Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

The attitude of the Zionist Organization of America toward Mr. Ab. Goldberg, a member of its national executive, who is at present organizing an opposition in Germany to the official Zionist leadership, is criticized by Mr. S. Rosenfeld, in the “Day” of Nov. 29th. The Zionists have been talking about and praising the tobacco industry in Palestine on every possible occasion, in the course of the past two or three years, according to Mr. Rosenfeld. But now that Mr. Goldberg has come out in opposition to the present Zionist policy and leadership, the tobacco question is used as an argument against him, says Mr. Rosenfeld.

“In their effort”, he continues, “to belittle Mr. Goldberg, the Zionists of America are trying to make the impression that he is a man without principles, that everything he says or does is inspired by personal motives. And this is followed by the statement that his activities are due to the present tobacco crisis in Palestine. Mr. Goldberg arranged an agreement with a German Jewish tobacco grower for the sale of Palestine’s surplus tobacco in America, on the strength of which the tobacco crop in Palestine was considerably increased. But since the Zionist organization of America refused to ratify the agreement this caused a crisis in the tobacco industry of Palestine and consequently Mr. Goldberg is angry.

“The Zionists knew about Mr. Goldberg’s attitude long ago through the memorandum which he published some months back, but why did they remain silent until now? And why did they not say something before about the tobacco crisis? In their repudiation of Mr. Goldberg they assert that the Zionist Executive of America does not ignore the necessity of private initiative in Palestine, only the Zionist Executive is not the proper instrument for conducting private enterprises.

“This may be true, but the Zionist Executive should certainly encourage and aid private initiative. But this is not being done either.”

Mr. Rosenfeld here refers to the case of Migdal, an incipient colony in Palestine, established by the Migdal Garden Villa, Inc. This is a beautiful spot which no tourist fails to visit. He describes the activities of Mr. H. M. Gluckin, a well known Zionist, active in the movement for some 30 years, and associated during his career with some of the leading Zionists of the world, who came to this country two weeks ago in the interests of the Migdal colony. Mr. Rosenfeld then continues: “Yet, up to this day the official Zionist organ here has not had one word about Mr. Glukin’s arrival, nor about his activities and his aims in connection with the important work he is doing. In the behavior of the Zionists toward the Migdal enterprise, one can see an obvious, antagonism, a sort of ‘competition’. If it isn’t that it is certainly ‘politics’. It is a policy of ignoring and suppressing private initiative.”

DEFENDS NEW MOVEMENT TO AID JEWISH COLONIZATION IN RUSSIA

Mr. M. Katz, one of the editors of the Communist “Freiheit,” has come out in defense of the proponents of the movement to secure aid for Jewish colonization in Russia whom Dr. K. Forenberg attacked last week in the “Day,” on the ground that, while the conference which is being called for this purpose for Dec. 21 is announced as impartial, the statement issued by the men who are organizing this movement is couched in the language of the professional Soviet propagandists and gives the impression that Communists are back of it all. In his article in the “Freiheit” of Nov. 29 Mr. Katz says:

“We know well that if we should place ourselves at the head of the relief work for Jewish colonization in Russia, the Jewish bourgeois press will have an excuse to put obstacles in our way. We have therefore placed ourselves purposely in the background and were happy when other elements and groups took up the work.”

WOULD NOT ENTRUST JEWISH COMMUNISTS WITH JEWISH COLONIZATION PLAN IN RUSSIA

Mr. Jacob Fishman, though not referring directly to the conference of December 21st, comments on a recent despatch from Russia reporting the expulsion of Jewish farmers from colonies on the suspicion that they do not devote all their time to tilling the soil, which is illuminating in reference to the subject of Jewish colonization in Russia.

“We hear now that Jews who have braved all dangers to settle in the new colonies in Russia are suddenly expelled from them. Why? One of them, a shoemaker, with a large undernourished family, made a pair of boots and sold them. Another, a tailor, committed a similar crime under pressure of dire need. For this the inspectors of the Jewish Section of the Communist Party branded them as bourgeois and expelled them from the colony,” writes Mr. Fishman.

“Even the official Jewish Communist paper the “Emess” felt this on its conscience, from which we can readily imagine how scandalous this act is. And yet there are among us naive writers who urge that American Jews should send at least a couple of million dollars into Soviet Russia to enable the members of the Jewish Section of the Communist Party to continue their savage acts.”

JUSTICE BRANDEIS AND THE KOSHER LAW CASE

The “Jewish Daily News” writing editorially on Nov. 23, on the Kosher Law Case before the Supreme Court, expresses regret that Justice Louis D. Brandeis found it necessary to leave the bench during the consideration of this case. After saying that it believes a Jew in the Supreme Court or in any other branch of the Government should fulfill his duty in a case involving Jewish matters as in any other case, the editorial continues:

“Assuming that a State adopts a law against Jews, a law that is un-American and un-Constitutional, would there be any reason in Justice Brandeis’ refusal to participate in the case because he is a Jew?

“The withdrawal of Justice Brandeis from the Kosher Law case is apt to prejudice the other judges who may think that he is against the law. With all due respect to Louis D. Brandeis, whom we consider one of the outstanding men among Jews in America and the world over, we submit that his withdrawal from this case was an error.”