Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

[The purpose of the Digest is informative, Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation does not indicate approval.-Editor.]

A Congressional inquiry, as demanded by Congressman Sol Bloom’s resolution, into Ford’s charges, “would do a lot of good,” in the opinion of the N. Y. “Times.” With special reference to Ford’s assertion that “the international Jew is in direct control of all financial centres of government, including the United States Federal Reserve System,” the “Times” observes:

“Certainly if one turns to the list of the names of the officers and members of the Federal Reserve Board, and of the twelve Reserve Banks, it will be hard to find a single one which even appears to bear ont Henry Ford’s rash deliverance. Platt, Miller, Hamlin, James, Cunningham-such is the frightful Semitic flavor of the Federal Reserve Board. And the names of the officers of the Federal Reserve Banks are like unto them-Harding, Strong, MacDougal, Young, Bailey, and so on. To be sure, Mr. Ford, or the gentleman who does his anti-Semitism for him, may be tempted to say that these well known and honorable men are only puppets and tools of ‘the international Jew.’ But if he were to do so directly, he might be at once sued for libel, in a way to make it inadvisable for him to visit other cities in the United States as he now finds it to come to New York, where a court summons awaits him in vain.

“The whole matter runs in importance beyond any question merely affecting the Federal Reserve. His inadvertent attack upon the latter gives Congress a proper occasion to examine him, if it wishes, but an exposure of him on that one point would have larger implications. It would hold him up before the country as one willing to use his position and the artificial hearing which he gets because of his great wealth to indulge in miscellaneous abuse of people whom he does not know and whom he does not dare to specify by name. . . .His course in this affair has been such as to create suspicion and distrust in ignorant minds easily inflamed. If he were called to book by Congress for such rash and unpatriotic behavior, it would do a lot of good. It might even do Henry Ford some good.”

The position that Ford’s charges are too absurd to be honored by a Congressional inquiry, is taken by the “Jewish Morning Journal,” which feels that for this reason the Jews “will not regard it as an unfriendly act if Congress fails to accept the proposal for an investigation.”

It is possible, however, the paper believes, that the Federal Reserve Board may desire an inquiry owing to Ford’s charge that the Board is under Jewish influence. “This is a specific charge, giving a name and address,” the paper explains, “and if the members of the body which manages the banking system of the United States feel that their good name is attacked or that the faithful discharge of their high responsibility is placed under suspicion by the accusations they would be justified in demanding that a thorough investigation be made into those accusations.”

Objection to Congressman Bloom’s resolution is voiced by the “Jewish Daily News,” which finds that “Ford’s slanders are beneath anything which may be brought before a parliamentary committee for investigation.” The paper adds:

“To apply the terms charges or insults to Ford’s idiotic talk and to bring the matter to court, is to recognize that there is something in what Ford says that must be reckoned with, that his charges deserve consideration, and that in itself is a victory for Ford.

“Moreover: the appointment of a Congressional committee to investigate whether the Jews control the finances of America would put forth a new principle, namely, that if a Jew has a share in a bank, it means that the Jews, i.e., the Jews collectively, have a share in it and therefore they must continually apologize for every Jewish banker or manufacturer or owner of a department store and to seek excuses for these facts. It would mean that if there are wealthy Jews in America we must apologize for them. We must, according to this reasoning, place ourselves under the protection of a Congressional Committee, which is to prove that the Jews have a smaller share in finances than Ford would have it. The very principle of this is false.

“We regret,” the paper concludes, “that Mr. Bloom took this step without consulting anyone. In such matters, which concern the honor and the interests of a whole community, individuals should not do as they please, according to their own judgment.”

More than 600 persons have reserved places at $100 a couple for the testimonial dinner next Sunday night at the Hotel Astor to John Black and Jack Mack, division heads of the ready-to-wear trades in the tenth anniversary campaign of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies, it was announced.

Oscar Abel and Jacob Sperber are the associate chairmen of the dinner committee.

Federation Tithe Day was observed on Wednesday at feur stores of the Huyler Company, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Isaac Kubie, associate Chairman of the Women’s Division.

One-tenth of the proceeds in the four stores was devoted to the campaign.

Work will start about December 20th upon erection of the new $100,000 synagogue for Congregation Ahabath Achim, Bridgeport, Conn. The new synagogue was designed by Leonard Asheim and is of the Georgian Colonial type, the predominating feature being the massive stone columns that flank the main portico. Brick will be used, with trimmings of stone. The edifice will be completed by July 1, 1927 and will seat 750.