The American Jewish Committee in its twenty-eighth annual report made public yesterday takes issue with the anti-Jewish agitation which native American groups and individuals in addition to the American Nazis, are carrying on in the United States.
Condemning this agitation and proving its baselessness, the report characterizes it as largely of a political character aiming to discredit the Federal Administration and to exploit anti-Jewish prejudices.
The report, issued in the name of the executive committee, declares:
AGITATION POLITICAL
“In addition to activities by American Nazis there is the anti-Jewish agitation fostered by native American groups or individuals. This agitation is largely political, being essentially an effort to discredit the Federal administration by exploiting such anti-Jewish prejudice as exists in the country. This school of propagandists seeks to disseminate the notion that the policies of the government are inspired by a non-existent Jewish influence with alleged sinister designs. Some of this propaganda is circulated to paying subscribers in the disguise of confidential reports from Washington of ‘inside’ information said to be not available through the regular channels of news.
“A great deal of ado is made by these retailers of falsehood about the number of Jews attached to the administration, many of whom have been in government service in previous administrations although not a single plausible charge of incompetence of malfeasance has been made against any of them.
HAS CREATED ANXIETY
“This nefarious practice of pretending that there is something sinister in the presence of Jews in office appears to have caused considerable uneasiness, even anxiety among Jews, and some have even expressed the wish that all Jews in office would resign from their posts. Those who hold this view evidently do not realize that such a procedure would be an admission of the false charges, or an approval of the institution of a racial or religious percentage system in connection with appointment to public office, in the place of the traditional sound American principle of conferring office upon those best able to do the work, regardless of their creed or ancestry.
“These anti-Jewish agitators also try to raise another false and baseless issue, namely, that Jews as such foment movements subversive of law and authority. In support of this assertion they produce falsified statistics and garbled statements. Those who have even an elementary acquaintance with the traditions cherished by our people during the two thousand years since the destruction of the Jewish state know that complete and unequivocal loyalty to the
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.
