r \ 12 THE CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW JANUARY 20. I960 CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW n Impartial Medium for the Dissemination of Jewish Newt and Views MKMBER AUDIT BUREAU OP CIRCULATIONS George W. Cohen, PuoHther URGES ISRAEL 675 Belmont Street Montreal MArquotte 1208 Room 1207, 21 Dundas Square Toronto Phone ELfin I486 Authorised as second class mail by Post Office Department, Ottawa. Subscription $2 per year; |3 for two years. United States 13.00 per year; $5 for two years. Single copy, 5 cents Florence Freedlander Cohen, Editor Rabbi H. J. Stern. Contributing Editor Lena A. Newman Ida Hlion Suzann F. Cohen Manager Toronto Manager Circulation Manager I wholly disapprove of what you lay and will defend to the death your right to tay it. � Voltaire to Helvetins. (Continued from Page One) presenting or impending, between American Zionist leaders and the Government of Israel," Dr. Neumann declared that "such stories are launched by mischievous individuals who thrive on intrigue and seek to further their own ends." "There is nothing we desire more fervently," he said, "than to see this Government of Israel, whom destiny has charged with such fateful responsibilities, succeed in whatever they undertake." RABBI ASKS POPE JANUARY 20, 1950 VOL. XXXH No. 16 Commentaries Bj Dr. Hurry J. Stern, Raftbt Crisis In Zionism, The Urgent Need For Unity The thirtieth national convention JQ/ Canadian Zionists, here in Montreal thiA week-end, occurs in a most critical time, a time which calls for re-definition of Zionism, and, what is more, the urgent need for unity among Zionists, What is now the function of the Zionist movement outside of Israel? And what should be the relationship of the Israel government to the Zionist movement? The government of Israel must give definition to these questions in order to sweep away the confusion which now exists both in Israel and outside of Israel. If we are to strengthen the partnership between Zionism outside of Israel and the people of Israel we must do away with party lines outside of Israel. How confusing it is even in our own Montreal in the propaganda struggle which the various parties are carrying on and which weakens united co-operative effort, certainly from an economic point of view in our aid to Israel. With all due respect to the Histadruth, one is puzzled by the publicity campaign and fund-raising effort which this organization is at present staging here in Montreal on the very eve of the thirtieth national convention of Canadian Zionists. Ls the Histadruth out to capture the dominant position of organized Zionism here in Canada and in the United States? The welter of party politics and inter-party strife has been consuming too much of our energies, at a time when every ounce of strength of all Zionists ought to be given in a constructive effort for the continuance and the development of the State of Israel Fateful responsibilities rest upon the government of Israel and its future depends upon the wholehearted support of the friends of Israel throughout the world. We trust that the Zionist convention will be marked by unity and high statesmanship and that out of this convention will come a rededlcation on the part of all Canadian Jews, not only to Israel but to Judaism. We pray that the atmosphere of the convention will be marked by a spirit of Jbcotfwhoorf and that iHs� delegate* win reeahre not merely to do petty things but great things in a time of crisis for Israel and humanity. There is no gain-saving that the Canadian Zionists need at this time to draw in within the organization the best of Canadian leadership which hither-to has not been attracted Wannest greetings to all who will come to share in the deliberations of the thirtieth national convention. In the past the Zionist Organization of Canada has rendered distinguished service. Can the Organization and its leadership match this great hour in our history? (Continued from Page One) Pilate may have been an answer to the cry of some in the crowd, nevertheless many of His fellow-Jews were among His defenders and to this day millions of our people regard Him as one of the prophets of faith and His teachings as a heritage shared in common with all who use the tenets of the ancient synagogue aa the basis of their spiritual charter." AGENCY (Continued from Page One) couples in the top income group, Justice Polier explained. Each child receives medical, nursing, psychological and psychiatrjc services. She added that "the income ob-tain'ed from the fees will cover less than one-third of the total budget of the agency, but will make it possible for us to meet our current budget, with the continued support of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and the City of New York." The Agency, which depends on funds from the Federation to cover most of its expenses, was organ, ized thirty years ago by Mrs. Stephen Wise, wife of the noted rabbi. It has placed with adoptive parents more than 2,600 children from a few months to 15 years of age. Both the child and the prospective home environment are studied to assure the likelihood of happiness for the entire family after the adoption is legalired. HOPES Clear The Atmosphere About Israel And Jews Here By Rabbi .Vorwian N. Shapiro, Of Gael Tzedtc Synagogue, Toronte In recent months we have heard a great deal of discussion regarding the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, particularly the Jews of this North American continent. It seems that a general apathy and inertia have been grip-pin? our Jewish people in America and Canada in terms of maintaining the same maximum effort, financially and politically, which motivated us in the period immediately preceding Israel's Statehood. Possibly the indifference towards Israel's current economic plight, induced largely by the abnormal absorption of immigrants, can be explained or rationalised by our Diaspora Jews as a normal "letdown* which -ensues after having attained an immediate objective like a Jewish State. It may be that the rising tide of criticism which even life-long Zionists heaped upon David Ben-Gurion, Premier of Israel, for his recent demand to increased immigration on the part of American Jews to Israel may also be attributable to the increase in sensitivity and general relaxation of pur vigilance and support "Zionistically speaking." It is even reported that Jewish groups in America brought pressure to bear on Ben-Gurion to repudiate his original call to Jewish youth of America to come to Israel" and help rebuild the country. Ben-Gurion, however, was not content with a simple denial, for he later released a second statement in which he indicated that Israel has a right to call for a number of specialists and technical experts who posaes* the "know-how" in many fields of endeaveor to emigrate to Israel from America. It should be a source of interest for as as Jews to take cojrnit-anee of what recently happened in Dublin, Ireland. Premier John CooteDo, in a radio addrees, broadcast an argent appeal to Irishmen J+ Ihriaff abroad to "come home". This plea to an Irishman to return to tMr aeeaetaad was pan of a cam- * . -. ^ �-�� r paign to secure skilled workers for various development projects in Ireland. As far as we know, Premier Costello did not, by virtue of his declaration, elicit the censure or incur the displeasure of Irishmen living abroad. Nor are Irishmen in the United States or Canada being accused of dual loval-ty as a consequence of Costello's message. It is to be hoped that those Jews who became hysterical and vented their spleen over Ben-Gurion's appeal to American Jewish youth to immigrate to Israel will feel a bit reassured now that the Irish Premier has made a similar exhortation to Irishmen living abroad. It seems to this writer that even with Ben-Gurion's ever-ready call to American Jews to supply the technical know-how to Israel, it still is not sufficiently clear exactly what human material Israel expects from Jews living, in the Diaspora and upon what philosophy such a policy rests. Considerable light is happily shed upon this entire problem by a series of excellently written articles by Elitear Ltebenstein. editor of the "Beterem", which is considered in many Barters the finest political journal in Israel. The editor of "Beterem" is a clear thinker who has a refreshing approach to the problem of reciprocal relationships between Israel and the "Galuf. His analysis is that there are ?ome countries which must be considered as sources or potentials for large-scale immigration or even complete evacuation of their population to Israel. On the other hand, there are other countries, America and Canada among them, which for many yean to come will retain and maintain their Jewish communities and population, and from which very limited immigration to Israel can and should be expected. The Utter countries, Mr. Liefaon-stein continues, should b� sources of financial support for aid in- (Continued from Page One) Truman that the original DP act was "particularly prejudicial to Catholics and Jews and there were no grounds in the history of this country to justify such discrimination against them." Denouncing critics of the screwing procedure set up by the Government to examine the fitness of DP's, Mr. Barkley said: "There has never been in my judgment in the whole history of the United States a more careful piece of machinery and investigation than is now in effect in regard to the administration of these displaced persons in the United States. "None of these agencies, whether governmental or voluntary, either approves of or permits anybody to come under the displaced persons program who either is now or ever has been a member of the Communist party, who now is or ever was a Nazi or a Fascist" Mr. Barkley added that the DP program has been helped by many organizations, "to such an extent that I do pot entertain any fear as to the character or the loyalty of those who are permitted to come." Recalling his visit to DP camps in Europe, the Vice-President said that he was "inspired by the devotion and sincerity and the character of these people who are looking forward to the approach of the dav when they expect to leave." Walter H. Bieringer of Newton. Mass., was elected president of United Service for New Americans. He succeeded Edwin Rosenberg of New York, head since 1946. The Annual Meeting of Shareholders The Royal Bank of Canada Programme tor Trade Recovery Calls tor Exchange Stabilizer Canada's reputation, achievement and strength offset anxieties caused by world conditions � development of resources, increased population and foreign trade needed vestment in Israel in order that the vast influx of Jews coming into Israel from lands of oppression might be readily absorbed and integrated. Moreover, the western countries should continue to receive ever-increased stimulation through varied cultural media and channels from Israel. This interaction is bound to take effect sooner or later upon a number of pioneers to migrate to Israel where they will be able to give it the benefit of their zeal and talent. This process will be so natural and imoerceptable that it should accomplish the desired ends without having to resort to public declarations or pressures for ChaluUiut and Hachshara to which many elements among our Jews seem to object. The^ above is the thesis and point of view espoused by Eli rear Lieben-stein. It should, in this writer's opinion, be elaborated upon and implemented by leaders of Israel, American, and Canadian Jewry. A program that will place it in operation should become the major responsibility of Zionist organizations to help clear up the atmosphere about the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jews� particularly the Jews in Canada. Now is the time for lucid thinking and determined action on the part of our Zionist organizations so that a treat deal of the confusion and lethargy in Zionist circle* today might M dfepelkd and a wort poaithr* orientation and into UM A five-point programme for world recovery was a feature of James Muir's Presidential address at the Annual Meeting of shareholders of The Royal Bank of Canada. Mr. Muir also stressed Canada's economic development and her continuing role in world economy. * � Reviewing international currency experience during the 19th and 20th centuries, Mr. Muir referred to the stability of sterling before 1914. "Several important factors contributed to the enduring dependability of the sterling standard. First, debtor nations accepted exchange parities which they were able to maintain through relatively small adjustments of prices and money incomes. Second, debtors were willing to accept the discipline of the gold standard and to acquiesce of the gold standard and to acquiesce, under the rules of that standard, in the price and income adjustments which their trading position required. And third, the world's creditor, Great Britain, made additional sterling available through the vigorous international lending of her financial and business community and the free trade policy of her government." COMBINE PAST, PRESENT "In meeting any emergency we must combine the lessons of the past with inventiveness and imagination in the present. In the past, as in any relatively normal period, responsibility for international economic stability was divided between the creditor and debtor countries of the world. But, in the period immediately following the second world war the primary responsibility lay with the creditors; and in meeting this responsibility, the United States and Canada embarked on an unprecedented program of loans and gifts to the warworn countries of Europe, t." "The nations of Europe, through their own efforts and with the help of loans and gifts from abroad, have built up their production to the pre-war standard. Further progress in production would be Immensely beneficial, but the immediate problem has become not production as such but efficient production. In other words, we are back to normal times again in the sense that the old problems of competition in international trade, such as costs, prices, and salesmanship, must once more be met. Under these conditions, we still need the inventiveness and imagination which have helped debtor and creditor countries by cooperative effort to1 progress as far as they have along the road to world recovery. But we need also to restore as nearly as we can the favorable economic environment that made international stability possible in the golden age of the sterling standard ..." THE CANADIAN ECONOMY Mr. Muir discussed the Canadian economy in 1949 under four main heads : "(1) Canada's reputation, (2) Canada's record, (3) Canada's weakness, and (4) Canada's strength. (1) Canada's Reputation. Mr. Muir pointed out that among foreign observers "Canada is at once the bulwark of free enterprise, and a model of wisdom of government regulation; the possessor of an admirable private banking system and of the best practice in efficient Central Bank control : the stronghold of a sound conservative tradition and the home of interesting experiments in political and economic order." "We don't have to be too modest, at least among ourselves. We can spare ourselves an inferiority com- Elex and the abnormal national be-avior to which it may give rise. As a nation, we have accomplished much; not all of it is good, but the power for good is there; and in 1949, as in previous years, our good repute is, in large measure, supported by our record." (2) Canada's Record. Mr. Muir briefly summarized Canadian business conditions in 1949. The year saw "a further increase in Canada's industrial plant and equipment, the maintenance of the high levels of consumption attained in 1948, and the over-all expansion of the net and gross national product beyond the record levels of a year ago." He noted too that "Canada is one of the few countries today that can still boast a substantial budget surplus. This not only contribute* to stability, but it turns prosperity to jrood account by improving the credit of the government." (3) Caaada'a Weakmeoa. Mr. Muir referred in some detail to Canada's export petition and her vulnerability to UM current unbalance ia International markets. After van-mariiin* Caaada's trade to 1*49, PRESIDENT ADVOCATES FIVE STEPS TOWARD WORLD TRADE REVIVAL Devaluation has at least broken the log jam;, but we must take immediate advantage of this initial break in the barriers to trade which have been thrown up by overvalued exchange rates and rigidly held in place by government controls. The steps, in my opinion, are as follows: First, nations of the world should re-learn a basic lesson of the first world war, and settle their war debts. . . . Second, for a certain fixed period, we should let the market determine rates of exchange, as it did immediately after the first war. ... Third, at the end of this period of free-market valuation, we should stabilize currencies by reference to the rates which the free-market has determined. ... Fourth, having stabilized exchange rates at the level decreed by the free market, the world must adopt some device to keep them that way. . . . The gold standard kept nations within their means before the days of the great illusion that international equilibrium can only be achieved by clamping the fetters of exchange control upon free international trade. .. . . ' Fifth, the gold standard (or its equivalent) must be made to work by the proper discipline not only of debtor but of creditor nations as well. This means a return to the two basic requirements of responsible creditor nations; vigorous international lending and free trade. od : Tint, o*r ovar-eU with UM world > dwtedttBff; a*d. dollars through exports to the United States is becoming relatively more important than our indirect earnings of dollars through trade with U.-S.-financed Europe." Mr. Muir referred to the danger of losing established markets in Europe but "the continued failure of our overseas customers to earn sufficient dollars, through trade and investment rather than through gifts from the dollar area may force us to realign our trade. That is, we may have to contemplate the contraction of traditional markets in Europe offset to some degree by increased sales to the dollar area." "The least transferable of our major exports overseas are wheat and wheat flour." In this case, he pointed out, "shifting is difficult owing to large exportable surpluses of these products within the united States. To finance wheat exports through new loans to the United Kingdom would mean a return to our lending policy of 1945-46 and a return to our dollar-short position of 194?". "The most favorable development in our world trade would be an increase in our imports from Europe and especially from the United Kingdom, or increased dollar earnings by these countries in their trade with the United States." "To attempt this shift through further curbs on imports from the United States would be a move backward to more rigid exchange controls with all the disadvantages of such a move for ourselves and for the world economy. Fortunately, the recent devaluations have provided some incentive for precisely the* shift we have in mind without an increase in controls ..." "The plain truth is that Canada's domestic prosperity depend! upon our handling of a complicated foreign-trade problem. And in the final analysis both our domestic prosperity and the future of world trade itself will depend upon a concerted international effort by all nations to return along the path we outlined earlier; that is, along the path to multilateral world trade unhampered by exchange restrictions, bilateral pacts, and all the paraphernalia of government control". f4) Caaada's Strength. "It is refreshing to turn from Canada's difficulties in the next few months to her prospects over the next few years, or better still over the next decade and many more to come. We have the essential elements that need only a little time to bring about an enormous increase in our national wealth. These sources of economic strength are our natural resources and the temper of our people. "Canada's scarcest natural resource U her working population. Harm, aa with oar forosta, miim, aad oil ftekb, we au*t practise UMSO�I latioa Uu-ooffk UM wis* aad Bvt to paraOol our MI to MSMT* tiNir fa of General Manager Reports Assets, Deposits Are Up Mr. T. H. Atkinson, General Manager, reviewed the 1949 Annual Report and stated that the bank's assets had risen by $112,498,000 during the year to $2,334,986,000 and that liquid assets constituted 76.27% of the total liabilities to the public. Commercial loans had also increased. Mr. Atkinson re* ported deposits at a new all-time high of $2,192,140,000, an amount two-and-a-half times that of 9 years ago. The number of deposit accounts totalled nearly 2,000,000, which included more than 1,500,000 savings accounts in- Canada. An increase of $1,400,810 in profits over the previous year was noted by Mr. Atkinson and after providing for the customary deductions, including taxes of $4,435,000 and dividends for share-holders, there was a carry forward in Profit and Loss Account of $3,860,-313 IMPROVED FACILITIES^ Referring to the provision of new premises, Mr. Atkinson said: "Since our last report �eleven new branch offices have been construct* ed at points where facilities were inadequate and where extension of existing premises was impracticable, " and at forty-six other points improvements and extensions of a major character have been completed... In order to better serve the public in districts which are expanding we opened twelve branches ana six sub-branches in Canada. At the year-end we were operating 666 branches in Canada and 62 abroad." SERVICE TO TRADERS Mr. Atkinson stressed-the rote played by the Royal Bank's 62 branches abroad in facilitating foreign trade. "For well over a quarter of a century we have operated an extensive chain of our own branches in foreign countries; in fact, at certain points we havf been established for over half a century, and as at November "80, 1949, we had 62 offices which Included representation in the key cities of the major South American Republics, throughout the Cskib-bean area and, of course, we established in London, Engl and New York City, affiliate operates in Paris, "The widespread chain ches coupled with our extensive cor* respondent relations throughout the/ world serves as a constant source of statistical and other information including import and exchange regulations which otherwise might not be readily available to us, and our central bureau in Head Office is thus in a position to givo up- . to-date and complete information to Canadian companies and others having under consideration establishing business relations with clients abroad. We firmly heller* that through helpful information given to Canadian businessmen oar foreign organization will continue-to serve a most useful purpose to Canada in the development of markets abroad for surplus goods." PROUD OF STAFF A warm tribute to the bank staff was paid by Mr. Atkinson. "There's nothing this Bank is prouder of than the quality of its personnel. Within every- officer, I believe, there is a fine sense of pride in this grest institution�pride not only in its achievements and its pre-eminent place in Canadian and world banking, but pride, too, in its being a good place to work. The executive, supervisors and branch managers have all travelled tifts long road of apprenticeship within the Bank; they talk the same language as the young people who are united in trying to make working conditions as pleasant as possible ..." a bold policy of immigration. In this way we can increase UM quantity of the one resource that is in short supply. In this way we can remove the one factor �**fit sots a present limit to the growth of our natural wealth. Against this prospect the few hundred millions of U.S. dollars that measure oar present dollar difficulties pale to insignificance." "This prospect of economic independence does not mean a reduction in trade, We do not have to turn our backs on the interdependence of nations that aeeoa-panies international comiAsres. Trade among independent, industrially developed countries is the most profitable trade of afl. The world is gradually Bovfaf away from trade bitoasa industrialized countries aad developed areas, away frosa that requires eotoaial to trade anon* LuJajUiaj And in this evotutiom of nomy, Canada is at ttte way^. In UM iMihijjsssa* �* natural issriiinjos. tfcotr VM ftp a