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.] Congressman Sol Bloom and Henry Ford

Congressman Sol Bloom’s address in which he stated that Ford’s closest advisers are Jews is severely criticized in the “Day” (Feb. 9), by S. Dingol. Mr. Dingol objects to Congressman Bloom’s tactics in his campaign against Ford’s anti-Semitic activities.

“When recently Mr. Bloom introduced a resolution in Congress demanding an inquiry into Ford’s charge that international Jews control the United States Federal Reserve System, it could be viewed as a sensible move,” Mr. Dingol writes. “But to have followed this with a long personal letter to Mr. Ford, discussing the Jewish problem with him — that was certainly an undignified way of dealing with an enemy.

“Now Congressman Bloom has delivered an address in Syracuse in which he again ‘attacked’ Ford. He stated that Ford’s lawyer is a Jew — Henry Helfman; that his architect is a Jew — Albert Kahn; that his physician is a Jew — Dr. Charles D. Iron; that even his spiritual adviser is a Jew — Rabbi Leo M. Franklin.

“Jews and Christians will read this and they will wonder: how is Mr. Ford an anti-Semite when he surrounds himself with so many Jews? And is this not a severe indictment against Ford’s doctor, lawyer, architect and spiritual adviser that they are unable to convince him that Jews do not use Christian blood for Passover and do not eat Christians with their breakfast, dinner, supper and all the time?

“But the explanation is that Congressman Bloom is just as indiscriminate in choosing his facts about Ford as Ford is in choosing his facts about the Jews. Ford’s lawyer is quite a decent Christian of Detroit. Rabbi Franklin is a Reform rabbi of Detroit who for many years was a friend of Ford’s and a visitor in his home. Each year Ford sent him a gift, a brand new car. But since Ford has been conducting his anti-Semitic campaign, Rabbi Franklin stopped associating with Ford and even returned the car to him.

“That happened six years ago. To state in Syracuse in 1927 that Dr. Leo M. Franklin is Ford’s ‘spiritual adviser’ is too absurd.

“It is true that such speeches furnish a lot of publicity to Henry Ford and also a little publicity to Congressman Bloom. But it seems to me that the Congressman is paying a bit too dearly for this sort of publicity….”

CATHOLIC RESENTS RABBI LANDMAN’S VIEWS ON MEXICO CONTROVERSY

The views of Rabbi Isaac Landman on the conflict between the Mexican government and the Catholic church in that country, counselling that Mexico “should be allowed to work out its own salvation without outside interference” have been attacked by Father Francis Duffy, who is quoted as follows by Charles Joseph, in his current “Random Thoughts”:

“Rabbi Landman represents a race and religion which has suffered much in the past and still suffers in some countries from repressive measures of government. So it is interesting to note his reactions concerning the persecution of the Catholic Church in the neighboring republic.

“His attitude is one of philosophic calm. The Mexican government, we are told, ‘has established laws which are foreign to our concept of legal measures, but it is in the midst of a political crisis and should be allowed to work out its own salvation without outside interference.’

“Does Rabbi Landman preserve this unemotional attitude when his coreligionists are suffering persecution? Who cannot remember the time when our state department was besieged by Jews to intervene in behalf of their people in Czaristic Russia? Does he take the pose that everything is coming out all right when he hears of the troubles of his own people in Roumania?

“What we have against Dr. Landman is that he has gone to Mexico as a guest of that clique and has returned here to abate the force of public opinion by minimizing the whole persecution of the Church as being merely a matter of legislation which is ‘foreign to our concept of legal measures’.”

ANTI-SEMITISM IN WISCONSIN

The anti-Semitic slur directed against Sol Levitan, State Treasurer of Wisconsin, by Clinton Ballard, State Superintendent of Public Property, which has resulted in the passage of a resolution by the Wisconsin Legislature demanding Ballard’s resignation, is commented on by the “American Jewish World” of Minneapolls. The paper writes:

“Sol Levitan, the popular treasurer of Wisconsin, has committed an unforgiveable sin, and, in addition thereto, a grave political offense. For this he and his co-religionists must suffer ridicule and humiliation. He assumed, contrary to common practice, that ‘elevation’ to public office did not lift him above the common people. His heinous crime was to put a sign on his office door reading ‘Uncle Sol, Your State Treasurer, Welcomes You’ Clinton Ballard, state superintendent of Public Property, was astounded, amazed, horrified. He was thrown into complete consternation. The damage to the public and its property from such a ‘sign’ might well be irreparable. Prompt and effective action was demanded. So the ‘State Superintendent of Public Property’ presumably acting well within his ‘rights’ and on behalf of the great State of Wisconsin and its enlightened people, wrote a letter to ‘Uncle Sol’ asking him to remove the sign saying it resembled an ‘ad for a Jewish fire sale.’ It is remarkable that the astute Mr. Ballard was able to observe the analogy so readily. Mr. Ballard must be an exceptionally clever and alert and courageous Superintendent of Public Property. It must have taken courage to cast this slur by innuende upon the Jewish people and upon a man like Solomon Levitan.”