A. J. Congress Disclaims Blame for Students’ Anti-fascist Row

The American Jewish Congress refuses to shoulder responsibility for recent demonstrations against a visiting Italian student delegation, pointing out that it has no connection with colleges at which the outbreaks occurred and that it does not consider itself in a position to pass judgment on the actions of any part of their student bodies, a communication sent by the Congress to the Federation of Italian Jewish Communities in reply to the latter organization’s letter deploring the incidents revealed yesterday.

Joshua L. Goldberg, national secretary of the Congress, referred the Italian Federation’s letter to Professor Morris Cohen, head of the philosophy department of the College of the City of New York, who wrote in return that in his opinion the demonstrations were in no way Jewish in origin.

DISCLAIM RESPONSIBILITY

Mr. Goldberg’s letter to the Italian Jewish body follows in part:

“The American Jewish Congress is neither in a position to speak nor to pass judgment upon the actions of all or any part of the student bodies of the colleges of this country. For this reason we took the liberty of referring your communication to Professor Morris Raphael Cohen, asking him to be good enough to enlighten us as to the facts. Herewith we beg to enclose a copy of his reply.”

Excerpts from Professor Cohen’s letter to Mr. Goldberg, a copy of which was forwarded to the Italian Federation, follows:

STUDENTS FEAR FASCISM

“I… am very much pained that any one should get the impression that the demonstrations against the visiting Italian students (G. U. F.) were in any way Jewish in origin. I am sure that no one acquainted with conditions in American colleges would subscribe to this view. The recent years of economic depression have led some Americans to entertain the idea that possibly we might do better if we abandoned our more democratic institutions.

“This has naturally provoked and intensified the fear among our liberally minded youth lest this should lead to a real loss of our traditional liberties and democratic or parliamentary institutions. As the impression has spread in this country that the visit of the Italian students was in the nature of propaganda for Fascism, it naturally provoked demonstrations from those of our students who felt that such foreign propaganda must be fought at every point.

OUTSIDE CIRCUMSTANCES

“The statement of the Unione delle Israeliticha Italiane (Federation of Italian Jewish Communities) is perfectly correct in insisting on the difference between Fascism and Nazism in their relation to the Jews. But I think that American Jews generally are aware of this, and appreciate the consideration and freedom allowed the Jews by the Italian government….

“It is true that one of the worst demonstrations against the G. U. F. took place at the City College, where a majority of the students are Jews. But this was the result of an unfortunate series of circumstances independent of the fact that there are so many Jews among our students….”

“JEWISH FASCISTS” SCORED

In order to counteract the effects of the Revisionist conference, the Bund, Polish Jewish Socialist organization, today proclaimed a week against “Jewish Fascism.”

Meetings will be held during the week, it was announced, to express opposition to the “Jewish Fascists,” the term used for the Revisionist meeting.