged
,,
s
•
listing and description of basic built by the JDC a few
years ago is now being filled up with aged
Anonymity ... Protest. . . . Right to Free Speech
books for the Jewish home library. Poles. Even the Jewish Historical Museum in Warsaw did not escape
Anonyfmous misciles are seldom given any attention at editorial
Initial distribution of the bro- the new spirit in the country. Important
documents in it relating to t he
desks. But there is one anonymous piece that can not be ignored.
Ichure will be through synagogues Nazi annihilation of Polish Jews during the occupation years as well
A reader of this column has clipped the item "Germany's Lesson in the United States and Canada, as to the heroic resistance of Jews in the ghettoes, have been removed
;or Jeering Students" and commented—without giving his name—that Organizations and individuals that by the authorities. Confiscated also
were documents showing the role
it read "like a double standard" with a query: "How about those who would like copies can write to the which the JDC played in
giving American Jewish Aid to Jews in
heckle Wallace?" Which calls for a reply: Association of Jewish Book Pub- Poland in the years between the two World Wars. Documents
showing
,lishers, 838 Filth Ave., New York how JDC helped Jews in the
post-war period, when Poland was liber-
2 Friday, November 15, 1968
THE DETROIT JEINIHS NEWS ! City.
ated from the Nazis were also removed from the files.
—