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Purely' Commentary

Historic Anniversary of Rescue of Danish Jewry

An historic occurrence will be marked this year. The coming Rosh Hashana
will be the 30th anniversary of the heroic role that was played by honest Germans
who defied the Nazis and the friendly people of Denmark who cooperated in the
flight of some 6,000 Jews from Denmark into Sweden, assuring the survival of the
Danish Jews.
The death last week of the German diplomat, Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz,
who told Danish authorities and the Jews of that country that the Nazi occupation
forces intended to round up all Danish Jews and deport them to concentration camps,
which would have meant the death of most of them, revived interest in that chapter
of the tragic era when the Hitlerites ruled over many European countries, including
Denmark.
That's how we turned to our files to find evidence of concern by leading Ameri-
can Jews in the fate of our kinsmen who were facing the Holocaust. Dr. Stephen S.
Wise, as head of the American and World Jewish Congresses, was alerted to what
was occurring at the time, and two months after the heroic rescue task was per-
formed be sent your commentator a message which was then marked strictly con-
fidential, because so many risks were involved: His message stated:

AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS
330 West 42nd Street
New York City
October 24, 1943
Mr. Philip Slomovitz
17417 Stoepel Ave.
Detroit, Mich.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Philip Slomovitz:
I am writing to you this strictly confiden-
tial note In order that you may receive,
like myself, some comfort from a number
of examples of action looking to the bet-
terment of the lot of our sorely afflicted
people.
1. I should like to refer first to the one
shining example of governmental decen-
cy and courage in these 10 years of un-
mitigated horror of Hitler's war against
our people, and I am speaking, of course,
of the action of the governments of Den-
mark and Sweden in relation to the de-
portation order issued by Hitler and di-
rected against the Jews of Denmark.
The information is for your personal
consumption. It is not to be published in
any form whatsoever. I give you the
facts only because in this deepest hour
of despair it is necessary ter you to
know that decency has not vanished
from the earth and that among peoples
and governments there is still alive a
conscience, the spirit of self-sacrifice,
and a determination not to allow human
dignity to be completely destroyed.
These are the facts:
On the Rosh Hashonah night, the Danish
Minister to the United States, Mr. Hen-
drik de Kauffmann, telephoned my home
and that evening came to see me, to
tell me of the order received by the
Danish Government calling for the de-
portation of the 10,000 Jews of Denmark.
The Danish Government and people, he
informed me, are utterly opposed to this
act and are powerless to prevent it.
They wish, however, to be associated
with every effort to rescue their fellow
Danish citizens, and he requested me to
ask the Swedish Government to give
asylum to all the Jews who would suc-
ceed in escaping from Denmark. In that
escape, the assistance of the Danish
people and Government was assured. In
token of the association of the Danish
people and Government with this act of
rescue, he informed me of the readiness
of the Danish Government to pledge the
funds of the Danish Government in the
United States to the Swedish Govern-
ment to insure that the Jews thus res-
cued would not become a burden on the
Swedish people. He implored me, more-
over, to seek at once the assistance of
the Governments of the United States
and Great Britain in assuring to Swe-
den such financial assistance as would
relieve the possible financial burdens in
maintaining refugees from Denmark.
In concert, we in the American Jewish
Congress and World Jewish Congress
moved at once. The Swedish Govern-
ment, as you know, opened its doors to
refugees from Denmark. At this writing,
more than 6,000 of the 10,000 Jews of
that country have made their way to
Sweden, and cabled advices received
from our representatives abroad indi-
cated that additional numbers are find-
ing their way to safety daily.
Up until this point, the Danish Govern-
ment has refused to accept one cent of
Jewish money to maintain these refugees
on the score that the maintenance of
these refugees represents a Christian
responsibility. In responding to the re-
quest of the American Jewish Congress
and the World Jewish Congress, our

Government and the British Government
have guaranteed to Sweden that they
will assist in the maintenance of the
refugees. The time, of course, will come
for us to assume some part of the finan-
cial responsibility' of maintaining our
fellow Jews.
I thought that you should _have these
facts because to me the action of the
Danish Government and people, one of
the smaller nations on earth, represents
the single act of morality and heroism
in resistance to the demands of Hitler
to illuminate the bloody years of 1933
to 1943.
As I had occasion to say to the Danish
Minister, the action taken by his Gov-
ernment and people puts to shame the
attitude of the free great countries of
the earth.
2. You have read of the restoration of the
Cremieux Decree, the effect of which is
to restore citizenship to 144,000 Jews
in Algeria. This is the result of action
initiated by the American Jewish Con-
gress and the World Jewish Congress,
both with the French Committee of Na-
tional Liberation and our own Govern-
ment, since the abrogation of this de-
cree was first announced.
You will be interested to know that on
October 14th, General de Gaulle cabled
M. Henry Torres, who is Chairman of
the French Representative Committee
of the World Jewish Congress, announc-
ing that the Cremieux Decree had been
restored. This was fulfillment of a prom-
ise made by General de Gaulle in the
Spring of 1943, to representatives of
the World Jewish Congress before his
historic visit to Algeria which resulted
in the formation of the French Commit-
tee of National Liberation.
3. There is a matter which relates to the
situation in our own country, where in
various sections of the country Jews are
being exposed to physical attacks on the
part of those groups which receive
their inspiration from Nazi inspired
propaganda. Some days ago, you read
P. M.'s expose of the serious situation
which has developed in the Boston area.
You will be interested to know that P.
M's expose was made possible on the
basis of information supplied by the
American Jewish Congress. Only yester-
day, Mr. John P. Lewis, Managing Edi-
tor of P. M., in a communication ad-
dressed to us, thanking us for our as-
sistance, wrote:
"The thing that has made this campaign
of terror up in Boston possible is the
hush hush policy that some of the peo-
ple most concerned have followed. The
one thing that an organized drive like
this cannot stand is publicity." Thanks
to the publicity given through P.M. the
Governor of Massachusetts has now ap-
pointed a Commission which it is hoped
by its vigorous action may put an end
to this serious situation.
What we have been able to do in these
three respects is part of the large under-
takings in which we are engaged day
by day, without rest and without fear,
in order to save our people from de-
struction and in order to permit them
to live in freedom and equality with
their fellow men.
This is the work which you have sup-
ported in the past. I am hopeful that this
is the work you will wish to support in
the future.

ga

l

th -4 •1

1

'1 =

By Philip
Slomovitz

Historic Document Over Signature of Stephen Wise
Proves He Was Not Silent During Holocaust ... Facts
Delineated, Fiction Exposed in Middle East Arms Sales

This is valuable data in the story of the resistance
movement. There have been so many accusations and so
much self-inflicted blame that Jews had not resisted that
the record also must include facts regarding actions of
merit. There were obstacles—many from the Allied Pow-
ers—which prevented more extensive resistance. But Jews
were not always docile. They were not always silent. Ste-
phen Wise spoke firmly, on many occasions. Henry Mor-
genthau, then secretary of the Treasury, frequently inter-
ceded with his boss, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for action.
This coming fall will be an occasion to observe the his-
toric Danish rescue anniversary. It will be a time to review
our tragic experiences under the Nazis. The Stephen S.
Wise role will be recorded nobly, as the quoted message
indicates.

Dr. Wise

Facts and Not Fiction in Mid-East Arms Sales Record

Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir's current visit in this country is being marked
by challenge, sadness over last week's tragedy over Sinai, rebukes, disputes and a
repetitious accusation that the United States gives Israel a lot of military hardware
at the expense of the Arabs. It is to be hoped that much of the anger created by the
tragedy in the air lanes will be mitigated. At the same time it is necessary to set
the record straight regarding the supply of arms to Arabs and Israelis.
There is no end to arms supplies flooding the Arab countries from Russian sources.
Most of the arms were supplied to the Arab states by the Soviet Union either at no
cost or at a drastic reduction—often discounted by 30 per cent. In the crucial year
1970 Egypt alone received military supplies in the amount of $656,000,000. It is for
these reasons that it was so vital that American aid to Israel should not be interrupted:
and Israel pays for all the military hardware she receives from this country.
The comparative figures compiled by Near East Report should be placed on the
record whenever the issues involving arms for the Middle East is discussed. The figures
made known by Near East Reports are:

Total Arms to Arab States, Egypt and Israel From All . Sources

Totel

all
Arab Steers

Total Anms
to Si
Arab Stales

Total Ant, Total Arms
lo Israel
to beret

1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966

S 273
403
170
233
215
346

S 175
150
190
77
82
115

Totei Are.
to Egypt

Total Arms
to Israel

(in ',saloons of dollars)

on mdlions of dollars)

1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
Total:

S 15
19
20
69
46
37

507
476
491
990
725
$5,549

S 204
116
112
656
160
52,197

$

S 23
55
163
232
257
S936

Arms by Supplier — Cumulative, 1961 - 71

on million% of dollars)

THE SUPPUEPIS

Iteopletio

Algeria
Egypt
Iran
Iraq

Israel

U.S.

U.K. 'mare W. Oar. USW Poised

2

733

14

694

Jordan
221
Kuwait
2
Lebanon
6
Libya
50
Morocco
50
Saudi Arabia 172
South Yemen
Sudan
2
Syria
Tunisia
34
Yemen
Total
1,975

8

3
—
25
69
14
2
2
20
5
5
68
96
5/
47
3
1
38 — —
3
54
—
42
47
—
29
2
84
26
16
1
—
5
53

I

--

—

7

3110

277

5

2

165

Caves.. °Own TOTAL

—
286 —
2,0110
•
75
235
--
632
3
70
— —
—
— —
—
— — —
2 —
—
60
—
10
20
— —
—
15
63
—1
388
44

—

77
3.848

7

—1
211

12
13
50
11

27

17
6
5
I
14
24
1
12

5

3
8
209

311
2.197
1,091
760
916
289
46
70
210
125
322
17
136
443
46
86
7,055

Mrs. Meir's difficulties on the current visit are manifold. She will be confronted
by accusations, charges of cruelties, demands for an end to American support for
her country. The Israeli prime minister will have much to account for—to the American
government and the American people and to the Jews of this country who also will
be asking many questions. At least on the score of military aid to assure security for
Israel the issue is not debatable. The figures just quoted state the facts. To eliminate
competition in a field that can lead to repetitive warfare and endless bloodshed, it
is urgent that peace be established in the boiling cauldron of the Middle East. It
won't be easy, and it may not come too soon, but concerted efforts based on impartiality
and sincerity in diplomatic ranks should, surely, speed the road to amity.

Retaining Good Will—With Justice for Israel

It's a rocky road to truth, reason, logic. Emotions all too often create tensions
and arouse anger. It doesn't matter whether it is an individual or a nation There is
no control over bitterness that stems from anger.
Israel presently is the goat. True: there was genuine sympathy after' the Lod
massacre and the Munich outrage. Therefore, only sainthood was awaited from Jeru-
salem and Tel Aviv.
That's our aspiration as. well. But there was a blunder. It was a terrible error
over the Sinai, and our people everywhere wept over the loss of life and keep weeping
over the guilt. We do not even deny a feeling of guilt.
Yet, there are human measurements that are not to be denied. That tragedy
can not be equated with Lod and Munich and the hijackings and the murders that
were committed by our Arab cousins. They never so much as expressed guilt or
sorrow or regret. Our kinsmen opened their hearts to the sufferers.
Why do we reiterate these plain truths? Because so many in our ranks and
in the ranks of our friends may fall victims to added despair when they read the
sudden change in sympathy among some columnists. One especially said he was
such a good friend of Israel, and now? He resorted to so much illogic, he pleaded
such an unreal argument, he negated the human factor so unreasonably that—added
to the anger he may have aroused among many—he may also cause new despair
among them in viewing the tragedy and in facing whatever new challenges may
emerge.
It's unfortunate that these new developments should mar good will. It is
fortunate that the nations directly involved have not abandoned diplomatic talks.
In the course of time those who are now chastising us may learn anew that
Israel, Jewry, aspire to a kinship with their neighbors, not to destruction and per-
petuation of animosities. It is horrifying that an error in judgment by military should
have proven so costly. That does not brand a people that craves for prophetic justice
as barbaric. That term has been applied to us. Everything that Israel has accomplished
in establishing a wholesome atmosphere for Arabs in Israel's territories repudiates
the accusations.
Time will prove the justice of our case, with due acknowledgment of a blunder
for which all of us sit in mourning—just as time,already has proven the humanitarian
way of Israel's administrative functions that mete out justice to the Arabs.
Would that they supported a proposal by Moshe Dayan, for a hot line as a
protection for all concerned in establishing proper communication in the Middle East.
For that, too, we must await time's - solutions. While waiting, we must not yield to
despair and we must never abandon hope!
8SW Sag
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
. 2—Friday, Marth 2, 1973

