Anti-jewish Discrimination in Defense Industries is Wide Spread, Committee Learns

Concrete facts proving that discrimination against Jews is being practiced in employment for defense industries in the metropolitan area despite the need for the maximum utilization of all available manpower, were submitted yesterday to the President’s Committee on Fair Employment Practices which is holding hearings here.

Declaring that he spoke on behalf of various Jewish organization, Rabbi J.X. Cohen submitted to the hearing a report in which he disclosed that defense manufacturers, employment agencies and defense training schools are practicing anti-Jewish discrimination in employment. He also quoted in his report a survey made of classified advertisements published in the largest metropolitan newspapers showing that in April, 1941, out of a total of 10,051 advertisements, 2,950, or 29% expressed a religious preference. In November of 1941, of a total of 17,839 advertisements, 5,883, or 32%, specified a religious preference other than Jewish.

Discrimination is being practiced against Jews by holders of the largest defense contracts in this area and representing the largest employers of labor, the report stated: “These complaints, concerning which detailed information is available to the President’s Committee, are directed against such basic war industries as aircraft factories, aircraft instrument makers, machine tool producers, ship builders, chemical manufacturers and producers of essential petroleum products, steel and other materials. Few employers openly proclaim their unwillingness to hire Jewish workers. An applicant is rarely turned away with the explanation that Jews are not wanted. But application forms almost invariably demand information regarding religion, or substitute leading questions. The identification of applicants as Jews is thus facilitated. Obviously, an interviewer wishing to reject an applicant because of religion, can do so on some pretext such as insufficient or unsuitable experience.”

DIFFICULTIES OF JEWISH GRADUATES FROM DEFENSE TRAINING SCHOOLS DISCUSSED

Pointing out the difficulties which Jewish graduates of private defense training schools face in finding work in defense industries, the report says: “The majority of Gentile graduates of these schools are placed, the larger number of Jewish graduates unplaced. One of the leading schools in the metropolitan area, which has relations with many defense industries which employ its graduates, places the majority of its non-Jewish student graduates but fails to place any more than a small minority of its Jewish graduates despite the excellence of their records. Recent conferences with the School revealed that, for the year ending November 1941, 181 students were placed, of whom 151 were Christians and 30 Jews. This School follows the practice of submitting records, including religion, to defense manufacturers. The selections made by these manufacturers are on the basis of these records. The School authorities, judging from the selections made, admit that prejudice against Jews operates in defense industries.”

The experiences of the graduates of these private defense training schools are shared by other qualified applicants for defense positions seeking jobs through public and private employment agencies, the report charged. It recommended that the Government “make a thorough investigation of all the factors which create the situation described above, and adopt a uniform policy which would lead to the elimination of the question of race and religion from the application blanks of defense firms, public employment services, and private, fee-charging employment agencies.”

At today’s hearings, several witnesses testified that the Sperry Gyroscope Co. of Brooklyn, important defense factory, had repeatedly and over a long period of time refused employment to Negroes, Jews or “enemy aliens.” Horace B. Hitchock, counsel for the company, denied the allegations.