Ptirely Comment
Lord Sieff's Zionist Role . . Recollections
of War Years When There Was the Witch Hunt
Israel Moses Sieff—Lord Sieff—was one of the most dedicated
figures in the Zionist movement. It was thanks to him that the major
tasks were achieved in establishing the Weizmann Institute. He and his
partner, the late Lord Marks, with whom he created-the Marks and,
Spencer Stores in England, were among the most generous men in
Zionist ranks.
When speaking of Lord Sieff, whose death last week ended an
era of creativity for Jewry and Israel by a distinguished family, the
labors of his wife, Rebecca Sieff, cannot be ignored. Lady Sieff, who
died in 1966, was a founder and a lifetime leader in WIZO, the women's
work' ide Zionist organization.
I ,rd Sieff—he had not yet been knighted at the time—was in
Detroit in October 1942 to address the Hadassah Honor Roll at the
Detroit Institute of Arts. It will be of interest to Hadassah women to
recollect the history of that period. Mrs. Lewis B. Daniels was fund-
raising chairman and her co-chairmen were Mrs. Seymour J. Frank
and Mrs. Benjamin Jaffe. Treasurer was the late Mrs. Eli J. Sachse.
But of more significance in relation to the late Lord Sieff is that
in August of 1943 he was in the limelight again—defending his role as
vice chairman of the British Political and Economic. Planning Com-
mission. He was attacked in the U.S. Congress by the anti-Semite, Rep.
MacFadden of Pennsylvania, who inserted in the Congressional Record
many accusations taken from bigoted sources like Joseph B. Kamp's
hate-mongering group.
The Sieff experience of nearly 30 years ago was part of the witch-
hunt ind the anti-Semitic activities that •were akin to Nazism. Sieff
accused his attackers of having "republished Nazi lies in a pamphlet
called 'Fawns in America.' " The expose of those untruths teas speedy.
But Israel Moses Sieff was given a taste of the bias that then plagued
American Jewry.
•
•
Another Witch-Hunt Chapter: When Walter Winchell
A Handshake and the Nixon Road to Peace . . -. Posthumous
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Honors for Dr. Bunche .. . He Could- Have Made Peace if Not for an ObstfuCtionist
A great American will be honored when a historical marker is dedicated on the site
of
the building in which he was born. Dr. Ralph J. Bunche's name is indelibly 'written in the
history of the Middle East. He was the mediator under whose direction Jews- and Arabs
,.• met, on the Island of Rhodes, in 1949, to establish accord for an Mid to an Unfortunate war.
IC was thanks to him that the term proximity talks has become an important medi-
um for peace-making. Dr. Bunche was the man whose diplomatic skill made it possible
for Israelis and Arabs to negotiate through the'. United Nations mediator, the Detroiter
whose name will be perpetuated in the city of his birth by the marker unventg.
There is interference now in establishing the proximity talks through which Jews
and Arabs would live under one roof, in the same hotel, but in different rooms. but there
would be the contact—through an intermediary like Dr. Bunche. Tragically, action in that
direction is
r
procedures.
No.
being stymied. There are antagonists of Israel who stand in the way of such
But there was similar interference in Dr. Bunche' a time. He might have been the
genius for peace-making, for continuing proximity talks, after he had succeeded in assur-
ing an armistice between Israel and her Arab neighbors, had it not been for the obstruc-
tions that came from a representative of the U.S. State Department, who stood in the way
of practical efforts which would have been the nearest approach to direct talks: There is
reason to believe that if there had not been insistence upon negotiations between Arabs and
Israelis, through an obstructionist Palestine Conciliation Committee, we would be reciting
a different tale now. -
Ralph J. Bunche favored proximity talks: that's how he gained fame- as a brilliant
negotiator and thereby won the Nobel Peace Prize. To this day, direct talks with Egypt, Jor-
dan and Lebanon could have led to total peace with all Arab nations. But the U.S. delegate's
backing of an abortive conciliation commission destroyed hopes for direct talks.
Israel then had offered to arrange for a return of 100,000 Arab refugees to their for-
mer homes. Had that been made possible, the present Palestinian question would have been
both solved and obviated. But Dr. Bunche was. no .longer the mediator. The* were new U.S.
representatives at the UN who clamored for separate action and for the abortive concilia-
tion committee.
That is why we take a special interest in Dr. Bunche's labors toward peace.' There
is good reason to believe that if he had stayed as mediator we'd have a different story to
recite now. There might have been an end to Middle East warfare long ago:
• Mrs. Bunche, deeply moved by the honor accorded her husband as the only
Detroiter ever to have earned a Nobel Prize, is a good representative - her.lamily. -
We recall, shortly after her husband began arranging negatiations — befiven Arabs- and
Jews that both Dr , and-44rar4imiche- werd with us at the dinner of the Weizmann Institute
irS'crince at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Dr. Chaim Weizmann attended the dinner,
and few were more important and more popular at that function of 2,500 notables than the
charming Mrs. Bunche and her famous husband. It is a privilege once again to join in
honoring his name and to give due credit to the labors for peace of one of the great Amer-
icans' of our generation.
Was Attacked in Congress . Jackson His Defender
Another interesting chapter in the history of witch-hunts is re-
called in the Walter Winchell story. The passing of the popular radio
broadcaster reminds us of the attacks that were launched upon him
by reactionaries in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Clare
Hoffman of Michigan, Martin Dies of Texas, Hamilton Fish of New
Yor'c. John Rankin of Mississippi, and others.
Winchell had been accused of scandalous action in his role as
lieutenant cccnmander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
But members of both houses of Congress came to his defense,
notably Congressmen Samuel Dickstein and Adolph Sabath. It should
be noted that among his defenders--back in 1844—was the- Conuess-
man Henry M. Jariesnn of the state-of Wash1fjenn-7 now senator from
his state and a candidate for President.
Such is the record of bias in the annals of war history. There were
anti-Semites in Congress—Hoffman, Rankin, several others. In our cur-
rent experiences, only the recent effusions of Rep. John R. Rarick of
Louisiana stand out as very shocking.
•
o
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World Zionist Leadership Put to the Test
Withdrawal of the Zionist Organization of America from the
recently formed American Zionist Federation places world Zionist
leadership, and especially the Federation, on trial. They must prove
By BERNARD ISAACS
that there was no intention to disrupt the centrist Zionist movement
(On request, Bernard Isaacs, super-
intendent emeritus of the United He-
without which there would be an impoverishment in Zionist ranks.
brew Schools, translated for us the
There have been political interplays which found their echoes in the Tarbuth
Foundation's Hebrew horo-
scope feature, which appeared in last
recent elections to the World Zionist Congress, and they pointed to
week's issue on Page 52).
an inexcusable search for power in certain Zionist ranks.
*0 0
What has just happened could have been avoided. It was aggra-
vated during the planned elections of delegates to the Zionist Con-
A LAMB (RAM)
gress. The vote-by-mail must have cost the movement far in excess of
(March 21—April 20)
$1,000,000 and all the response that wag gotten was some 138,0e0
Don't attempt,to do many things
votes (in postage-prepaid balloting), out of a mailing of 700,000.
at one time. Do not spread your-
If the resolution compelling Zionist leaders to settle in Israel
could be modified in a matter of a few hours, why couldn't the "deci- self over a large area. Your pros-
sion" for balloting be amended so that there might have been more pects to succeed in new enter-
prises are few. As to matters of
voters in a more orderly fashion, at a saving of hundreds of thousands
take your time before you
of dollars? This is only one example of irresponsibility for which the love,
reach a decision.
major women's group, the chairman of the Zionist Executive gild
their associates must be held responsible.
AN OR
Rabbi Israel Miller's statement is lame, oh so lame!, in view of the
'
(April 21—May 20)
fact that an aliya resolution could be nullified very quickly. ' If one
If you wish to have people's
aspect of AZF decisions can be nullified, why can't another be altered? confidence, don't reveal your hesi-
ZOA could and should have been kept in the territorial Federa- tancies. Pretend independence. Act
tion ranks But there were aggravations. There was arrogance in rela- diplomatically in personal matters.
tion to the major men's movement in Zionism, there was a lack of
You will find much joy if you will
judgment in dealing with a responsible faction in Zionism. Can the yield occasionally. -
Federation's status be rescued, now that ZOA has been taunted into
drastic withdrawal? Tore
TWINS
have invited greater tension and a more difficult situation than ever
(MO 21—Jusse - 21 —
they, in their glory of controlling the Zionist factions, could possibly
There will,beopezied for you a
have imagined.
good Chance ibea new career. But
•
Signs of the Zodiac Translated'
you will have to make a great ef-
fort to achieve it. You'll get much
assistance from a friend of your
youth, but one irresponsible word
is liable to endanger your, suc-
cess and cause irreparable losses.
will suffer from exertion and from
contrasting interests. Try not to
display either aggressiveness or
indifference. As to intimate mat-
ters,' walk with your beloved one
to a place of beauty.
A CRAB (CANCER)
(June 22—July 22)
The situation of the stars prom-
ises much success in your enter-
prise but you must obtain the
counsel of one who is interested
directly in your affairs. You dis-
play too much stubbornness to-
ward your beloved one.
RAINBOW (BOW)
(Nov. 22—Dee. 21)
In your work you are encounter-
ed by an air of tension, but in
reality it is not as bad as you
imagine. A bad mood on the part
of your beloved will bring about
confusion to all those you come
in - contact with.
A LION
(July 23—Aug. 23)
You are getting much en-
couragement as a consequence of
some good fortune which promises
future prospects. But a slight er-
ror on your part will bring you
some sorrow but you will have
learned a good lesson.
A KID (A YOUNG GOAT)
(Dec. 22—Jan. 20)
This is a week of great expecta-
tion in matters of business and
business travel. A conversation
with a certain person brought
you , a good deal of profit. You
also will have much luck In some
daring act, if you will act diplo-
matically.
A VIRGIN
(Aug. 24—Sept. 22)
This week's position of the stars
does not promise anything sensa-
A Handshake and a Trek in the Direction of International Peace
tional but it is sufficiently pleasant.
A handshake, on Monday, in Peking, may have wiped out a long-lasting enmity that stood in the
way In matters of love, make an ef-
of world peace.
fort to be generous, don't act
CM Monday, President Richard M. Nixon and China's Premier Chou En-Lai greeted each other cor- Miserly, as you generally do.
dially and touched hands—something Secretary of 'State John Feater-Dullea tiffilsW:ts
--
a'rdo in Geneva in
1954. This friendly handshake 18.years later may bring the
•
SCALES
worrd'iliiAWtO, ',iiiii- * `{ : Ibunris ,'•
(Sept. 23—Oct. 22)
There is even the hope that the Middle East may be affected
tl4ig in China this
Your chances are good if you
week. If President Nixon can establish accord with the Chinese leaders vis-a-vis the Far East, why not also
the Near East and the Middle East?
will not spoil them with a hasty
The Soviet Union creates a problem: will the Chinese-Soviet feud stand in the way of peace? There act. You -are capable of carrying
is also the question whether the Kremlin will risk a conflict that could involve both China and the United out your plan which will bring
States. Would the reactionaries who can't stomach a 'Nixon-Chou meeting nevertheless take sides-with the joy to your family. The mailman
Communists of Russia? Whichever way we judge the world situation, Richard Milhous Nixon certainly will bring you a letter with a de-
has brought us a step nearer to amity among nations.
claration of love.
The Nixon visit emphasized the nearness of peoples and the disappearance of distances between
SCORPION
men. We saw what happened in Peking the moment of the occurrence of the historic events. And we knew
(Oct. 23—Nov. 21)
what was happening, thanks to the brilliance of the interpreters. (Those of us who were at the World
In your professional affairs you
Zionist Congress recently could well envy the Chinese perfections in their interpretations and the excel-
lence of their English speech. In Jerusalem, only the Yiddish interpreters emerged intelligibly articulate).
2—Friday, February 25, 1972
A BUCKET
(Jan. 21—Feb. 19)
This is a good week to try and
develop anytilIng that interests
you. Your self-reliance is getting
stronger and stronger. Dogt make
too much of an effort -to analyze
Yotg emotions, - o&t noel:take
lievf;caffairs' antleas*.i$494, the
fut1114
_,
urotestne., , ,,wa
rt;.?
FISH
(Feb. 241-,March 20)
Manage cautiously matters that
require future promises. For the
present, do not either lend or bor-
row money. In your personal life,
you may expect much joy and
friendship. You also will find
much satisfaction in love.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS