J. D. B. News Letter

program. The Christian Socialist Party, which has existed for decades, and has not changed its program in any material point, is known as an anti-Semitic party. There can, therefore, be no surprise at the fact that its program published now has an anti-Semitic tendency.

But, Dr. Seipel continued, attention must be paid to the manner in which the anti-Semitism of the Christian Socialist Party is expressed in the program. The Party, it declares, is fighting not against the Jews in spiritual and economic life, but only against the domination of destructive Jewish influence. It is felt by the nations of the East of Europe, who are close neighbors of Austria, that in many parts of the world there does exist a dominating destructive Jewish influence, which, although it is not based upon the character of Jewish nationality or of Jewish religion, is probably based on the history of the Jews. The fact that the leaders and propagandists of Russian Bolshevism, as well as of the allied Communism of Germany and Austria and of Austrian Socialism which stands upon the basis of the materialist conception of history and from the point of view of the conservative Christian population is opposed to civilization, are to a large extent Jews, explains sufficiently the anti-Semitic feeling which exists in the minds of the people.

Going on then to speak of his position not as leader of the Party but as the Prime Minister of Austria, Dr. Seipel added that, of course, as Premier and head of the Government, he had nothing to do with the Constitution or the program of the Christian Socialist Party. But since we have a Parliamentary Government, he continued, whose members are selected by Parliament from among the representatives of the political parties, the Premier has not ceased to be a member of his Party Naturally, he said, he is trying to introduce the principles of the Party, as far as possible, into public life.

But, he concluded, his membership of the Party has never hindered him in his work of maintaining order in the State and assuring equal rights to all the citizens of Austria, without distinction of religious belief. This fact is well known to the Austrian Jews and is respected by them. They have not made any sign that the fact that the head of the Government belongs to the Christian Socialist Party is causing them any anxiety.

In his New York interview with the J.T.A., Monsignore Seipel also referred to this question, saying: Our anti-Semitism is directed against the Jew who does not wish to be known as such rather than the Jew who admits he is a Jew. In fact, we were glad when the Jews elected their own representative, Engineer Stricker, to the Austrian Parliament. In the last election, however, many of the Jewish votes were cast for Jews who sit as Socialist Deputies. Seeing the Jewish vote go to the Socialists does not, naturally, create a favorable impression in our Party. The Austrian population is peaceful, he added, and except for occasional noise, there is nothing serious in the anti-Semitic movement in Austria.