Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 192 t '
Vol. XLIII
Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, November t, 1968
Senators, Leaders
Rap Paper for Editorial
LETTER FROM WASHINGT
Sharp denial of The Southern
Israelite’s recent charges of
“gentlemen’s agreement” type of
anti-Semitism came promptly
from Georgia’s two Senators.
This paper’s editorial report
angered as well some of the
state’s top Jewish leadership and
triggered a public letter in a
daily newspaper which originally
picked up the report.
Several letters denying any
tincture of anti-Semitism on the
part of the two Senators were
received by the editor, along with
an anonvmous and presumably
non-Jewish threatening phone
call.
In his reply to a letter of
protest from a communal leader,
Senator Dick Russell noted:
“I was somewhat surprised by
the vicious and false charges . . .
I have spent my entire life in
Georgia and defy this man to
bring forth one anti-Semitic act
or statement of mine ... I have
also been to Israel on several
occasions to help them with their
problems and it would be diffi
cult to convince any of those who
are familiar with the relations
between this country and Israel
to accept this man’s filth.”
Senator Talmadge responded
to the signers of the public
letter:
“Thank you for your letter of
October 14 regarding the edi
torial . . . which wrongfully ac
cuses Senator Russell and me of
anti-Semitism.
“I am deeply grateful for your
thoughtfulness in writing and I
appreciate your vote of confi
dence. Also please express my
sincere gratitude to the other
signers of the letter to the editor
of the Journal and Constitution.
You know that I value your
friendship and support very high
ly and it is my earnest hope that
I may always prove worthy of
the trust that has been placed
in me.”
In his communication to Sena
tor Russell, Abe Goldstein, presi
dent of the Atlanta Jewish Wel
fare Federation, noted:
“. . . your friends in Atlanta
know you full well and know
that the accusation stated is a
complete falsehood, and we
recognize all the good you have
done for the Jews of the United
States. An article of that kind
which was full of falsehoods and
misquotes is indeed a tragedy
that your friends had no part in.
“I recall the 1948 meeting we
had together with the late Sena
tor Walter George at the May
flower with our mutual friend,
Wiley L. Moore, of blessed mem
ory. When we met with Am
bassador Eban, your help at that
time will always be cherished
by me.
“. . . My congratulations to
you on accepting the Chairman
ship of the Senate Appropriations
Committee. This is certainly an
endorsement to your full under
standing of world affairs.”
Politics— Thre
Some Jewish
-•^§1
XOO
No. 44
. cttS/
ipects
By TRUDE B. FELDMAN
Southern Israelite White House Correspondent
It has been said that politics
is a three-ring circus. While the
public’s attention has been con
centrated on the center ring —
the Presidential race, the other
two rings—the Senate and House
races—ought not to be ignored.
(Georgia Editor Tells AJC
About Wallace Danger
This account is coverage of only one session of the American Jewish
Committee board meeting. Mr. Meyer’s speech, because of relevancy
to the forthcoming election, is reprinted in full in another section
of the paper. More material will be presented later.
A prominent Southern Jewish
newspaper editor said last Friday
that “George Wallace is the first
centra], unifying figure about
whom the scattered and diverse
elements of the right throughout
the country have rallied.”
Unlike the Goldwater cam
paign, Wallace’s candidacy repre
sents a genuine third-party
movement, which will continue
after the elections, he predicted.
Sylvan Meyer, editor of the
Gainesville (Georgia) Daily
Times and member of the Na
tional Educational TV Network
Regional Report Team, spoke at
a luncheon session of the annual
National Executive Board Meet
ing of the American Jewish
Committee.
Mr. Meyer pointed out that
“Wallace, who has been cam
paigning for a year, has made
the issue of ‘law and order,’
forcing it on Nixon and Hum
phrey.”
He added that contributions
were “flooding” into Wallace
headquarters despite the fact that
he had an unstructured national
organization.
“Unlike the Goldwater cam
paign, which was highly or
ganized, the Wallace movement
is an individualistic, grass-roots
operation, similar to that of
Governor Maddox of Georgia,”
Mr. Meyer said. “You cannot
really put your finger on the
Wallace organization at the local
and state levels. Furthermore,
for the first time, labor union
members in large numbers are
leaving the Democratic party for
Wallace.”
Mr. Meyer terms Wallace “a
power to be reckoned with.”
“Should Nixon win and Wallace
receive 25 to 35 per cent of the
national vote, the new Republi
can administration will have to
placate the Wallace forces,” he
explained. “This could be re
flected in the appointment of
conservative cabinet members —
specifically Attorney -General,
and the Secretaries of Commerce
and of Health, Education and
Welfare.
“In turn, the long-range
counter-revoluntionary measures
of the Democratic administrations
to satisfy the legitimate demands
of the revolutionaries for equal
status will be stymied,” Mr.
Meyer said.
“This retrogression,’’ he
warned, “will not stop the revo
lution, but will lead to a further
polarization of forces that could
lead to a repressive law-and-
order type of government just
short of fascism.”
Mr. Meyer characterized the
American Independent Party as
a “purely Wallace party,” which
(Continued on Page 5)
All three Senators of the Jew
ish faith are up for re-election
this year. In Alaska, Sen. Ernest
Gruening was defeated in the
Democratic primary. He has in
dicated, however, that he will
stay in the race as a write-in
candidate. Although a former
governor and a Senator since
Alaska was admitted to the
union, observers rate Gruening’s
chances as slim.
In Connecticut, Abraham Rib-
icoff, a former Congressman, a
former Governor, and a former
Cabinet member in the Kennedy
administration, is trying for a
second Senate term. His speech
at the recent Democratic conven
tion in Chicago — castigating
Mayor Richard Daley—has won
him both support and opposition
at home. While the odds seem
slightly tipped in his favor, the
success of his campaign is also
dependent upon the fate of the
national ticket in Connecticut as
well as how the George Wallace
vote will move.
In New York, Sen. Jacob K.
Javits is running for a third term
against Democratic Party and
Conservative Party opponents.
The veteran Senator, who has
both the Republican and Liberal
Party nominnations, has tradi
tionally had the support of the
Jewish community based on his
reoord and his deep interest with
causes of concern to them.
It Is anticipated that the ef
forts to shake this will be un
successful as voters seem reluc
tant to trade a proven friend for
a bowl of election-year porridge
promises.
In Illinois, Democratic Gover
nor Samuel Shapiro is running
(Continued on Page 5)
1500 Visitors Expected
For General Assembly
Fifteen hundred Jewish leaders,
representing virtually every com
munity with an appreciable Jew
ish population in the United
States and Canada, will partici
pate in the 37th annual General
Assembly of the Council of Jew r
ish Federations and Welfare
Funds, November 13 through No
vember 17 at the Regency Hyatt
House in Atlanta.
One of the major tasks of the
Assembly will be to convey to
the Jews of the U. S. and Can
ada, the extraordinary character
and implications of the present
crisis in Israel which has result
ed in the freezing and cutting
back of Israel’s share of support
for American-assisted social serv
ices, health, rehabilitation and
hospital programs, immigrant
housing, child care and other
programs vital to the welfare of
250,000 unabsorbed immigrants.
In addition to planning measures
to meet far more of these crit
ical social welfare budget in Is
rael, the delegates will also dis-
Heroism, Unmet Social Needs Spur UJA
Appeal from Jerusalem for Cash Drive
An appeal of “earnest urgency” has been received by the Atlanta
Jewish Welfare Federation from the current UJA Study Mission
now in Israel.
The message came to Abe Goldstein as president of the Federa
tion and long a leader in Atlanta’s effort in behalf of the humani
tarian program in behalf of persecuted Jews, particularly those who
have managed to find haven in the Jewish State.
The message from Jerusalem reads:
“UJA Study Mission now in Israel deeply moved by heroism
and sacrifice of the people in face of daily attacks on borders and
cities and mounting threats to security of country. With resources
strained to utmost, the general defense of Israel must at the same
time cope with tremendous social welfare needs.
“Close to half million immigrants still unabsorbed require shelter,
medical care, education and rehabilitation. Immigration rising with
four thousand new arrivals in September. United Jewish Appeal
must fulfill commitments and sustain vast humanitarian programs.
We cannot afford bo deny great sums money needed immediately.
We earnestly appeal for intensive drive your community to mobilize
maximum cash for dollars $80,000,000 Fall Cash Drive. American
Jewry has responded magnificently in past We are confident that
all communities will rise again to the challenge. Warmest thanks
and regards. Edward Ginsberg, General Chairman, United Jewish
Appeal.”
Abie Nathan, the Israeli Peace Pilot, is here seen feeding a starving
Biafran child soup from the supplies he brought in on the recent
B’nai B’rith-sponsored flight. He plans another mission on November
2. Interviewed in New York upon his return from Biafra, Abie told
the WUP reporter that “the atmosphere today in Biafra is reminiscent
of Israel during its War of Independence. There is die same fierce
determination not to surrender at any cost,” he said. “It is a despera
tion born out of encirclement — and the excitement of a new nation
being born.”
BESS MYERSON
cuss American participation m
the Conference on Human Needs
in Jerusalem next June, when
representatives from the Jewish
communities of the world will
meet to help Israel’s people shape
plans and programs to meet social
needs over the next decade.
Another priority concern will
be the problem of urban ghettoes
and the directions the Jewish
Federations and agencies should
take to help bring about the so
cial and economic revitalization
of the ghetto populations through
programs of education, job train
ing, vocational guidance, health
care, and social and rehabilitation
services.
The third major concern will
be with strengthening American 1
Jewish life. This will include
consideration of changes in
American Jewish identification
and commitment, involvement of
Jewish college youth and facul
ty members in the Jewish com
munity, measures to achieve
greater quality in Jewish educa
tion, services to the aging,
leadership development for Jew
ish community service, overcom
ing gaps in recruitment and
training of personnel for Jewish
services.
Among the speakers are Yitz-
(Continued on Page 5)