(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The exclusion of a Jewish woman applicant for membership in the Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club, of which the Prince of Wales is this year’s captain, continues to hold the attention of the British public. The incident is widely discussed in the press.
Mrs. Truscou, the women’s captain of the club, has come out openly defending the action of the committee. “We do not want these Jewesses as members of the club. Therefore, the Committee decided to exclude them,” she stated. The secretary of the Moorpark Club stated that a distinct prejudice against Jews is prevalent, but it was unusual to take such a step. The difficulty about Jews being admitted to membership in golf clubs is that many Jews make the club a business resort, he stated.
Lord Riddell, who is a prominent golfer, stated that it was advisable that the clubs should attempt to preserve some balance among their membership. He declared, however, that “considering the position of Jews in this country today, any racial discrimination such as is suggested seems rather unwise and in appropriate.”
The “Evening News” stated that “man is the thing, not his race.”
The Mid-Surrey is one of the best known clubs in England, with a membership close to 2,000 including many persons socially prominent.
The present membership of the club includes many Jews, both men and women, but the committee apparently had decided not to admit more. A concensus of other leading clubs revealed that it is quite contrary to the general practice of the club committees to ask personal details regarding candidates for membership and that no religious or racial tests are imposed.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
