kicky, September 5, 1975
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ilurely Commentary
5736: A Year of Reckoning
A New Year, in the secular treatment, is usually a pe-
riod for stock-taking as well as hilarity, for pledge-making
as well as tongue-in-cheek admission that the errors of the
past will be repeated, that pledges often are made to be
broken, that retrospection is not always pragmatic chang-
ing of standards.
In Jewish tradition, the New Year is a time for spirit-
ual uplifting, for a reaffirmation of faith. A people's estab-
lished and inherited ideals do not change. The legacies of
Israel are not to be abandoned. The faith of the nation is
imperisahble.
Yet, the New Year 5736, the era it introduces, the years
immediately ahead, may be vastly different from the imme-
diate past.
5736 as a Year of Reckoning ... Crucial Issues
Challenge Status of Jewish Communities Everywhere
Si
thropy has overruled the spiritual, and that instead of being
to Jewish existence, because i,
. grown so rap,,
motivated by the rich culture of Jewish legacies the oncom-
ing generation is more concerned with the fund-raising as- cent years. It is no longer the 5-,6-10 percent element that
takes to husband or wife a non-Jew. The number is believed
pects of Jewish life?
It is the inherited tradition that has always motivated to exceed the 30 percent mark, and in some areas mixed
charity — which is in reality justice in the true Jewish marriages are more than 40 percent of the total. Nothing
meaning. Yet the materialistic may have emerged to pre- could be more threatening to Jewry.
dominate and this may be at the root of many of the Jewish
And so, the problems are mounting. The schools
problems that cause the indifference which alienates Jew- .have reduced numbers in the Jewish student bodies, be-
ish youth.
cause enrollments are smaller due to the declining
A study of the status of religious communities in
New York, conducted by a New York Times writer, inev-
itably dealt with all of the related problems affecting Je-
wry. This was a natural approach, since Jews can not be
appraised merely as synagogue members or as attend-
ants at Holy Day services. Jews are more than that.
They are a people who both belong and abstain, and less
than half of the Jews in nearby communities are syn-
agogue affiliates.
Admittedly, the Jewries in the free communities of
the world are confronted by unprecedented challenges.
The freedoms that were believed to have lured Jews into
foreign paths, which were said to take many away from
Jews are secular as well as religiously-indoctrinated,
Jewish loyalties, inspired warnings for several decades.
But the causes for concern were never as serious as they and to ignore the effects of secularism would be damaging
are now. The threats to the communities that were to any effort to evaluate the status of Jews in the world
viewed as fortresses for the people of Israel are more ex- today. Nevertheless, the role of the synagogue must be re-
tained as primary, as the centrality of Jewish life. The
tensive, more vital.
The dwindling of large communities, the decline in weakening of the synagogue — who will deny it, since mem-
identifications, the reduced Jewish school enrollment, the berships are dropping constantly? — must be viewed seri-
If the problem can be solved and the damage re-
low birthrate — these and many more factors combine to ously.
paired,
it must be attained.
add to the concerns over the need to assure retention of
In
the
reckoning for the coming year, the problem of
highest goals, for positive achievements in Jewish life.
Indeed, this is a time of reckoning, a period calling to the youth needs special consideration. Jewish youth are
wholesome, responsible, creative. They do not cause trou-
action, an era of problems not to be ignored.
Is it really becoming so difficult to inspire our young ble. They are law abiding. If they could be inspired to iden-
people for proper Jewish identification? Aren't they so tify, the major Jewish problems would be solved. Then one
of the most threatening of defections — the mixed mar-
prominent in philanthropic ranks that their future leader- riages
— could be avoided.
ship seems assured? Is it possible, therefore, that philan-
Indeed, intermarriage is one of the very tragic dangers
rate — with the lowest rate in Jewish ranks. And 0-
may also be an indifference that bars children from t
being enrolled in Jewish schools by their parents.
The problems have multiplied. The indifferences have
not declined. The tackling of the issues has not been effec-
tive. The leadership is impoverished. Only in fund-raising is
there strength. Culturally and spiritually the weaknesses
are too evident to be ignored.
That's why there is a need for reckoning, and it may
prove valueless unless the properly dedicated do the stock-
taking and the planning.
These are not the desirable messages for a New Year.
What is expected is a message of cheer. Let it be expressed
in this fashion: there is an indestructibility in Jewry that
defies all obstacles. The People lives and will prosper again
in faith and in the spirit of the rich legacies that always
sustain Jewry. This sense of faith is what inspires the de-
mand for positive action to give strength and validity to the
People's role as a living force in mankind. The will to live
calls also for the adherence to the highest goals in Jewish
life and tradition. To attain them is the hope for the coming
years. In 5736 it is one of the major obligations for Jews
everywhere, especially in free lands like ours. With this pos-
itive note goes the good wish to Jewry for a wholesome and
happy 5736.
Interpol: Private Police Agency With Nazi History
BY S.A. BARRAM
(Editor's note: The au
thor of the following arti
cle, which is the first in a
series, is a London scholar
and researcher who has
contributed articles to The
Jewish News in the past
on Interpol.)
countries, even before the
war, never suffered from
any "prejudices" and were
only too eager to co-operate
with the Gestapo. Interpol
proved to be no exception.
Whereas governments of
certain countries which pur-
sued an outspoken anti-Nazi
In 1914, Prince Albert of policy, could and did inter-
Monaco convened the first fere when its police force ex-
international congress of hibited too much eagerness
judicial police and the foun- to co-operate with the Na-
dations were laid for the zis, no such preventive mea-
establishment of an interna- sureswere possible.
tional organization devoted
The Interpol organization
to the organized combat of then, as today, is a private
crime.
institution. It did not take
World War I delayed the long for Himmler to bring
hopes for the establishment Interpol in line with the na-
of an international criminal tional socialist concept of
police organization. How- the police state and conse-
ever, in 1923, Johann quently, the organization
Schober, president of the with its communication
Vienna Police, invited a lines and vast dossier sys-
number of countries and the tem, became a tool in the
International Criminal Po- subjugation of Europe.
lice Organization (Interpol)
At the beginning of 1938,
was officially established in the Nazi influence in the
Vienna.
Internationale Kriminal-
The facilities and re- polizei, the official publi-
sources of the Viennese po-
cation of Interpol, was al-
lice were put at the disposal ready strongly noticeable.
of Interpol and the organi-
zation started to function.
From time to time, con- ,
gresses were held which
served the purpose cf ex-
Barra n-. wrote to The
changing technical data,
Jewish News that his re-
experiences and informa
search on Interpol has re-
tion.
In a book review the ad-
vantages of the "re-
markable laws in which
the new order of the state
criminal police in Germny
find their expression"
were praised — "a new or-
der which the expert must
recognize as a very lucky
organizational reform."
In May 1938, after the
annexation of Austria,
Steinhausl became presi-
dent of the police of Vienna.
As such, he automatically
became the president of In-
terpol. He also was the offi-
cial representative of Ger-
many in Interpol and a
high-ranking officer in the
SS, and member of the SD.
Shortly before his appoint-
ment, he had been released
as a convict.
In the same year the Gen-
eral Assembly of Interpol
was held in Bucharest.
Whereas most of the mem-
ber states delegated one or
two officials, the German
delegation consisted of 11
officials, mostly high-rank-
ing officers in the SS.
At the Congress, Ger-
many proposed the removal
of the seat of Interpol from
Vienna to Berlin, the capital
of Greater Germany.
From then on, the Ger-
man influence in Interpol
and on its journal in-
creased. A book review,
"Neues Strafrecht" (New
Constitutional Law) by
Wilhelm Stuckart and
Wilhelm Albrecht, praised
the first four years of na-
tional socialist reconstruc-
tion of Germany. Stuckart
was one of the legal con-
structors of the racial Nu-
remberg Laws.
From June 1938, the In-
ternationale Kriminalpoli-
zei journal included warrant
and arrest notices. When-
ever a criminal was of Jew-
ish origin, the description
never failed to include:
"Jew".
Increasingly, Interpol
was geared to take mea-
sures against political oppo-
nents, undesirables, Jews,
etc. The journals started to
deal with measures of re-
pression of movement of
persons on the Continent,
such as the denial of issu-
ance, annulment and with-
drawal of passports for rea-
sons of "public safety."
The Nazi eugenic thesis,
the classification of human
beings by a diagnostic pro-
cedure and the "scientific
means" to deal with the ge-
netically inferior and anti-
socials occupied substantial
space in the journals:
"New crimes and crimi-
nal types will appear in
the Volksstate and the
authoritarian punishment
will achieve a political
function. The guilt will be
established according to
biological research of the
personality of the perpe-
trator.
"Not only the act marks
the habitual criminal but
also his slow and continued
descent into the the anti-
social state. The criminal
biology will also establish
the extent of the hereditary
disposition of the perpetra-
tors."
New Look at Interpol in U.S., Great Britain
With the rise of Ger-
many's Third Reich, a new
wind blew over Europe.
International congresses
became the platform for
Nazi propaganda, and in-
ternational organizations
were targeted for penetra-
tion. Interpol was one of
these. Himmler realized
the value of Interpol's dos-
sier's and communication
lines and planned to gain
control of the organiza-
tion.
The various police organi-
zations of the democratic
ceived wide interest in
Great Britain. He said the
general secretary of the
Zionist organization in
Great Britain, Mr. Ship-
ton, "is actively support-
ing a concerted action of
Jewish organizations to
bring about a change of at-
titude and Interpol's pol-
icy regarding Nazi crimi-
nals and terrorists.
"I have great hope that
the subject will he brought
up at the 78th ZOA National
Convention which coincides
with Interpol's General As-
sembly which is planned for
October in Buenos Aires.
"What now needs to be
done is to increase Jewish
and non-Jewish awareness
of the issue.
"In my opinion, the issue
even exceeds the 'Jewish
Problem' as Interpol consti-
tutes a threat to a free so-
ciety. Governments and the
public alike never did take a
strong stand against Nazi
Germany, when there still
was time, and gradually the
power of the Nazis in-
creased.
"Prejudice, indifference,
unconcern and most of all
apathy allowed them to
sanction their deeds. This is
the historical lesson people
have to learn."
vinced that the-Nazi domi-
nation of Interpol, 1936-
1945. has seriously af-
fected its whole modus oper-
andi and quite possibly, the
attitudes of its European
staff.
For 30 years Interpol's
public relations office has
been busily creating the
image of a superefficient
and successful police
agency, engaged in the
ruthless hunt of gangsters
and dreaded by the under-
world.
this private group."
Now the myth is threat-
ened by a number of ex-
poses which reveal a dif-
ferent picture and which
resulted, much to the ern --
barrassment of the organi-
zation, in the appointment
of two congressional com-
mittees to probe into Inter-
pol's Nazi involvement in
the past and post-war ac-
tivities.
U.S,. Congressman Ed-
ward P. Beard of Rhode
Island wrote to Barram
that, "The investigation
which I have initiated into
"I firmly believe that In-
the relationship of the
United States Government terpol's activities do seri-
and Interpol is continuing ously threaten individual
and we have not yet gath- rights and freedom and this
ered all the answers to the is the basis of my interest
many questions that have and concern.
been generated by the ini-
"The fact that the Presi-
tial disclosure of Interpol's dent of Interpol from 1968
Nazi-dominated past and to 1972 was a former Nazi
the fact that it is a private SS officer only serves
to
organization.
harden my opinion about
"At this point, I am con-
Sterilization of the anti-
socials and the rehabilita-
tion of only the genetically
healthy and worthy was
advocated.
It is not surprising that
the Nazis utilized the Inter-
pol platform to further their
own ends. However, note-
worthy is the collaboration
of delegates from enlight-
ened democracies such as
Great Britain, Sweden,
Switzerland and others, and
particularly France, whose
government at that time
pursued an official anti-
Nazi policy.
With the outbreak of the
war. the reins on Interpol
were tightened by the Nazis
and the entire organization
was brought into line. No
more could member states
freely communicate among
each other through Inter-
pol's communication lines,
on police matters.
In September, 1940, a cen-
sorship was introduced by
the headquarters of the
German police in Berl
"All requests to the Intern
tionale Kriminalpolizei an i
replies have to pass the
Reichskriminalpolzei."