A sharp reply to an anti-Semitic attack made in the House of Representatives last week by Congressman William Rankin has been voiced on the floor of the House of Rep. Ray Madden. Repudiating Rankin’s assertion that “Yiddish Communists” are in the leadership of Communism in Russia, Czechoslovakia and other Communist countries of Europe, Rep. Madden said:
“The patriotism and the loyalty of the Jews has been tested in wartime and in peacetime. It reveals a brilliant and patriotic service to their country. The Jewish people of this country have given far more than their share of lives and money to help our country in all times of crisis. They are now sacrificing millions upon millions of dollars to help Israel survive in order to preserve their homeland and also to fight the Communist aggressor. Testimony has been presented at the Katyn hearings where a great number of heroes who died at Katyn were Polish Jews.”
“These remarks of mine are not necessary to establish the position of the Jewish people as far as patriotism, liberty and freedom are concerned. Their record speaks for itself. During World War II, the Jewish representation in the armed services was far above its pro rata allotment. A large concentration of Jewish people live in metropolitan centers. Agricultural, mining, and metal industries, and so forth, which were favored by draft exemptions did not apply to metropolitan centers. Besides the relatively large proportion of Jewish boys taken in the draft, there were approximately 35,000 Jewish volunteers.”
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.
