INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - AMBASSADOR JAMES McDONALD
INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - AMBASSADOR JAMES McDONALD
INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - AMBASSADOR JAMES McDONALD Interviews with Ambassador James Grover McDonald, 1st American Ambassador to Israel. Union Station, Chicago, Illinois Interviewer - We have a distinguished guest on The Century Today, a gentleman who s been in the diplomatic service for many years. He was the first Ambassador to Israel, Mr. James McDonald, who by the way is the author of a new book. Mr. McDonald is your book on the shelves as yet? Ambassador McDonald - Just out. Interviewer - Oh, is that right? Ambassador McDonald - It gives me pleasure to present you with one. (The Ambassador hands over the book to the Interviewer) Interviewer - Well I ll be delighted, My Mission In Israel Ambassador McDonald - Promise that you will read it Bob. Interviewer - Well I certainly will and I look forward to it with great interest. How much time did you spend in Israel as an Ambassador? Ambassador McDonald - Two years and a half. Interviewer - Two years and a half, well those were the growing years, weren t they? Ambassador McDonald - Those were the painful years. The War was not yet over, blackouts and bombing were common, but we got a measure of peace while my family and I were there. Interviewer - Well, and the country has made tremendous strides, hasn t it, in the last few years? Ambassador McDonald - Yes, they taken in, within the last three and a half years, more than six hundred thousand Jewish refugees. In other words, they about doubled the Jewish population in the country. And their great need now is new money in which to undergird the economic life of the country. And it s for that reason that I am actively engaged in the Israel Bond Drive, an effort to secure $500 million in this country in which to buy American supplies, American materials. Interviewer - Mr. McDonald one of the magazines, I don t remember whether it was Newsweek or Time, did something on your career. They mentioned so many positions that you ve had, that I can t recall, which one would be, in my opinion, the most interesting. What about it yourself, as you go back over your career? Ambassador McDonald - Well, from the point of view from my job in Israel, my most interesting preliminary work was when I was a member of Anglo American Committee of Inquiry, named by President Truman in 46. And before that, back in the early days of Hitler, I was the League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from Germany. And it was to me that Hitler first divulged his plan to destroy the Jews throughout the world. And I at that time warned the governments of Western Europe, but of course nobody ever takes warnings seriously. They could have rid the world of Hitler without a struggle if they have done it in the early 30 s, but everybody waited until it was too late. Interviewer - Officially Mr. McDonald where did you last see Hitler. Ambassador McDonald - I saw him in the Chancery in Berlin. Interviewer - What were your impressions of him at the time? Ambassador McDonald - He s an extraordinary fanatic, the perfect demagogue, a man of violence expressed in his actions and in his eyes. He made no apology for this program of wholesale destruction, and he said that the world would yet thank him for teaching it how to deal with the Jews. Interviewer - You know Mr. McDonald, I imagine that in your career and a wonderful career it s been, you met a lot of other people the opposite of Mr. Hitler in your travels and in Europe and other places. What about just a few of them? Ambassador McDonald - Well the most interesting people that I ve met most recently, of course have been the leaders in Israel. Ben Gurion the Prime Minister. A man whom I consider to be one of the great men of our time, a man of Churchill s caliber. And Dr. Weizmann, the President, who s a great scientist and a great father of his country. And perhaps, one of the greatest favorites in Israel is a woman, Mrs. Golda Myerson (Golda Meir), the Secretary of Labor. A woman who embodies in her faith, for me, the whole story, the whole historic, tragic story of the Jewish People throughout the ages. A powerful woman and yet a very charming one. Then of course, in Israel the children are among the loveliest children of the world, husky, strong, and of course there s only one disadvantage, they speak only Hebrew, but we had a few words in common and we became very good friends. Interviewer - Does your book cover the entire period that you were in Israel? Ambassador McDonald - Yes, it does. From the time I was named, a surprise appointment when the White House called me up, first question was; Are you a Democrat? And my answer to that was, that I was born a Democrat and I never bothered to reform. That seem to satisfy them and then they proceeded to tell me that the President wanted to send me right off. Well, I sort of hesitated because I had no money, but after an hour or so the announcement was made. Even before the State Department knew of it. Interviewer - Mr. McDonald it s been so nice having this chat with you on the Century Today and I m certainly going to look forward to your book on Israel with great anticipation. Ambassador McDonald - You must read it. Interviewer - I will indeed. Ambassador McDonald - As they say in Israel, Shalom . Interviewer - Thank you so much sir for being our guest. That was a very well known Diplomat, the first Ambassador to Israel, Mr. James McDonald.