Congressman Emanuel Celler in a statement to the Jewish Daily Bulletin took exception to Mr. Marshall’s statement recalling the intervention of Herbert Hoover to prevent further bloodshed in connection with the killing of thirty-five Jews by a Polish detachment when it entered the city of Pinsk in 1919. To recall the incident at this juncture, Congressman Celler asserted, “involves the dragging of the misery and suffering of the Jews into the campaign.”
Mr. Marshall, commenting upon Mr. Celler’s objection, declared that “there is no Jewish question at the present juncture.” What he said about Mr. Hoover has been frequently recalled by him, long before the present campaign on other public occasions.
“The statement of Mr. Louis Marshall appearing in the New York Times, through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which statement is a reproduction of a portion of a radio speech heretofore delivered, in my humble judgment is unfortunate and partisan,” Mr. Celler declared. “If Mr. Marshall had made this statement months ago, or after election, he then could not have been charged with partisanship. It is perfectly laudable to praise Mr. Hoover for his excellent work as the head of the American Relief Association, but to do so at this juncture and time it on the eve of an election, involves the dragging of the misery and suffering of the Jews into the campaign.
“Mr. Marshall’s statement will naturally have the effect of inspiring similar statements laudatory of Smith and his splendid service on behalf of the Jews and thereby the so-called ‘Jewish question’ is squarely in the campaign. That is deplorable and I register the hope that both Democrats and Republicans will refrain from these kind of utternces,” Congressman Celler concluded.
Mr. Marshall, in commenting on Congressman Celler’s objection, said; “I am surprised that Congressman Celler, who in season and out of season expresses himself with regard to public men and permits his political views to radiate in ali directions, should object to my having in the course of a radio speech given testimony to the human qualities of Mr. Hoover as the result of my own observation. What I said regarding his work as the head of the American Relief Administration has been on frequent occasions publicly expressed by me long before the present campaign.
“There is no Jewish question at the present juncture. I have been frequently obliged to take Mr. Celler to task for his attempts to inject Jewish matters into politics. Nobody has objected more strenuously and consistently than I have to the recognition of a Jewish vote, for there is none. I ah happy to say that the Jews have always exhibited independence in politics. Does the Congressman mean to infer that I may not speak in favor of the candidate of my party, support his policies and give evidence of my admiration of him as a man? It would seem from recent occurrences that free speech is to be confined to a selected few.”
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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.
