The Phoenix Jewish news., 1954-07-09
Those Security Firinqs

A short time ago an editorial about some gov
security frngs which Jewish defense agencies
charged motivated by antSemitism. We didn't
cept the charges face value but said the times
propous for such things and it would be well to keep an
eye the Investigations
AS the paper out got calls from a
couple of readers who were pretty upset about
a The substance of their remarks that Communists
whether they happen to be Jewish or not should get
what's coming to them.
there two of them. One at Fort Monmouth N
There the Army suspended As employees, of whom Al
believed to be Jews The other incident took place
in the Navy photographic Office in Washington There
Jewish employee by the name of Abraham Chasanow
with 23 wears of experience was discharged after having
been previously cleared by security board 49,
the Fort Monmouth the charge of lSemltlSm
was made by the Anti-Defamaton League which doesn't
toss such statements around loosely Nor did it make the
were Jewish ADJ conducted it's own independent inves
cation of the as frngs and to the studied conclusion
that there was indeed anti-Semitism involved
In the Chasanow case it the American Jewish Con-
gress which charged anti Semsm AJC is reliable and
terestng to observe that AJC alone in finding
something sinister behind the Chasanow firing Time maga
to protect COMMUNISTS carried lengthy piece the case
in which it came to the same conclusion.
the town in which he ived-Greenbelt Md AS such, he
had got involved in number of community controversies
that antSemtsm cropped out Even so, the Navy Sc
curty board found ChasanOw was moderatng con-
But the security board was overruled Chasanow was
sacked So were four other employees in his office-a
Jews and all from the same town Eight employees
likewise from Greenbelt but not jewish kept their jobs
Both the AJC and Time magazine decided that the fl1ngs
veoped Greenbelt The Navy itself must have had some
misgvngs too for it has reopened the Chasanow
Now then, about the two upset readers who called: We
don't blame them for being concerned about the possibility
of iponheshouder attitude toward security findings
involving Jews We share that and more than
any other responsible Jewish publication will inds
criminately cry "antiSemtsm whenever Jew is fired
for security It is unfortunately true that
Jews have been Communists, contrary to the
impression gratutousy cultivated by the professional big
ots-the number has been infinitesimal
Or
made:
In the first place. indicated earlier the claims of
antiSemitism in the security rngs made not by
but by two hghycompetent defense agencies stated with
people who mature, thorough, well-traned and
patriotic anybody.
Secondly and this is the point to be underscored all
Americans-Jews and otherwise-Should be on guard
against equatng the charge of Communism dsoyalty
with the conviction of Communism dsoyalty We will
agree that Communists in sensitive government jobs
whether they happen to be Jewish not should get what's
coming to them But let's insist proof To accept the
charge of being Communist proof of without proof
being adduced proof has not been adduced in the
citedis, to horrid word, McCarthyism And
because McCarthysm with all it's anti-democratic
notatons is especially menacng to security Jews
Jews need to be especially careful lest practice
it ourselves