Romanian Bishop's Denials Countered by Foes
(Continued from Page 1)
ice on charges that he lied
about his past anti-Semitic
activities and membership in
the Iron Guard youth move-
ment when he applied for
admission to this country in
1951 and for U.S. naturaliza-
tion in 1957.
He has been charged in
absentia by the Romanian
authorities for playing a lead-
ing role in murderous pog-
roms against Jews and others
in January 1941.
Countering Bishop Valer-
ian's insistence that his uni-
form denoted only Romanian
patriotism, the priest, who
asked to remain anonymous,
said:
"I assure you not everyone
wore a green shirt. It in-
volved a ritual. It was very
mystical, and not just politi-
cal. Those who were allowed
to wear them were under an
oath of allegiance."
What that oath entailed was
described in the Ruth Kluger
memoir, "The Last Escape,"
written by Peggy Mann:
"In less than a month,
without a bullet wasted or a
regiment deployed, the Reich
had, in effect, taken over Ro-
mania. The Guardists were
efficient stand-ins for Nazi
stormtroopers. Endlessly, the
Guardists marched through
the city streets shouting their
slogans and their songs and
carrying high the placards of
their dead leader; Codreanu.
'The Iron Guard was also
known by the poetic title Le-
gion of the Archangel Michael.
On Sept. 15 (1940), Antones-
gi
I NOT LOST:
CALL ME AT HAMILTON,
MILLER, HUDSON & FAYNE
TRAVEL CORP.
I
I
S57-5145
I
I
cu announced that Romania
was now a National Legion-
naire State. He appointed the
fanatic Guardist Horia Sima
as vice premier, and installed
thousands of Guardists in
government posts. Antonescu
himself donned the green
shirt, the riding breeches,
the shiny black boots, with
spurs; uniform of the Iron
Guard. And he proclaimed
himself official chief of the
Legion of the Archangel Mi-
chael.
"The Legionnaire salute
was suddenly seen every-
where. Once Bucharest had
laughed at this strange calis-
thenic (pat chest with right
hand, slap forehead with
palm of right hand, followed
by straight-armed Nazi sa-
lute). They laughed no long-
er. It was as though Antones-
cu had turned the country
over to an organization of
madmen, who fed on terror-
ism, anti-Semitism and mysti-
cism.
"In the initiation cere-
mony a new Guardist mem-
ber had to suck blood from
a slash in the arm of every
member of his 'nest.' He was
then required to write, in his
own blood, an oath that he
would commit murder when-
ever ordered to do so.
"And before starting out
on an expedition which might
involve murder, each mem-
ber of the nest had to cut his
own wrist, let an ounce of
his blood flow into a goblet,
mingling with the blood of
the other members. Then
each man drank from the
goblet.
"Under King Carol, the
Iron Guard had been illegal.
Most of the top-ranking Le-
gionnaires had spent time in
prison. Now the lawbreakers
were suddenly the leaders of
the country and the law of
the land.
YESHIVATH BETH -YEHIMAII - TRAVELS
Call 557-6750
Eve. 559-7567
/Pah fide ?hat
Agree ale
help
is/144a
YES to the Jewish National Fund
JNF land supports the whole Israel
economy—it grows Israel's food —
on it stand Israel's religious, edu-
cational and welfare institutions.
A bequest to the JNF is a bequest
to the entire Jewish people, linking
the name of the Testator with Israel
in perpetuity.
For information and advice
in strict confidence apply to
FOUNDATION FOR
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
"22100 Greenfield Rd
Oak Park, Mich. 48237
968-0820,
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
"As might be expected, scene, commandeering the
QUALITY • SERVICE • PRICE
most of the new laws passed riot. During that night of Jan.
were anti - Semitic decrees. 21, some 122 Jews were mas-
They came thick and fast, as sacred.
though Romania must catch
Bishop Valerian stated
LEADS THE WAY
up in a month to all the anti- that when Antonescu tri-
SO DOES
Semitic decrees passed in umphed at the end of the in-
Germany during the eight surrection, his opponents had
years of Adolf Hitler's reign." to flee, Trifa among them.
That was only the begin- He said he "tried to seek re-
NORTHLAND FORD
ning of an anarchic situation fuge outside of Romania and
10 MILE 8. GREENFIELD
ended
as
a
prisoner
of
the
that progressed into a blood-
bath. Witnesses charge that Germans." He called his in-
Trifa was, at the least, one carceration in Buchenwald
and Dachau "forced domi-
of the instigators.
Bishop Valerian, in a state- cile"; others, including the
ment issued to the press, de- Detroit priest, describe it as
nied all charges against him "privileged."
His opposition here said
and said they are "part of a
Announces
long campaign initiated and there are some 10 priests,
sustained by the Communist plus laymen, who strongly
support Trifa. Some of them,
regime of Romania."
Trifa said that the state- the priest said, are former
controlled Orthodox church in elements of the Iron Guard.
(The New York Times dis-
Romania was being used to
acquire ownership of the closed Sunday that immigra-
assets of his church in this tion investigators have em-
country. When this failed in barked upon a countrywide
the courts, he continued, the effort to renew inquiry into
Bucharest regime "found it the backgrounds of suspected
convenient to use the services Nazi war criminals. Trifa is
of the chief rabbi of Romania, one- of 38 persons who are
Dr. Moshe Rosen, to stir up the focus of the investigation,
some Jewish organizations so the Times said.
(Sol Marks, district director
that through their influence
the plans of the Communists or the Immigration and Nat-
uralization Service in New
be achieved."
Trifa's statement then not- York, said his office was des-
ed that "Dr. Moshe Rosen is ignated last August as the
a member of the so-called "control office" for Nazi war
Parliament in Romania and crime investigations and has
is also a card-carrying mem- been put in charge of investi-
ber of the Communistic gations at all of the 30 other
district offices around the
party."
country.)
(The local priest who spoke
with The Jewish News
laughed at Bishop Valerian's Priest Hits Pope Pius
penchant for labeling his Silence on Holocaust
enemies Communists, even
BUENOS AIRES (JTA) —
those who served in Commu-
nist prison camps. Ironically, A Catholic priest, the Rev.
Trifa brought his church un- Benjamin Nunez, criticized
der the canonical jurisdiction the late Pope Pius XII for
of the Moscow Patriarchate, his silence during the Holo-
But Limited,
and in the publications he caust.
Speaking at a reception
Sale Ends
controls rarely criticizes the
for delegates to a Latin
Soviet regime.)
January 28
In his statement, Trifa ad- America forum on the situ-
mits that he waS the national ation of Soviet Jewry,
president of the Romanian Father Nunez said that, like
Union of University Students President Franklin D. Roose-
and in that capacity was ac- velt, the head of the Catholic
Wallets — Attaches — Luggage etc.
tive in the nationalistic move- Church kept silent because of
other
interests.
ment. "But I was not the
This mistake should not be
commander of the Iron
Guard and did not hold any repeated, he said. "You must
25250 Greenfield Just N. of 10 Mile in the
political positions or admin- not shut up now, not now or
Northgate Shopping Center
398-7580
ever,
when
a
human
being
is
istrative functions whatsoever
persecuted,"
he
declared.
in the government."
The priest cautioned all who
read Trifa's statement to note
the bishop's careful use of
words. It is true, the priest
said, that Trifa was not "the
commander" (Codreanu and
Sima were), but he was one
of the commanders. Similar-
ly, it is true that he held no
NATIONAL ADVERTISED
government positions; in fact,
SUITS
• JACKETS • SPORT COATS
•
the Iron Guard had power all
its own—just as the Commu-
• SLACKS AND ALL HABERDASHERY
nist Party controls affairs in
the Soviet Union.
Our meticulous attention to
Bishop Valerian also had
fine tailoring and superb fit-
denied involvement in any of
ting,. coupled with unparal-
the bloody civil disturbances
leled personal service. Offers
on Jan. 21, 1941, but he ad-
that little bit more that makes
mits to a role in a public
a world of difference.
student protest against Gen.
Antonescu the day before. He
described the r a 11 y as
"peaceful."
Yet, on Jan. 21, he made
a speech published in the
Iron Guard daily, saying in
part: "Even if Adolf Hitler
had done nothing else than
initiate his life struggle of
/14: el /21 iffv.
National Socialism, which
leads to the unmasking of
13641 W. 9 MILE, OAK PARK
and the fight against Juda-
LI 5-3558
ism, he still would have risen
Just West of Coolidge
to the great peaks of history,
Monday,
Thursday,
Friday
—
9
to 9
CI ST0111
as he blazed a new path."
Tues., Wed., Sat. — 9 to 6:30
SUN. 1 to 3.
Witnesses to the havoc that
ensued, including Moshe
Maur-Schor, now an editor in
Tel Aviv, placed Trifa at the
NORTHLAND FORD
GEORGE RUSKIN
BOB SPOON
Robinson's
Leather.
Unlimited
Everything in the Store at
2 0 %
to
40%
F
HANDBAGS
GATEWAY to
ISRAEL, U.S.A. and EVERYWHERE
We help you plan your trip,
you help us maintain our
Nursery and Kdgn. Dents.
12—Friday, January 4, 1974
Luggage Repair
1
SEMI-ANNUAL JANUARY
CLEARANCE SALE
Harry
1