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THE JEWISH NEWS

-m(

Correspondent Mowrer Foreshadowed
The. Hitler Onslaught In Germany

BY VICTOR M. BIENSTOCK
Special to The Jewish News

In these days when American
Jews are castigating each other
for havig failed to anticipate the
Holocaust and for not doing ev-
erything humanly possible to
save Europe's Jews from Hitler's
fury, it is sobering and correc-
tive to look back and see how
our keenest students of world af-
fairs failed to anticipate the
transformation of the German
Jewish situation into the
European-Jewish tragedy we
know as the Holocaust.
Edgar Ansel Mowrer, the
Pulitzer Prize-winning corre-
spondent of the Chicago Daily
News and later a nationally
syndicated columnist, was one of
the first to warn America of the
dangers of Nazism. His book,
Germany Turns The Clock Back,
so infuriated the Nazis that they
expelled him from the Third
Reich in 1933.
Philip Slomovitz, doyen of
American Jewish journalists
and editor emeritus of The De-
troit Jewish News, recently un-
earthed from his voluminous
archives a letter from Mowrer
dated Oct. 21, 1933 in which the
famed correspondent stressed
the urgency of getting as many
Jews as possible out of Germany
and finding them homes in "th-
ose parts of the world where
they are welcome — but not in
any others, the danger being too
great."
As to Hitler's intentions,
Mowrer advised Slomovitz, "In
so far as anyone can predict at
present, Hitler would permit as
many Jews as desire to leave
Germany so long as they do not
wish to take any of their money
with them. The Nazi aim is, in
my opinion, to extirpate the
Jews in Germany, but not before
robbing them of their property.
The motive alleged will doubt-
less be hindering the flight of
capital etc., but the real aim
will be to despoil the Jews. Once
plundered, they will, of course
be permitted to depart."
Meanwhile, Mowrer counsel-
led, world Jewry should keep
the spotlight on Germany so
that the world should know
what was going on there; should
carry on the anti-Nazi boycott,
organize protest meetings and
generally work against Nazi
policies.

The Bow Tie
Sen. Paul Simon has been
identifiable in Washington these
many years by the dignified bow
ties that set him apart from the
other members of the House of
Representatives and presently
from his colleagues in the Se-
nate. The bow tie, in fact, is his
political trademark.
When, after ten years in the
House, he ran for the Senate
against the incumbent Charles
Percy, his campaign advisers
wanted him to switch to conven-
tional neckwear Simon refused.
Instead, a tiny bow tie replaced
the dot over the "i" in his name
on campaign posters and
bumper stickers. Campaign con-

answer for Europe is to accept
tributors received lapel pins in
that the stranger may become a
the shape of a bow tie.
brother and a citizen."
The Illinois Democrat, a
Cardinal Lustiger is a firm
former newspaper editor, has
advocate of civil rights. He told
been very much in the public
McGurn that "civil freedom is
eye since he claimed his Senate
an essential condition for nor-
seat last year. His bow ties have
mal exercise of the human voca- (
become a hot item for charity
tion. One cannot say that
auctions and the pleas from
societies where these rights are
charities in Washington and Il-
linois for ties to be auctioned
threatened to deplete his war-
drobe. Friends came to his aid,
The Nazi aim is to
sending him several hundred
bow ties. The Senator gravely
extirpate the Jews in
promised to wear each tie at
Germany, but not
least once before sending it off
to be auctioned for charity but
before robbing them
he drew the line on bow ties
that light up.
of their property."
Church
Prince
Aaron Jean-Marie Cardinal
acknowledged and guaranteed
Lustiger, the son of Polish
are equivalent to those where
Jewish immigrants whose
they are not guaranteed and
mother perished in Auschwitz,
even suppressed. To say that
occupies the archbishop's throne
there is an equivalency is to say
in the ancient Not/-e Dame
that there is no moral judgment
Cathedral in Paris acutely
with any relevance to the course
aware that the Jewishness
of events. History shows just the
which he proudly claims has
opposite."
been the cause of bitter con-
troversy.
Mystery Man
The cardinal, says Bill
Edmond J. Safra, the
McGurn in a remarkable inter-
Lebanese-born financier, is the
view in the Wall Street Journal,
mystery man of American bank-
"is a thoroughly modern man
ing and its most outstanding
with an age-old faith. Orthodox
maverick. He established the
on doctrine, he has nonetheless
Republic National Bank of New
insisted on his Jewish heritage."
York almost single-handed in
When he was made Ar-
1965. Today it is rated the na-
chbishop of Paris and a member
tion's 30th-largest bank. This
of the College of Cardinals by
came after he had established
Pope John Paul in 1979, the
highly successful banks in
new cardinal remarked of his
Geneva, London, Canada and
appointment that it was as if
South America.
"all of a sudden the crucifix
Safra was a virtual unknown
began to wear a yellow star."
to all but a few in the American
But today, according to
banking system when, in 1933,
McGurn, the prelate refuses
he sold his Trade Development
further comment on the issue,
Bank, S.A., to American Ex-
adding that what he has to say
press in a $520 million deal
is there for the reading - a
which made him the largest
reference to a 1982 interview he
stockholder in American Ex-
gave Israeli newsmen in which,
press. The deal, which did not
McGurn recalls, "he emphasized
include Republic, also resulted
that when he says he is still a
in Safra becoming. chairman and
Jew, it is a personal reflection
chief executive officer of Ameri-
and does not mean he would
can Express international Bank-
satisfy the requirement of rab-
ing Corp.
bis.
But Safra, the lone wolf, was
"He also made it clear that he
unhappy in a set-up in which he
was no Jewish apostate. Raised
had to work in harness with
in a wholly secularized house-
others instead of operating on
hold, he got his first glimpse of
his own. He gave up his post in
religion when he broke into his
the international banking setup,
father's locked bookcase and
disposed of most of his American
read a Protestant Bible. Not
Express holdings and left the
until after he was a Christian,
American Express board.
he says, did he begin to discover
The Safra trademark is per-
himself as a Jew."
sonal banking. Republic con-
The cardinal, perhaps because
ducts a large part of its business
of his origin, is especially sensi-
in the Arab world which Safra
tive to the plight of foreigners
knows, where he feels at home,
today when anti-immigration
where he is known and where
fervor is reaching high pitch in
his family had been financiers
France. He is fascinated by the
for generations.
way the American nation holds
Republic makes no secret of
together while respecting its di-
the fact that it is a "Jewish"
verse ethnic roots — a phenom-
bank and that most of its top
enon he studied at first hand
executives are Orthodox Jews.
when he hitchhiked around the
Its luxurious executive and staff
country in 1969.
dining rooms are strictly kosher,
The problem in Europe today
with mezuzas on the doors.
he considered the sorry legacy of
Many of its employees wear
"19th" Century nationalism" and
yarmulkes on the job.
he believes that "the decisive

