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CAPITAL SPOTLIGHT—by Milton Friedman
CROATIA’S EICHMANN
—WASHINGTON
What about “the Adolf Eich-
mann of Croatia”?
The dramatic Israeli capture
of Eichmann, the most notorious
living Nazi war criminal, has
revived the issue of Andrija
Artukovic, Croatian Nazi police
head, who is hiving luxuriously
in California. Artukovic has
poked derisive humor at long-
snarled extradition proceedings.
Washington experts on Balkan
aspects of World War II were
amazed this month at an event
in Congress. Congressional tri
bute was paid to Artukovic’s
Croatian Nazi “Ustachi” mili
tary forces. The Ustachis zeal
ously collaborated with German
war criminal Eichmann in the
mass murder of Yugoslav Jewry.
Artukovic played a leading role.
Praise for the Ustachi Nazis
came from Rep. Frances P. Bol
ton. Ohio Republican. Mrs. Bol
ton lauded material bemoaning
the 1945 defeat of the Axis in
Yugoslavia.
Croatian Fascist propaganda
was actually printed in the Con
gressional Record at Rep. Bol
ton’s request. It sought to link
pro-Hitler Ustachis killed by
OFF THE RECORD—by Nathan Ziprin
Drummers of Decay
the Yugoslav Resistance with
American war dead honored on
Memorial Day.
The Bolton Insertions alleged
that Allied forces were responsi
ble for a crime of “genocide
against Ustachi Nazis. This prop
aganda emanated from the so-
called “United American Croa-
tians of Cleveland” and Included
excerpts from the “Croatian
Franciscan Press.”
A satellite of Nazi Germany,
the Ustachi Government exercis
ing local control in Croatianin
cooperation with the Nazis, de
clared war on the United States
in 1941. The Ustachis murdered
American airmen who bailed
out over Yugoslavia from planes
damaged in the mass raids on
the Rumanian oilfields. Aided by
the Gestapo and SS Corps, Us
tachi forces liquidated Jews,
Serbs and other anti-Nazis.
Terming the defeat of pro-
Nazi forces in Crotia a “tragic
era.” Rfep. Bolton commended
the Ustachi Propaganda. Rep.
Bolton, a member of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, is
also on record as espousing pro-
Arab and anti-Israel views.
Anti-Nazi Americans of Yugo-
The truth of the adage “God
save us from our friends, we
can take care of« our enemies”
has never been better illustrated
than by what is happening in
American Jewish life today,
where our “friends” are seem
ingly working overtime to wreck
whatever has been built in re
cent years.
Criticism is a healthy manifes
tation in a community. But only
when is it constructive. When
the reformer assails while sim
ultaneously offering ameliora
tive suggestions he merits at
tention. But where wrath alone
is the springwell of criticism it
. is valueless except to the stu
dent of psycopathy. Jt is said
termites rule best where a
structure is decayed. Our Jew
ish edifice is not yet decayed
to that extent, but it is appar
ently sufficiently weak to make
the rumor-monger and the black
prophet dangerous.
The unity that was Jewish
life in the rescue endeavors im
mediately after he end of World
War n was not expected to last
forever. Nor was the singleness
of purpose that tied so many
of us to helping in the rise and
growth of Israel expected to en
dure forever beyond the estab
lishment of the state. Time was
bound to produce personality and
ideological conflicts in the most
potest of organizations. Differ
ences of opinion were bound to
rise to the surface once some
of the major problems had been
tackled. Nor was even apathy
unexpected. It is only human to
experience a wane of interest
even in matters that affect us
most profoundly. In such situa
tions rational beings tend to look
forward to uplifting and re
newal.
In recent months the Ameri
can Jewish community has been
undergoing a crisis in re-assess
ment, in self-examination. There
are, however, definite signs that
we are emerging from the in
difference that seemed to be
upon us with respect to many
problems. But we will falter on
our way back if we permit
rumor-mongers, prophets of
doom and self-appointed healers
to frighten us from path. There
is no immunity to sin. To err
is human. Even mechanical add
ing machines go haywire at
times. But sin and error cannot
ba corrected through menacing
fingers of reproach alone. It is
sickening how the elements who
purport to be saviours of Jew
ish life go on digging its grave.
This is our communal malaise
these days.
Jewish communal life is go
ing through a crisis these days,
but only one of form not of
essence, expanding here and
contracting there in response to
specific conditions. But adjust
ment to new situations is not
tantamount to surrender, decay
or demise On the contrary, it
is the very touchstone of a will
to live. If our organizational
structure is to survive, it must
adjust itself to the new climate.
This is elemental, yet there are
elements in our midst who see
the end of day in change.
In this corner’s opinion, Jew
ish life in our country is being
menaced by a form of propa
ganda which strikes at our very
roots. Spread rumors of decay
and rotteness and insincerity in
chancellories where dedication
must reside and the inevitable
result is alienation of wide seg
ments of our people from all
Jewish interests.
Unless one has a constructive
program capable of replacing
the structure that is Jewish life
in America today, he has no
right to shout “sin.” If the wave
of derogation that has been let
loose upon Jewish life in recent
years by our prophets of doom
is not stemmed, its victims in
the end may believe themselves
beyond redemptive help and
peacefully yield to the prophecy
of the soothsayers.
It is radiance we need, not
searchlights.
slav origin, including Jews, are
shocked by Rep. Bolton’s hom
age to the Croatian Nazis. They
are even more infuriated by the
seeming immunity of Artukovic
who sneaked into the United
States to escape trial as a war
criminal. /
Artukovic, No. 2 man in the
Ustachi regime, was personally
in charge of administration of
Ustachi-operated concentration
camps in which 30,000 Jews
were systematically murdered
and starved. He rose to power
as an ally of the Nazis in the
capacity of “Police Minister"
when Hitler conquered Yugo
slavia.
Artakovic signed an order on
Jane 4, 1941, which stripped
Jews of their property and com
pelled them to wear a yellow
badge with the letter “Z” (for
“Zldov” or Jew).
Artukovic bragged that he
outstripped Hitler in the speed
with which his police squads
solved “the Jewish problem.”
He said he acted against Jews
at once and “not like the Ger
mans. who procrastinated mat
ters with the Jews for years."
Wartime orders to execute
Jews carried Artukovic’s signa
ture. He was listed in 1945 as a
Nazi war criminal by the Allied
High Command. But he escaped
capture in the postwar chaos.
Artukovic entered the United
States unlawfully under an alias.
An order for his deportation
was issued by the Justice De
partment in 1953. Its execution
was postponed indefinitely be
cause various Yugoslav extradi
tion suits were pending in the
courts.
Because Yugoslavia is today a
Communist State, the courts de
cided that the case against Artu
kovic might be “political" be
cause he is an “anti-Commun-
ist" He was granted sanctuary
in the United States because of
concern that, if returned to Yu
goslavia, he might not receive a
fair trial.
But is an undesirable alien
like Artukovic entitled to inde
finite hospitality here? The
House Immigration Subcommit
tee. headed by Rep. Francis E.
Walter, has sought deportation
of alien racketeers. Many have
been returned to Sicily and
Italy. Rep. Walter, co-author of
the McCarran-Walter Immigra
tion Act. has done nothing about
Artukovic.
Rep. James B. Utt, California
Republican, sought to provide
Artukovic a permanent horns ’in
Anterica. He sponsored a ‘pri
vate bill.” HR. 2844. to suspend
deportation proceedings entire
ly and grant formal admission
to Artukovic. Rep. Uft quoted
Roman Catholic Chunk authori
ties in Artukovic’s behalf. He
alleged that “only Communists”
were anti-Artukovic.
The truth is that many non-
Jews of Yugoslav origin (bars
the Jewish view of Artukovic.
persecuted not only Jews hut,
Christians of other sects, in fact
all who did not shan the nar
row. totalitarian ideology of the
pro-Nazi Ustachis.
As a result of public protest,
the House Judiciary Committee
killed Rep. Utt’s bUL A majority
of committee members had no
intention of rewarding an alien
known to be a war criminal of
the Eichmann variety.
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