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Harry S. Truman — 'The Modern Cyrus'
An Appellation That Suited and Was Welcomed by Former President
He Gain ed Fame as Bi ble
Lover and Israel's Friend
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Harry S. Truman left the White House in January 1953,
this writer applied to him the glory of a liberator of the Jewish
When
people in the 6th Century before the Christian era. I paid him the
honor of being "The Modern Cyrus." Ten years later it was our
privilege to sit with him in the same row in a New York theater
at the performance of "Hello Dolly." He remembered the tribute
we paid him under the impact of his display of great vision in regis-
tering the United States as the first nation in the world to recognize
Israel's emergence into statehood.
It was at the New York theater that he affirmed again that he
appreciated being compared with Cyrus. "lie is my favorite Bible
character," Mr. Truman then said.
And it was in that conversation, before the curtain went up and
during the intermission that Mr. Truman explained how he came
to know the Bible so well and how he mastered a knowledge of
American and world history. "I always loved sports, especially foot-
ball," he said. "But my weak eyesight did not permit me to he a sports
participant—so I read a great deal and learned my history and the
Bible . "
At the performance of "Hello Dolly," in the row we occupied,
Clifton Daniel was in the end seat. Margaret Truman Daniel was
next to him. Bess Truman sat next to her and at her left was Pres-
ident Truman. I was on his left and my wife on mine. It was just
before the curtain was raised that Anna turned to Mrs. Truman and
said: "You served us refreshments at the White House, now will
you share my Lifesavers with me"" and the entire party had a share
of my wife's treat.
There was another meeting with President Truman—in June of
1949, when I led a delegation of Jewish newspapermen to greet the
President and to welcome his message to us on the occasion of the
100th anniversary of the appearance of the first English-Jewish
weekly newspaper in the United States, The Asmonean. lie accepted
a copy of the first issue of the Asmonean from me to be kept in
the Truman Library that was later to established in Independence, Mo.
That's when he led us to the world globe in his White House office,
turned It toward the Middle East, told us of the interest he had in
Israel and commented that there were some who doubted his friend-
ship but he hoped we did not share that pessimism.
The appelation "The Modern Cyrus" by this writer, in his
Jan. 23, 1953, Purely Commentary column, which pleased President
Truman so much, remains a major tribute to the man who lifted
Israel's hopes in the hours of great stress immediately after Israel's
Declaration of Independence. There are some negative assertions,
especially those appearing in Margaret Truman's book about her
father. The accumulated facts retain the glory of the Truman-Cyrus
role. My 1953 column which equated him with Cyrus follows:
Harry S. Truman: The Modern Cyrus
Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon, the Republican rebel who
bolted his party to support the candidacy of the Democratic nominee,
dramatically told the United States Senate last week that he views
Mr. Truman as having been a great President. He made these com-
ments on the retiring President's valedictory message:
"I think we have listened to a great historic statement,
which is, in my opinion, the greatest message President Truman
has sent to the Congress; indeed, I regard it as one of the great-
est messages ever sent to the Congress by any President in our
history. It is dramatic in its ideals, reassuring in its goals, in-
spiring in its appeals to patriotic duty, and convincing in its
citizenship challenge.
"In my judgment, it is a fitting valedictory of a President
who I am convinced, in the judgment of history, will be a much
greater President than his critics now realize or appreciate."
(Continued on Page 44)
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
VOL. LXII. NO. 15
C*13
of Jewish Events
17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Southfield, Mich.
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December 22, 1972
USSR Resumes Mass Arrests;
Congress Asked to Support
Bills Against Education Tax
LONDON (JTA)—Jewish sources in the Soviet Union reported Tuesday that 13
Moscow Jews were given 15-day jail terms trying to petition the Supreme Soviet to grant
exit visas to Israel.
The 13 were among 60 Jews from seven cities who went Monday to the recep-
tion bureau of the rubber-stamp parliament.
All 60 were arrested, Jewish sources said, and taken to a local "sobering up"
station used to treat the city's drunks. The sources said 29 out-of-town Jews were taken
by train back to their home cities under armed guard.
It also was reported that the education tax has been waived for Viktor Perelman, a
Moscow Jewish journalist who has received an exit visa. .
Jewish sources said that Perelman had refused to pay the tax demanded of him,
the equivalent of $6,000. His wife and 9-year-old daughter have been permitted to leave
with him without paying the tax.
Perelman was fired from the Liternaya Gazeta when he applied for a visa to Israel.
According to reports reaching London from Vienna, Raiza Palatnik has arrived in
the Austrian capital en route to Israel. The 36-year-old Jewish librarian from Odessa,
a university graduate, was permitted to leave the USSR without paying the head tax.
Referring to Monday's arrests, the highest number in one day, Richard Maass,
chairman of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, said this action was similar to the
mass arrests of Jewish activists just prior to President Nixon's arrival in Moscow last May
for his summit conference with Soviet leaders.
Campaign Here for Jackson, Vanik Amendments
A proposal aimed at seeking relief for Russian Jews who are compelled to pay an
exorbitant "education tax" before they can leave the USSR will be introduced in the next
session of Congress. The Detroit Jewish Com-
munity Council has alerted its member organi-
State Dept. Denies
zations that local support is needed for the
Jackson and Vanik amendments to the East-
ME Peace Sidetrack
West Trade Bill which will be re-introduced in
the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
Because of Vietnam
early in 1973.
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The State De-
The- two companion amendments to the trade
partment denied Tuesday that Middle East
bill would deny "most favored nation" treat-
peace negotiations have been delayed and
ment as well as other trade and credit advan-
sidetracked because of U.S. failure to reach
tages to any nation which imposes more than a
a settlement in Vietnam.
nominal tax on citizens wishing to emigrate.
"There is no foundation" for such reports,
The amendments are in direct response to
department spokesman Charles Bray de-
the Soviet "education tax" which imposes fees
clared at a press briefing 'Tuesday.
up to $30,000 on persons seeking to leave the
He said the "international climate, taken
country. The major burden of the education tax
all together" continues to seem "propitious
has fallen on Soviet Jews who have applied for
to undertake diplomatic activity which
might lead to an interim agreement or
exit visas in order to emigrate to Israel.
more" in the Middle East.
(Continued on Page Si
Increased Concern Expressed for Local Agencies
in Budgeting; More Support Asked for Day Schools
'47 Truman Bomb Threat
Story Branded Falsehood
New trends in budgeting community funds for local needs, as contrasted with the increasing demands
for assistance to Israel, were in evidence at the annual Jewish Welfare Federation budgeting conference which
was in session Sunday morning at the Jewish Center.
Recognizing the demand that must be met to assure Israel's security and provisions for large - scale
Russian immigration to Israel, there nevertheless was emphasis on the needs to increase support for local
agencies.
Major demands were made for proper support of the local day schools, and there was a renewed appeal
that Federation assume a responsible role in assisting the efforts to provide housing for retardates.
Except for the United Hebrew Schools, whose declining enrollment obviates need for increased alloco-
tions, all the agencies reporting on their activities evidenced a need for more funds to assure proper functioning.
William Avrunin, executive vice president of Federation, in a summation of the analyses presented
at the conference, pointed out that while the needs for Israel are unlimited in scone and all available Increases
must be secured in gifts to the Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel Emergency Fund, the new responsibilities are em-
phasized in requests for allocations of $3,500,480 to the local operating envisions, as compared with funds pro-
vided for them this year in the amount of $2,463,780. The agencies in this group are the health and welfare,
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Natan Valin-Mor, former head
of the underground Stern Group in Palestine, challenged
Margaret Truman Daniel Sunday to sue him in any court
for allegedly sending a letter bomb to her father, Harry S.
Truman, when he was President in 1947.
Yalin-Mor, who after the Six-Day War was a founder
Of the Movement for a Federated Palestine, told the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Mrs. Daniel's claim, in
her recently published biography of her father, "Harry S.
Truman," that the Sternists attempted to assassinate
Truman with a letter bornb, was a falsehood. He said
she could sue him for saying that as well.
In her book, Mrs. Daniel wrote that a nurnber of
cream-color envelopes arrived at the White House in
1947 addressed to the President and members of his
staff. She said they were found to contain "powdered
gelignite, a pencil battery and a detonator rigged to explode
the gelignite" when the envelope was opened.
Mrs. Daniel attributed the letter bombs to the Sternists
but did not indicate why. A similar report was published
in a 1949 book, "Dear Mr. President," by Ira R. T. Smith
and Joe Alex Morris. The book, recounting Smith's ex-
perience as a White House staff mail reader for 50 years,
contended that the Stern Group claimed responsibility for
(Continued on Page 44)
education, community relations, central services and other local needs.
Avrunin also pointed out that the urgency fir -assure new locations for several agencies with capital
the national agencies' needs are being
needs funds will require an allocation of $1,500,000 this year, and that
increased from the 1972 budgets of $376,220 to $416,470, as presented to the conferees Sunday morning.
While proposals to the conference suggested an additional $100,000 this year for the three Detroit day
schools, the spokesmen for these schools asked for much larger increases.
It was indicated by Mandell L. Berman, Federation president, who presided at the conference, in an
introductory statement, the budgeting proposals are to be studied thoroughly by the Federation executive com-
mittee for final decisions to fit into the campaign planning
programs.
(Continued on Page 5)