A controversy over Lady Nancy Astor’s attitude toward Jews reached an acute stage today when the American-born peeress angrily denied an allegation in the London News-Chronicle that she had become “fanatically anti-Jewish.”
In a letter to the News-Chronicle, Lady Astor declared: “I must refute your accusation that i am anti-Jewish. It is quite untrue and has caused pain not only to me but to many of my very good friends who themselves are Jews.”
Her Letter was in reply to the following statement published in a recent issue of the News-Chronicle:
“Lady Astor has become fanatically anti-Jewish. She made a painful scene recently at a meeting of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee when she attacked one of the members on anti-Jewish Lines and again, at a private dinner of the English Speaking Union, her emotions overcame her sense of the fitting. Is not this lady’s spiritual home Berlin?”
The News-Chronicle published Lady Astor’s reply today with a note declaring: “While Lady Astor denies she is anti-Jewish she does not deny precise statements.”
The controversy recalls that Lady Astor was widely criticized last June for a statement she made to ship news reporters upon sailing for England after a visit to America. on that occasion, she was quoted as “appalled” at the amount of anti-German sentiment in the United States. Declaring she was pro-Jewish rather than pro-German, Lady Astor continued: “I don’t know whether the Jews are responsible for this, but if so it is bound to react to their disadvantage.”
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