Chesterton. in Poland, Explains His Attitude on Jewish Question

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

Gilbert K. Chesterton, who is on a visit here, explained his attitude on the Jewish question in the course of an interview with the Polish-Jewish daily “Nasz Przeglad.”

“People,” he said. “describe me as an anti-Semite without there being any justification for it, simply because I have drawn attention in the English press to the fact that there is such a thing as a Jewish question. The fact that I have merely placed the Jewish question upon the agenda is surely not sufficien ground for calling me an anti-Semite. I associate the Jewish question with my anti-capitalist and anti-socialist views. But with anti-Semitism as such I have nothing at all to do. The anti-Semitism of the ‘Morning Post’ is the anti-Semitism of ignoramuses and fools.

“I paid a visit to Palestine some time ago,” Mr. Chesterton went on, “and I wrote a book about it, ‘The New Jerusalem.’ I believe in the idea of giving the Jews a territory somewhere because it is the only way to solve the Jewish question. But it hurts me to think that it should just be Palestine which has been promised to the Jews for Palestine is country of great importance to the Christians and the Moslems. Dr. Weizmann, the president of the Zionist Organization,” Mr. Chesterton added, spoke to me some time ago of his cheme to divide Palestine on the lines of Switzerland. This project seems to be both reasonable and feasible.”