Navy Department to Hold New Hearing on Chasanow’s Dismissal

In the wake of an American Jewish Congress request for a determination of whether anti-Semitism was in any way involved in the dismissal of Abraham Chasanow on security grounds, the Navy Department today consented to hold a new hearing to hear “reasons for reconsidering the decision” to dismiss Mr. Chasanow.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy J.H. Smith, in making the announcement, said the Navy does not intend to say any more at this time because of the possibility of prejudicing the outcome.

In a petition asking the Navy to reconsider the case, Mr. Chasanow made known that “loose charges” and anti-Semitic remarks were made by “disgruntled persons” among his neighbors at nearby Greenbelt, Maryland. The petition asking reconsideration said:

“There are but five members of the Jewish faith who are or were both Greenbelt residents and employees of the Hydrographic Office. There are at least eight members of the Gentile faiths who are both residents of Greenbelt and employees of the Hydrographic Office. All five of the Jews have had security difficulties…all the Gentiles remain undisturbed. In the absence of a statement of reasons for the adverse decision of the Assistant Secretary (of the Navy), it may well be believed that the proceedings which led to that decision were tainted by anti-Semitism.”