Evening star., 1947-08-18


Political parties
have closely =
striven over con- Harold I. Iekss.
troversial issues without ever any
suspicion of stolen elections, or race
discrimination at the polls, or OF
kidnapings or riots engaged in by
bitter partisans.
The British have revered the law
to that degree that, in effect, 1t has
automatically enforced itself. The
preservation Of the peace has not
had to be maintained by a club
welding constabulary. Property is
safer. and life also, more than in
any other land. British law has
majesty because 1t Is revered, and
it is revered because 1t Is enforced
impartially. Even the Welsh and
the Scotch, as well as many Irish,
submit confidently and willingly to
it. In England there is the anomaly
of q hereditary aristocracy headed
oy q respected. If anachronistic,
reigning house, Notwithstanding
which England has been the fore
most and most consistent democ-
racy in the whole world.
And now there is rioting in Eng
land. There is mob violence. There
is destruction of property, and fear
engendered in a minority by law
less rioters who have broken through
their customary self-restraint and
are venting newly conceived and
ugly race hatred against individuals
who have no responsibility for the
deeds that have given rise to that
hatred. Anti-Semitism has dis
played its poisonous fangs in land
that had been as free from racial
animosities as Ireland has been
from snakes.
Palestine Crime Responsible.
1t all springs from the criminal
lawlessness in Palestine. In that
unhappy land, broken faith has led
to open resentment. Armed inter-
vention has engendered physical de-
fiance. British relent!essness in en-
forcing laws of their own imposition
has led to reprisals. The discourag-
ing result has been a vicious circle
the destruction of property, lethal
bombings, kidnappings. executions
and murder. Vengeance hes begot-
ten vengeance. When the British
began to hang Jews, Jewish terror
lists retaliated with murder in cold
blood.
Even so, it was unimaginabie that
British mobs. not only in English
cities, but in Glasgow, Scotland, and
Cardiff, Wales, should nave attacked
the establishments of Jews who
were as guiltless of any act of vio-
lence in Palestine as were the men,
hers of the English mobs themselves.
The clouds are nonetheless heavy,
despite the suspicion that Sir Os-
wald Mosley's fascists nave been the
inspiration of this British terrorism.
And Americans can take no pride
in the hysterical shrilling Of Vir-
ginia- born Lady Astor (Which she
later attempted to deny) that, Il do
not care how many Jews are Killed
In Palestine ."
Most British Jews have been inte-
grated citizens of Great Britain for
hundreds of years. AS had been
the case in Germany, Jews have
intermarried with non-Jews. Some
have given up their orthodox faith.
Many have made outstanding con-
tributions to the business and p:o-
fessional life of the natiGn. They
have done probably more than their
share toward the prosperity OF a
land that has been as truly their
own as II they were direct descend
ants of. the Normans Of William the
Conqueror.
Contribution Is Great.
They have climbed the ladder
alongside of their English brothers,
in the arts, the humanities and the
sciences. No one who recalls the
name of Disraeli can fail to recog-
nize what the Jews have added to
the superstructure of the British
Empire. Great Jews have performed
great deeds in behalf Of Great
Britain. Jews have enriched the
democracy of the mother of de-
mocracies by their active participa-
ton in the public life of what many
regard as the most democratic
country in the whole world.
never have hesitated to say that,
first, the Conservative Party, and
now the Labor Party of England
have been primarily responsible for
the ghastly situation in Palestine.
Nevertheless, 1t is proper to ask the
question: How will it benefit those
Jews of q perverted patriotism in
Palestine, even If they succeed in
forcing Great Britain to return 10
the principles of the Balfour Decla-
ration, If they thereby lose their
own souls?"
And If a terroristic minority Of
Palestinian Jews has nothing to gain
but everything to lose, by a course
of conduct that has shocked the
civilized world, what will be the
benefit to that lawless minority OF
British citizens that. In far-away
London or Manchester, organize a
disgraceful mob to seek a fruitless
vengeance?
Intolerance is not the cure for
intolerance, nor Is murder the an
swer to murder. What Is needed. not
only In England and la Palestine