Books

Leon Trotsky helps us to understand what Adolf Hitler wants. Long before he became commander in chief of Soviet Russia’s armies, Trotsky was a pamphleteer and ever since he became an exile he has been devoting himself to putting on the record the history through which he lived and which he helped to create. In his pamphlet, “What Hitler Wants,” just published by the John Day Company, he draws for us the main lines in the pattern of Hitlerian foreign diplomacy. This design attributes so much soundness, reason and cunning to the Nazi leader that one almost doubts it, but in effect it explains too much that, before his explanation, seemed strange and unrelated and wild.

The diplomacy of Hitler, as seen by Trotsky, follows along these lines. France will not allow Germany to rearm, nor will she herself disarm. Germany must break the Allied lineup by separating Italy and England from France. She has secured, more or less, the allegiance of Italy. Her main efforts are now designed towards employing Italy as a lever to put England on her side. She can win the sufferance, if not the allegiance, of England by representing herself as a necessary bulwark against the Soviets, whose influence upon her Eastern domains England fears more than she does Germany’s threat to the West. This outline, incidentally, is clearly in tune with the emotional drive of Hitler’s private secretary, Alfred Rosenberg, who hates the Soviets and has been the inspiration for the propaganda campaign by which it was hoped public opinion in England would be turned in favor of Germany. The fact that Rosenberg failed in his private propaganda mission does not mean that the attempt, by and large, to win over to the German side a large and influential section of the Britons has failed. The warning that Trotsky utters is this: Beware lest Germany turn against the West the arms with which she may be allowed to arm herself against the East!

H. S.

ALEPH KATZ’S THIRD BOOK

“Dos Tellerl Fun Himl”, a long poem by Aleph Katz, is the third book announced for this season by Farlag Matones, the publishing nucleus of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute, which ordinarily publishes two books a year.

Aleph Katz is the author of two other volumes of verse—”A Maise Fun Yam” (A Tale of the Sea) and “Akertzeit” (Plowing Time) — and of the Yiddish translation of Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”. He has also published a number of children’s poems in the Kinder Journal. “Dos Tellerl Fun Himl”, which is illustrated by Yosl Kotler, will be ready in about two weeks.

The two Matones books which have already appeared this year are intended for children. The first, “Dos Kluge Schneiderl” (The Clever Tailor), by Solomon Simon, author of “Schmerl Nar”, is a collection of amusing stories written around a central character exemplifying Jewish wisdom and resourcefulness. “Dos Kluge Schneiderl” is illustrated by Isac Friedlander, some of whose work has appeared in the Jewish Daily Bulletin.

The second Matones book, “Wort un Bild” (Word and Picture), will be appreciated by those who are looking for a virtual self-instructor in Yiddish for the young child. It was compiled by Sarah L. Libert, who has for a number of years been associated with the National Council of Jewish Women and is an experienced teacher. “Wort un Bild” should make it quite simple to teach a child at home, for it uses the direct method so helpful in language study.

“THE GREAT REFUSAL”

In planning “The Great Refusal”, Henry Pine must have had in mind just such a story as should be written of the Palestine of today. For Palestine today is rich with courageous, purposeful life, colorful and pregnant with satisfaction for those who are of it.

Mr. Pine has seen this life and was part of it, having spent some time in Palestine as a Chalutz. On his return to America and after his completion of a course at Syracuse University Mr. Pine set about writing his first novel — a novel which would portray “the life of the Chalutzim — the pioneers in Palestine—their work, their hopes, their dreams.”

However, Mr. Pine’s book is scarcely a novel, and it only hints at what it might have been. Mr. Pine has merely sketched for us in 124 pages proof that he had the wherewithal for a novel—milieu and characters who have each his own story, a story which is, moreover, collectively that of all of them.

Mr. Pine’s greatest lapse is in neglecting to build up Shifra, the positive type of the Chalutza. Rachel and Hilda are Jewish girls whose story might have occurred anywhere — Shifra is distinctly the new Palestinian.

Despite which Mr. Pine gets his theme across:

“The world is watching us… We have refused so far to bow our heads. Let us face the odds and await our fate with the great refusal beating in our hearts.”

E.D.