US Treasury Secretary Pays Tribute to Morgenthau, Pehle & DuBois

Remarks By Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner At The U.S. Capitol On The Annual Day Of Remembrance Ceremony Hosted By The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
4/19/2012
WASHINGTON - Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Oren, Speaker Westerberg, Chairman Bernstein, Vice Chairman Bolten, Director Bloomfield, survivors of the Holocaust, and other distinguished guests.
I am deeply honored to be here today.
The Museum asked me to speak about Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. and to tell the story of his leadership and the courageous work of his staff on behalf of European Jews during World War II.
Before I relate those events, I want to recognize Robert M. Morgenthau, Henry's son, who helps maintain the legacy of his father's work at Treasury. Bob could not be here today, because he is speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance event at West Point. We all admire his long and distinguished record of public service, and it is appropriate that we honor Bob as we honor his father.
I also want to pay tribute to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the men and women who have made it such a vital institution. Their work has helped show millions of people, in vivid and painful detail, the dangers of unchecked hatred.
And they have brought us together here in this great setting to remember not just the millions who died but also those who chose to act to save lives.
Henry Morgenthau served as Treasury Secretary from 1933 to 1945. He believed that individuals serving in government carry a moral responsibility. He was not constrained by the limits of his direct responsibility or authority. It didn't matter to Morgenthau that the Treasury Department was not the Department of War or the Department of State. He was not concerned with the risk of criticism or strength of the opposition to what he believed was right.
Morgenthau was prescient about the threat of war with Nazi Germany and the need for early U.S. involvement. In 1938, he persuaded President Roosevelt to give Treasury's Procurement Division significant authority over military purchasing policies—more than two years before the U.S. would begin its Lend-Lease program.
Morgenthau used this authority to help arm our allies and prepare the nation for war. He was instrumental in the effort to stockpile and ramp up production of war materials. And crucially, he enabled the UK and France to purchase U.S.-made aircraft—sometimes over the objections of the War Department and isolationists in Congress.
Later in the war, news of the mass murder of European Jews came to the attention of a small group of men at the Treasury.
Josiah DuBois, a Treasury assistant general counsel, and John Pehle, Treasury's chief of foreign funds control, uncovered mounting evidence that State Department officials were systematically undermining efforts to save Jews in Europe.
They were delaying licenses necessary to provide financial support to relief organizations in Europe—licenses that would have enabled the rescue of hundreds of thousands of Jews. They were denying visas to refugees. And they were blocking the spread of information about the Holocaust.
The State Department first received word of the "Final Solution" on August 11, 1942, in a message from Gerhart Riegner, the World Jewish Congress Representative in Bern, Switzerland. Upon receiving confirmation of the news that November, the Department then acted to suppress the evidence.
DuBois set to work on a report, which was presented to Secretary Morgenthau by General Counsel Randolph Paul on January 13, 1944. The memo bore a chilling title: "Report to the Secretary on the Acquiescence of This Government in the Murder of the Jews."
The first page read, "Unless remedial steps of a drastic nature are taken, and taken immediately, I am certain that no effective action will be taken by this Government to prevent the complete extermination of the Jews in German controlled Europe, and that this Government will have to share for all time the responsibility for this extermination."
Morgenthau moved quickly. That Sunday—January 16—Pehle, Randolph Paul, and Secretary Morgenthau met with President Roosevelt at 12:45 PM. They explained to the President that because other parts of the government were resisting action, the only solution was to create a body with independent authority in the matter of refugees. Roosevelt agreed, and six days later, he issued Executive Order 9417, which established the War Refugee Board.
The Board's charter declared that it would "effectuate with all possible speed the rescue and relief of victims of enemy oppression who are in imminent danger of death."
John Pehle was named Executive Director. At Morgenthau's direction, Pehle set up shop in an office on the fourth floor of the Treasury Department and began his work.
Pehle had to secure private funds for the vast majority of the Board's activity. But Pehle was industrious and relentless and effective.
He secured a haven for 1,000 Jews at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York. He helped purchase boats to ferry thousands of refugees out of Romania. Under his leadership, the War Refugee Board streamlined the process for issuing licenses, so that relief organizations in Europe could provide funds and aid within weeks of requesting it. And the Board sent representatives to neutral countries, which assisted in evacuating Jews into safe territory.
One of those representatives was Treasury employee Iver Olson, who was sent to Sweden. In Stockholm, Olsen helped send a young Swede named Raoul Wallenberg under diplomatic cover into Hungary. Wallenberg's efforts saved as many as 100,000 Hungarian Jews.
Iver Olson's son Jerry is with us today, along with George Lesser, whose father Lawrence Lesser also served on the War Refugee Board.
By the end of the war, the work of Pehle and the Board had saved some 200,000 Jews from almost certain death.
Years later, Pehle said, "What we did was little enough. It was late. Late and little."
But without the work of the War Refugee Board, and without the actions Morgenthau had taken to arm and prepare the Allies, the history of that time would have been even darker, with hundreds of thousands more killed.
When we think about the Holocaust, we are forced to come to terms with more than just the evil of Adolf Hitler. We must also confront the failures that allowed this genocide to occur—the moral failures, the institutional failures, the cowardice and apathy and hate.
Henry Morgenthau, John Pehle, and Joe DuBois refused to accept those failures.
They knew that when institutions fail, individuals must act. It did not matter to them whether it was in their job description or not.
When warned by an official of the political risks, Secretary Morgenthau responded, "Don't worry about the publicity. What I want is intelligence and courage."
These men understood their own power as individuals in public life to make a difference—their obligation to do so—and they took it very seriously.
I am proud to say that this tradition has continued at Treasury.
Stuart Eizenstat, as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the 1990s, helped achieve a measure of justice for victims of the Holocaust and European Jews, by negotiating—through sheer force of will and individual initiative—landmark agreements with foreign governments covering restitution, compensation for forced labor, recovery of looted art and money, and payment of insurance policies. More recently, Under Secretary Stuart Levey and a group of individuals at Treasury built—from the ground up—the world's most creative and effective system of financial sanctions to stem the flow of money to terrorists and deter Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. Their work, led today by Under Secretary David Cohen, is crucial to thwarting those who would kill in the name of hatred.
We live in a world in which people still possess an alarming willingness to abuse, imprison, and murder others because of the god they worship or because they are different.
In confronting this reality, we are always reminded of the complexities of the world—the shades of grey, the intricacies of choice, the risks of action and inaction.
The world is indeed a complicated place. But our basic responsibilities as human beings are not. Protect the weak. Shelter those in need. Resist evil in all its forms.
These are our responsibilities. They cannot be fulfilled only with thoughtful reflection. They require action.
The Talmud says, "Whoever is able to protest against the transgressions of the world and does not, is responsible for the transgressions of the world."
John Pehle, Joe DuBois, Henry Morgenthau—these men understood. They protested against the transgressions of the world. And they made a difference.
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For more historical background on this topic, watch my documentary film: WHO SHALL LIVE AND WHO SHALL DIE?

IN DEFENSE OF ALLEN WEST

by Agustin Blazquez with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton

Did you know that many high-ranking members of the Democratic Party are also members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)? If you didn't know that, it's because of the hypocrisy of the U.S. mainstream liberal pro-Obama media, which have found it prudent to fail to mention the fact.

In a 2002 article titled A VICTORY FOR TYRANNY, http://www.amigospais-guaracabuya.org/oagaq097.php I wrote, "But after all, 56 members of Congress are registered members of the Democratic Socialists of America, which is the largest U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. No wonder their deep resentment against the U.S. even though they pretend to be patriotic and concerned Americans. The Founding Fathers did not intend for a failed socialist political philosophy to be imposed upon the free people of United States."

I recently saw on TV and YouTube a clip of Florida Congressman Allen West at a town hall meeting located within his district: http://youtube.com/watch?v=E6J6z7g50jp&feature=relmfu West was asked by members of the audience, "How many members of the Democratic Party are card-carrying Marxist Socialists?" West replied that he believes there are "seventy-eight to eighty-one" members of the Democratic Party in Congress who belong to the Communist Party.

His error was to say that they are members of the Communist Party, since officially they are not. They are members of an umbrella organization created and organized by those who support the Marxist goals of the Communist Party. Communists are very secretive about their true affiliation. That's the way they operate. But in essence Allen West was right and finally revealed the truth about something that should have been a well-known fact by now.

But the liberal media immediately accused West of "McCarthyism" because for them it's a major offense to expose communists. Of course, when those on the left don't have a defense they resort to the communist technique of character assassination to discredit the ones who dare to expose a truth. Conservatives and Republicans are worse than communists in their crooked eyes.

There is nothing wrong with Americans belonging to whatever organization they want. What is wrong is to hide this information about public servants, especially from the people who elect them to represent their interests. Most Americans do not espouse that foreign political system that has caused so much hardship and suffering and has killed more than 100 million people the world over. If Americans are informed, they won't vote for them.

Socialism, Communism and even Hitler's National Socialism (Nazi Party) are based on Marxism-Leninism, which was put into practice by Vladimir Lenin in Russia in1917 and has been ravaging mankind ever since.

The information about the proclivity of Democratic Party members of Congress to belong to international socialist organizations has been known to me since the 1990s through sources on Capitol Hill that were outraged by this act of disloyalty to the principles of this nation.

Many members of socialist organizations belong to the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).

Note that “progressive” is a key word that used to mean “advancing” that now can be a code word used to identify hidden socialists, communists and even fascists. "Progressives" has degenerated into an unusual concoction of all these political aberrations hostile to the United States. Once the word's new meaning becomes mainstream, they will come up with a new nice-sounding word. That's what they do to fool you.

The relentless Socialism/Communism is not over. Snap out of that stupid, implanted thought! Wake up to what is going on now around you in the United States. Yes, it is happening here. After years of these people infiltrating into our democratic institutions, it is possible to dupe you into the political nightmare of Socialism. Snap out of that stupor if you want to continue singing “God Bless America”!

The anti-U.S. left, the Marxists and the “progressive” elements, are in control of most of our learning institutions and print and television media and are censoring information to keep you in the dark so you can easily fall prey.

They were the first to adopt “political correctness,” a communist technique (read my article http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/4/4/121115.shtml/) in order to manipulate, change and brainwash the masses – now including elementary schoolchildren.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many Marxist professors teaching your children in a capitalist country like the United States? Or did you even know they are there, working on your kids? What can be learned from them when their theories have been demonstrated to be dismal economic and political failures everywhere they have been tried?

In no way, shape or form is this an endorsement of the Republican Party, but based on my observations and experiences in the country where I was born and my 45 years living in the U.S., the Democratic Party has been sliding too far to the left, the anti-U.S. side of the spectrum. I am very concerned about where that party will end up in the not so distant future.

And don't shortchange the significance of this one plank of the Democratic Party's platform. It is the most far-reaching plank, encompassing virtually everything from abortion to gas prices. It's simple: accept it and it determines everything.

Thank you, Congressman Allen West, for your courage. I hope more will follow your example. You are a good American.

© 2012 ABIP
Agustin Blazquez, producer/director
www.YouTube.com/JAUMS
www.CubaCollectibles.com

Who Lost the Global War on Terror?

In Memoriam: Edythe Koffler Jarvik

EDYTHE KOFFLER JARVIK Eternal optimist, Edythe Koffler Jarvik, who always believed "everything works out for the best," died April 8, in Salt Lake City, UT, at the age of 96. Forever an adventurer, she moved West at age 91 from her home in Glenbrook. She loved to travel the world, throw dinner parties, wear pink, and have a good conversation. She was a great mentor and a great friend. She taught us to use the good china, that good things come in small packages, and that "your children are just on loan." Edythe was preceded in death by her husband and "best beau", former Stamford physician Norman E. Jarvik; her brothers Dr. Arthur Koffler and Joseph Koffler, and her sister Anne Koffler Roth. She is survived by her sister Fran Koffler Goldstein, Bloomfield, N.J.; daughter Barbara Jarvik, Los Angeles; sons Dr. Jonathan Jarvik (Mary Anne), Pittsburgh, and Dr. Robert Jarvik (Marilyn) New York; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and many favorite nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends. The family would like to extend its love and thanks to Kathy Moll for making the last four years of Edythe's life full and beautiful and making her home "a little spot of Stamford" in Salt Lake City.

Eliyho Matz on a Chinese Passover Offer...

Passover Chinese News
BY: Eli-yho Ma-tz
April 1, 2012
 
 
​In a surprise move, the Chinese Communist government announced today, April 1, 2012, a special offer to all Jewish patrons who are celebrating the Passover holiday.  A free Chinese kosher meal will be given out at all local Chinese restaurants, paid for by the Chinese government.  
 
What apparently prompted this move was consideration based on two parallel events: the Chinese Communists’ “Long March,” that started with a small step by the late Chairman Mao (in Hebrew, meaning “What is he?), and Moses and his famous long march through the desert, that is the symbol of Hebrew liberation.  The affinity of both events and the resulting similarity of experiences, as well as the Jewish involvement in the Silk Road trade for hundreds of years, were part of this consideration.  Upon registering with www.PassoverChinese.com, the internet user will be able to print out a coupon for a free kosher Chinese dinner at any location in the United States.
 
In an arrangement made with the Kosher Chicken and Matzot authorities in Israel, these authorities will provide kosher chicken and matzot to every Chinese restaurant in the United States, all paid for by the Chinese Communist government.  There will be no need for anyone who wishes to participate to show an identity card – all coupons taken from this website will be honored.  
 
The long business history between Jews and Chinese dating back for at least 3000 years has prompted this generous promotional gesture.  This offer will only last for the eight days of the Passover holiday.  The promoters believe that it will support the love of Chinese food among Jews.  The Chinese have not yet targeted their next ethnic group for a similar promotion of Chinese food, but rumors heard at various Chinese restaurants suggest the next recipients to be Native American Indians and Eskimos.