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Thought Of The Week
THE JEWISH TRANSCRIPT, SEATTLE
DECEMBER 24, 1937
DECEM
----1iGor.
"Who helps create the Jewish problem? I list first the iqnorant Jew the Jew who knows not the history and purpose of Jewish
life. Knowledqe and learninq have made for Jewish aristocracy. So precious and holy was the book for the Jew that he would
actually huq it and kiss it. But, alas, multitudes in Israel today are Torahless. What do they know of our Bible, Talmud and post-
Talmudic literature? And because Jews are iqnorant of that tradition and culture which made for couraqe they easily are panic-
stricken by the utterances of any fifth-rate anti-Semite.'" -- RABBI HARRY J. STERN, of Montreal, one of Canada's leadinq rabbis.
00etuis00 00:ran00tript
F I were a statistician, I would plot a graph to illustrate this article.
It would trace two trends in American history. One line would
show tile high and low points of national prosperity, our booms
and panics, our periods of expansion and depression. The other line
would show the degree of friendliness or hostility toward minority
groups--racial, religious, political--during the same years.
And with very slight allowance for a time lag between the first and
second, the two lines would coincide continuously--thus supplying
graphic proof that the American attitude toward minorities has been
determined by our own sense of social security or insecurity, of econ-
omic confidence or fear.
When conditions were good, wages high and prices low, the recog-
nizably different among us were welcomed or, at least, undisturbed
by majority antagonism.
But in the United States, as in other lands and ages, "when the
ledger showed red the outlook for minorities was black." A truth
which was brought home in turn to Irish Catholics, German Protest-
ants, Russian Jews and Japanese Shintoists!
It is being brought home again today to millions of foreign-born
Americans who, whether citizens or non-citizens, are the potential
victims of the latest depression-born wave of minority baiting.
To be sure, the foreign-born are not alone cast in tile scapegoat
role. Certain native-born groups--Negroes, Jews and, in some sections
of the country, Catholics--are likewise receiving marked attention by
the forces of reaction in their search for decoys.
But up to the present the "alien" menace has evoked the most
concerted campaign in the houses of Congress, the IIearst newspapers
and among tile Patriots, Inc.
Before considering the nature and the implications in this cam-
paign, let us cite certain figures relative to the group against which
it is directed. According to the Commissioner of Immigration, there
are less than 5,000,000 aliens in the United States today; and of these,
1,500,000 have directly, or through their parents, taken out first citi-
zenship papers.
Moreover, tile foreign-born are not only not increasing in num-
ber, but for the last five years there has been an excess of departu,res
over admissions aggregating 238,695; nor has any foreign country filled
the quota of immigrants to which it is entitled under existing law.
And there are less than 100,000 non-citizens who are legally deport-
able from the United States.
Yet certain interests and individuals are proclaiming that the
social and economic morass in which tile nation flounders is attribut-
able to the "aliens," that the solution of the unemployment problem
is to be foand, in part or in whole, through de,porting them. And to
strengthen their case they indiscriminately hurl charges of crimin-
ality, radicalism, subversion and the like at the foreign-born.
Manifestly absurd is tile attempt to solve tile economic problems
of 120,000,000 people by eliminating one-tenth of one per cent (or even
four per cent, as is fantastically proposed by Congressman Martin
Dies of Texas, who calls for the deportation of ALL the foreign-born.)
False, too, are the charges launched--IIearst leading the way--
against the character of our new Americans. A recent study made
by tile Department of Justice reveals that in 1934 the incidence of
crime among the foreign-born was only 62.5 per cent as high as that
among our native citizens.
The native-born Dillingers triumph over alien Caponesl
Not all the current anti-foreignism is so crude or rabid as that of
IIearst and Dies. In some instances it appears superficially to be
nothing more than a subtle preference for native Americans.
In others it is limited to advocating "protective" legislation such
as compulsory registration and "alien" finger-printing bills, or dis-
criminatory measures against non-citizens who have been forced on
federal, state or municipal relief.
Always, however, it constitutes an attempted diversion from Sen-
We Need Aliens!
By James Waterman Wise
Son Of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise
uine issues and the real tasks of recovery.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current pressure being
brought to bear on Congress and the Department of Labor for the
deportation of so-called political radicals, a term made to include
even those merely suspected of having harbored unorthodox political
beliefs before coming to the United States.
And these prospective deportees invariably have one thing in
common: activity of some kind in industrial disputes, strikes or or-
ganization of the unemployed.
One case, typical of hundreds, may well be cited: In November,
1933, a young German seaman jumped ship in the harbor of Seattle,
Iie was in the truest sense of the word a political refugee, seeking the
right of asylum from a regime of tyranny and dictatorship.
This young man's name was Otto Richter; born in Bremen, Ger-
many, he was a worker and an active anti-Nazi. On the night of the
burning of the Reichstag, storm troopers apprehended him and, though
he had not the slightest connection with that event, beat and tortured
him. The next four and a half months he spent hiding from Hitler'S
secret police.
In November, 1933, he managed to enlist as a seaman and sail on
German boat which was to call at ports in tile United States. During
tile voyage his identity became known and officers of the ship, after
abusing him, threatened to turn him over to the police on their re-
turn to Nazi Germany. These were the circumstances underlying
Richter's attempted escape from Nazi tyranny to American freedom.
What has happened since? In July, 1934, during the San Fran-
cisco general strike, a vigilante raid was made on the Workers Center,
and there Otto Richter was found engaged in what the Department
of Labor evidently regarded as the heinous offense of helping to feed
striking marine workers.
lie was seized and ordered deported to Nazi Germany on the tech"
nical charge that he had remained inthe United States illegally. SinCe
that time a long legal battle has been fought by the American Corn"
mittee for Protection of Foreign Born to save him from deportatiott.
And only tile tremendous counterpressure of mass sentiment has
secured for Otto Richter the dubious privilege of being deported to
country of his chgtee--Belgium--instead of to Ilitler's sadistocracy.
Otto Richter's name is legion. To mention only two: Jesus pal,
lercs, deported in June to Mexico, and Cassimo Caficro, deported olt
July 4th (shades of 1776!) to Fascist Italy.
Nothing is more urgent today than to bring home the truth to
American people that denial of civil liberties to foreigners presages
and prepares the way for Fascism and denial of those rights to the
native-born. If laws can be introduced permitting search and seizure
without warrant in an "alien's" home, and his trial by "administratiVe
process" (a polite name for star-chamber proceedings) instead of bY
jury, the way is opened for such assaults upon tile liberties of us all,
A step in this direction was taken at the Conference for a Farmer"
Labor Party, which in its platform expressly demanded that, for the
sake of the American People, the deportation and persecution of tBe
foreign-born be ended, and that the right of asylum for political and
religious refugees be re-established.
Let it be clear that I do not plead for tolerance or charity for the
foreign-born. They neither ask nor need them. What they do demand,
and what is rightfully theirs, is full equality in working out the social
and economic problems which are mutually theirs and ours.
That equality is today imperiled. Those who seek to establish
Fascist regime in the United States are concentrating their first bar-
rage upon the foreign-born.
Our task--the task of the united and indivisible masses of the Am"
erican people--is to pierce the smoke screen they have laid down. IIt
schools and churches, in the liberal, progressive press and parties, lt
trade unions and among the unemployed we must counter-attack bY
exposing their real objectives. --(Copyright, 1937)
PLAIN TALK
(Continued from Page 1)
I must let go all the Jewish help."
But this dreadful injustice could
not go on for long, he thought. In-
justice is hut a rank weed that
quickly is torn out. Other Jews
were leaving Germany. He would
stay and wait for justice.
Four years passed. Two
nmnths ago he came to our city.
There was a hotel that took him
into its kitchen to wash dishes.
Dirty dishes have a way of being
irritating. You Wash a dish and in
ten minutes it is back to be washed
again; there is no finality in dish-
washing as in salesmanship.
A salesman negotiates a deal,
brings it to a happy conclusion and
goes and gives himself a swell din-
ner to celebrate the triumph.
Not so with dish-washing which
is never through and gives a man
a sense of working to no ends at
all. So the refugee salesman lifted
himself out of the dishwater and
became a hundle-wrapper.
He was very happy to become a
bundle-wrapper. This seemed like
a step lmck to salesnmnshtp, unlike
dish-washing which didn't seem to
lead anywhere. From bundle-wrap-
ping he might ascend to the place
he had in the world when he was
living in Frankfurt.
He must show them his willing-
ness to become a swift bundle-wrap-
pet'. But the faster his fingers tried
to labor with a bundle the more like
thumbs they became.
At 41, fingers no longer have the
speed of lightning, especially a
salesman's fingers which never had
any speed at all.
Much quicker were the bundles
that passed through the fingers of
the younger bundle-wrappers. He
envied them. Their bundles fairly
flew through, but for him bundles
seemed to creep.
It took sometimes five minutes
for a bundle, he guessed; he was
very thorough about it.
He trembled when the eyes of the
head bundle-wrapper fell upon him.
They were baleful eyes that seemed
always to be saying, "You will
never make a great bundle-wrapper.
You're all thumbs."
He should have liked to answer
him, "Wait, wait, I'll be all right in
time. Today my poor fingers fin-
ished a bundle even in three mitt-
utes. They are getting faster right
along.
"This is all so new to my fingers.
Forty-one year-old fingers--and you
should give them a chance. They
may yet become like ligi]tning, as
444
By ALFRED SEGAL
swift as the young bundle-wrappers'
fingers."
At the end of the week he was
paid off. They were very sorry. The
head bundle-wrapper had reported
it wasn't in him to be a bundle-
wrapper.
The uprooted man goes here and
there to find a new place in which
to plant himself. When you are
still a young.plant it is easier to
find a new place and it doesn't hurt
so much to be uprooted; for a
young plant does not yet know the
ineffable comfort of being planted
deep.
But if you are a ripe plant it is
the ultimate agony to be uprooted
and to find no place that wants you.
He has been coming to my desk
ahnost every day. I have given him
a letter to this employer or that,
and even as he approaches I know
what lie is bringing.
His countenance has taken a
fixed mask of tragedy. He is com-
ing to my desk to say "Gar nichts."
I don't know what to do about
him anymore. Not that I am nmk-
tng any appeal for him; I abhor
making appeals. But why should
he be on my conscience alone?
Why should the destiny of any of
these uprooted people be left to the
concern of individuals when there
are rich and influential Jewish cor"
munities that should be troubled
about them ?
Not that I shit'k my duty, but I
can't carry this man alone. Isn't it
the obligation of every Jewish cor:
munity to see to it that these nle
are helped to find new places in the
world ?
Isn't it the obligation of Jewish
huslness men to make places for
them ?
If not, what does all our sympathy
mean? What is it, then, but war#
air? My steam radiator is more
comforting.
Somehow all this has to do alS0
with the matter of a Jewish welfare
drive that is going on in our city
(as in many another place). I heard
of a lady who asked her husband to
reduce his subscription this year.
"But we mustn't do that," he a"
swered. "We should be thankful We
can give, considering what Jews are
suffering in Germany and in Fo"
land."
But she was troubled more about
a new autonmbile.
"If we give too much to the W el"
fare we won't be able to get the
new car."
(Copyright, 1937.)
Combined w0th THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
A Weekly Newspaper for the Jewlsh People of the Paclflc Northwest.
Phone MAin 2715.
HERMAN A. HOROWrrz ................................ Editor and Publ/she
NA Kazs ............................................... .Associate Editor
OTVC'XaL lm ........................ WalterJ Studio, 4th and Pike Buildin8
A weekly paper devoted to the interests of the Jewish people of Washington,
Idaho, Montana, Brit/sh Columbia and Alaska. Entered as second clam mat-
ter September 5, 1924, at the Post Office at Seattle, Washington, under the
Act of March 3, 1879.
Single Copies, $ cents. $2.00 per Year
38
VOL. XIV. Friday, Dec. 24, 1937 No. 43
A BOUQUET FOR THE LIVING
EO A. MELTZER is a modest, unassuming, cheery, hard-worker,
whose outstanding quality, perhaps, is sincerity. Mrs. Leo
Meltzer is a quiet, big-hearted woman who has held almost
as many honors among the women's organizations she's served
as her husband has among men's groups.
Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Meltzer have made many friendsyou
can count them in the hundreds--since they came here, a friend-
less boy and a girl, 25 years ago, when horse cars were the vogue
and fiery editorials denounced the breakneck deviltry of
bicyclists.
And today, Leo and Dora Meltzer are perhaps the happiest
couple in Seattle--and deservedly so.
For 20 years of communal service, for long hours of unselfish
devotion to causes that gained them not a whig except a warm
glow of satisfaction that no money can buy, for a beautiful
lesson in helping others through the years--for all this and a thous-
and other precious deeds that are hard to put into mere words--
100 friends honored Leo and Dora Meltzer at a surprise banquet
at Herzl Synagogue, Sunday, after Rabbi Philip A. Langh had
paid tribute to the couple on their 25th wedding anniversary at
Friday night services in the synagogue.
The Transcript, as the spokesman of the state's Jewry, joins
in felicitating Mr. and Mrs. Meltzer. Even as they love each
other, so does the Jewish community love them for their many
fine qualities.
Their presence is a blessing.
FACTS THAT TALK
HE December 8 issue of The New Republic pul)lishes an article
by tlerbert J. Seligmann calle(l "J ewish Faith--Christian Civ-
ilization" in which the status of the 6,000,000 Jews in Europe
today is made crystal clear by an unusual tal)le, ol! figures and
facts.
Mr. Sell/mann's table lists the 24 major countries ol! Europe
together with their geueral and Jewish l)Ol)ulations and then sum-
marizes tersely official restrictions on Jews and their e, eonomic
and social situation in each country.
Examination of this table shows that wherever political democ-
racy and economic security reign there tl|e economicand social
status of the Jews is good.
Mr. Seligmann's sumnmries reveal also that wherever authori-
tarianism has not obtained a political foothold there are no re-
strictions against Jews, either legally or in fact.
They also reveal that in a few countries, notably Greece, Bul-
garia, Italy and Jugoslavia, where quasi-Fascist regimes are in
power, anti-Semitism has become serious but not official.
On the other hand, there are such democratic lands as Great
Britain, Czeehosh)vakia, Hollan(I, Switzerland, ]e]gium and
France where well-marked anli-Semitic movements stimulated
from outsi(le sources are causing some concern to Jewish com-
munities enjoying full freedom and equality as well as substantial
economic prosperity.
One of the most interesting revelations made in this table is
that Germany is the only country in Europe where Jews arc of-
ficially discriminated against by laws specifically aimed at them.
In Poland, Rounmnia, Hungary, Austria, Lithuania and Latvia
Jewish difficulties, serious as they are, arise not from legal enact-
ments but from governments' blinking at quasi-official discrimina-
tion which has the effect of law.
Every fair-minded person should read this article because it
effectively dramatizes the contemi)orary Jewish situation in
Europe.
It demonstrates far better than speeches or protests the unde-
niable fact that 60 per cent o£ the 10,000,000 Jews in Europe, or
more than one-third of all the Jews in the world, are living under
conditions that challenge not only worht Jewry but civilization
itself.
AIN'T SCIENCE WONDERFUL?
CIENTIFIC progress has made possible many things which
were once universally regarded as impossible of achievement.
It has even succeeded, through 1)syehoh)gy and l)syehiatry, in
straightening out quirks of the human mind.
Thus far, however, it has not been able to do anything about
such social enemies as breeders of war and l)reachers of racial
and' religious hatreds.
But now comes Prof. Charles R. Stockard of Cornell Medical
College with a discovery that the relations of men to each other
are governed by glandoerats, or chemical messengers known as
pro]aetins, which are sent ont by the ])ituitary gland located at
the base of the skull.
It is Professor Stoekard's theory that these glandocrats are
the supreme life force controlling human reactions.
Predicating his theory on the assuml)tion that a society is as
good or as bad as its nervous system and its glands, Professor
Stockard intimates that a few injections of prolaetins can com-
pletely change the instinctive emotional reactions of any human
being.
Professor Stockard is too much of a scientist to indulge in spec-
ulations concerning the political implications of his theory.
But it doesn't seem far-fetched to say that if his theory is
upheld then such gentry as Ititler and Mussolini need but a few
injections of prolactins to make them forget all about anti-Sem-
itism and war.
All that is needed is their permission to make tlle injection and
the era of international good-will will be ushered in.
NEW YO]
that the "fu
democracy i
lftleal, socia
abt become
0f life "whil
Planned to
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the Mennoni
of Michigan
¢lelegats at
tional conic
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liege hy discl
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to "drive Je
Without n
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Said that tli
to "subjugat
tainate Jews
lie office an(
Pectally ere
for each cit:
After 17 y,
tzation proI:
determine
of these ghe
to travel
Country.
Other spe
ben W. Barl
the U. S. S
Lewisohn ; 1:
dent of the
Konovitz, pr
Orthodox R
1)resident of
Man, Wi
$300,000
PITTSBU:
liShment of
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Carnegie I
Was anuoun
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that the M
POUldation
Qarnegie fo
gram of ed
social relati,
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CHICAGO
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