The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1940-07-26
Fighting for American Liberties
BY EDGAR ]. BURMAN
National Commander, Jewish War Veterans

negative isolationism has changed
to the positive spirit of national
preparedness. This is a healthy
indication. BY it the people of this
nation are demonstrating that no
matter what temporary damage
may be done to liberty and democ-
racy abroad, we are determined to
preserve and strengthen our ideals
of liberty and justice and to dis
perse every attack against these
ideals here. The spirit of prepared
ness has come upon us suddenly
in the last two months and it is
important for all Americans to re-
alize that if our detectives are to
be attained, if America is to be
kept secure against attack, this
country must be prepared not on
ly in ornaments but in morale as
well. Military preparedness is the
job of the President, of the Con-
gress, of admirals, generals and
technicians, but moral prepared
ness, the strengthening of our in
tangible American ideals and in
stitutions-that is the job-indeed
the patriotic duty, of every Amer
lean in every walk of life.
The basis of this vital m or a
preparedness lies in Americas
democratic unity = the unity on
common ground of every Ameri-
can group, of every origin and
creed. Just as Americans of Cath
Ollie, Protestant and Jewish faiths
fought in Flanders, not for Cath
olic, Protestant or Jewish liber-
ties but rather for the preserva-
ton of American liberties, so too
these religious groups today must
work together for democratic uni
ty on the basis of moral prepared
ness. Our unity must be impervi-
Gus to the methods of hate breed
ing, Trojan horse elements. Two
Americans, working together are
more effective that two million
Americans at war with each
other at the behest of Troj a n
horse disunity. It is true that the
past several months have wit
messed a violent revulsion of pub
lie opinion against those individ-
uals and groups who would I'm
dermine our liberties by means Of
group hatred specifically, by
means of anti-Semitism as q
smokescreen to conceal their rea.
anti-American purposes. The dem
: ogogue is not popular figure in
America Just now.
We must keep it that way. Fol
we have seen country after coun.
try in Europe fall before the az.
gressor, not primarily because Of
military inferiority but rather be-
cause of popular disunity and be.
trayal from within.
The lesson of France is that
military defenses must be backed
uP NY AASA C4NAAAoAI AAAOA o4C' AAOAS
can be no Nazi Blitzkrieg in this
country if we keep morally pre-
pared and make this country un
safe for totalitarian aggression
whether it be against the body Of
against the spirit. This thought
must be driven home to every
American Throughout our daily life
The President has called fol
$4,000 planes, but we who know
the methods Of the aggressor tel
you that $4,000 planes are weak
indeed unless they are backed by
the common will to freedom, CO.
operation and internal friendship
of 130,O0O,O00 Americans.
Above all, let us avoid hysteri'
cal witch-hunting = for this, too
aids the aggressor by creating
confusion. Let us keep calm, anC
with faith in God and our democ.
racy, we may feel confident that
soon the future liberty will have
been assured. Meanwhile, our du'
ty is not so much to ourselves as
to our neighbors and to America