Dr. Margoshes, Editor of “the Day,” Finds Anti-semitism in H.l. Mencken’s Latest Work, “treatise on

Certain references to the Jews by H. L. Mencken in his latest book, “Treatise on the Gods,” are regarded as anti-Semitic by Dr. Margoshes, editor of the “Day,” who devotes two articles, in Wednesday’s and Thursday’s issues, to a consideration of Mr. Mencken’s book. The passage in the book which Dr. Margoshes regards as particularly discreditable reads:

“The Bible is unquestionably the most beautiful book in the world. Allow everything you please for the barbaric history in the Old Testament and the decadent Little Bethel theology in the New, and there remains a series of poems so overwhelmingly voluptuous and disarming that no other literature, old or new, can offer a match for it. Nearly all of it comes from the Jews, and their making of it constitutes one of the most astounding phenomena in human history. For there is little in their character, as the modern world knows them, to suggest a talent for noble thinking. Even Renan, who was very friendly to them, once sneered at the esprit semitique as sans etendue, sans diversite, and sans philosophie. One might go still further. The Jews could be put down very plausibly as the most unpleasant race ever heard of. As commonly encountered, they lack many of the qualities which mark the civilized man: courage, dignity, incorruptibility, ease, confidence. They have vanity without pride, voluptuousness without taste, and learning without wisdom. Their fortitude, such as it is, is wasted upon puerile objects, and their charity is mainly only a form of display. Yet these same Jews, from time immemorial, have been the chief dreamers of the human race, and beyond all comparison its greatest poets.”

Commenting on this passage in Mencken’s book, Dr. Margoshes says:

“What do you say to that? How should such twaddle be characterized? Foolish, atheistic phrase-mongery? Anti-Semitism? A sort of exhibitionism—an effort to draw attention by being different? It is hard to say as yet, though it would seem as if it were a combination of it all.”

In Dr. Margoshes’ second article which is in the form of an open letter to Mr. Mencken, he says:

“There are two Jews with whom you (i.e., Mencken) are certainly acquainted. With one of them you were connected no less than twenty-five years, with the other one for a decade. The first is called George Jean Nathan. Do you still remember the name? And the second is your own publisher, who also publishes the ‘American Mercury,’ Alfred A. Knopf. If you could ever have learned something directly about Jews and Judaism, it must have been certainly from these two Jews, with whom you were always in such close contact. The logical inference which must be made, you will therefore admit, is that your estimate of Jewish character, of its lack of courage and incorruptibility and other fine qualities, is based especially upon your acquaintance with these two Jews whom you know best. Do you admit that? Very well! It would help, believe me, very much to explain psychologically your entire anti-Jewish attitude if you would write that down black on white. A man like you, who is not a Jew, and who must therefore possess all the good qualities which Jews lack— for instance, courage—should be strong and honest enough to do such a thing.”