THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
8 Friday, March 28, 1975
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State of Rio
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RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA)
— Two Jews were included
in the new government of
the state of Rio de Janeiro,
which was merged with the
state of Guanabara on
March 15.
The new governor of the
Rio de Janeiro State, Admi-
ral Faria Lima, appointed
Yossef Barat, a 35-year-old
Jewish engineer, as secre-
tary for transportation. His
main task will be to revive
the construction of Rio's
subway which began five
years ago and was halted
due to the lack of funds.
The governor also ap-
pointed Haim Lerner, a
young Jewish architect, as
"coordinator of Greater
Rio de Janeiro." He will
be responsible for the de-
velopment of the merged
state with its 9,400,000 in-
habitants, and especially
for the development of the
state's capital, Rio de Ja-
neiro, with its five million
inhabitants.
Lerner, the son of a tradi-
tional Jewish family, who
speaks Yiddish and is a
graduate from a Jewish
school, served for the past
four years as mayor of Curi-
tiba, the capital of Brazil's
southern state of Parana.
He is considered the best ur-
banist in the country .
Love
money.
METROPOLITAN
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Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER: The efforts of the
Arab rulers to force American firms to become "Ju-
denrein," if they wish to do business with the Arab oil coun-
tries, is not a new experience in American history.
Similar efforts were also made by Czarist Russia. The
Czarist government insisted on making a difference be-
tween Jewish and non-Jewish holders of American pass.
ports; it refused to recognize the rights of American citizen-
ship for Jews. The U.S. government reacted by cancelling
its commercial treaty with Russia.
The U.S. Congress, and President William Howard
Taft considered the Czarist move against American Jewish
citizens as an insult to the American passport. They also
saw the Russian move as a violation of the U.S. Constitu-
tion.
At the end of December, 1911, after prolonged discus-
sions with the Czarist government which proved unsatisfac-
tory, both Houses of Congress unanimously adopted a reso-
lution warning Russia of America's determination not to
tolerate the Czarist policy against American Jewish citi-
zens. The trade pack was cancelled after the Czarist govern-
ment — like the Arab rulers today — remained adamant in
practicing its ban on Jewish holders of American citizen-
ship.
* * *
U.S. DIGNITY: The unanimous decision of both Houses
of Congress to terminate the trade agreement was not a
step made overnight. There were hearings, the State De-
partment and the Department of Commerce were con-
sulted, and experts of other governmental departments
were also asked their opinions.
The Jews in 1911 did not play the role they are playing
now in American life. The had practically no influence in
Washington at that time because the great majority of
them were immigrants who had not yet acquired American
citizenship. Nevertheless, all agreed that Russia must not
be permitted to impose its anti-Jewish policy on the United
States.
Louis Marshall, the top leader of American Jewry, ap-
peared at Congressional hearings with impressive argu-
ments. One of the greatest constitutional lawyers in the
United States, Marshall amazed the members of the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
with the masterly way in which he handled the issue, by his
discussion of the principles of international law which were
involved, by his passionate invective against Russia's brutal.
ities, by the profound study which he had given to every
phase of the subject which enabled him to answer all quer-
ies and arguments.
Jacob Schiff also appeared. Both were invited by Presi-
dent Taft to the White House, with other Jewish leaders, to
discuss the matter. Both presented their views to the Presi-
dent in a convincing manner, asking him to vindicate the
American principles of government which provide equality
of rights for the Jews and all others to the protection of the
flag under which they dwelt.
By cancelling the treaty with Russia, the United States
raised itself to the highest level of dignity, honor and pres-
tige in the international world. It also strengthened the po-
sition of the Jews in European countries where anti-Semi-
tism was prevalent.
* * *
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"JUDENREIN" IN U.S.?: Will the American govern-
ment respond as sharply today to the Arab efforts t® im-
pose anti-Jewish measures on American Jewish citizens as
the Taft Administration did in 1911 to Russia?
President Ford expressed his disapproval of the Arab
attempts to enforce a "Judenrein" policy on American
firms. And various governmental departments in Washing-
ton — including the Federal Reserve Board — are now look-
ing into legal aspects of possible discrimination in financial
dealings with Arabs both in terms of existing law and with
an eye to possible new legislation.
In the meantime, however, various firms in this coun-
try, anxious to do business with the Arab oil countries, are
already quietly acceding to the Arab pressures. Some of
them have voluntarily adopted measures to render them-
selves "Judenrein" as a way of currying favor with the pe-
tro-dollar sheikhdoms. Other companies are quietly reduc-
ing the number of Jews on their boards, reviewing the
roster of their top executives and professional staff for Jew-
ish names, cutting down on Jewish suppliers and complying
with Arab formalities to prove that they do not deal with
Israel.
Many American firms eager to do business with Arabs,
but unwilling to practice anti-Semitism to do so, would wel-
come tighter anti-discrimination rules to protect them
against unfair competition from concerns more easily in-
timidated.