Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson was urged by Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the American Jewish Congress, to investigate the charge made by Abraham Chasanow that anti-Semitism lay behind his dismissal as a security risk by the Navy Department, despite his 23 years of service.
“Such charges because of their serious impact on the morale of those in the armed forces, and the population generally, should be promptly and thoroughly investigated, ” Dr. Goldstein said in his telegram to Secretary Anderson. “If the charges are found to be spurious and without substance, they should be countered before they gain any credence and repudiated by responsible bodies. “If, however, there is any substance to the charges, the administration of the navy’s security program clearly requires investigation.”
Chasanow was dismissed by the Navy on April 7 although a naval security board had unanimously cleared him of charges that he had associated with Communists in the suburb of Greenbelt, Md., where he lives. He had been distribution control officer of the Navy Hydrographic Office. Three other Jews employed in the same office and also living in Greenbelt have already been dismissed, and a fourth has been charged with being a security risk. Charges against Mr. Chasanow and, presumably his four Jewish neighbors, originated among certain of his neighbors in Greenbelt where anti-Semitism is a matter of public record.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
