Former Gov. Herbert H. Lehman this weekend declared that he was “shocked” at an attack by Francis Cardinal Spellman on Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt for opposing Federal aid to parochial schools. The text of Gov. Lehman’s follows:
“I am deeply shocked at the attack of Cardinal Spellman on Mrs. Roosevelt. I strongly believe, as I have always believed, that in our American democracy every responsible citizen is entitled to express his or her views on public issues without being subjected to the accusation of being against any religion or any race.
The issue is not whether one agrees or disagrees with Mrs. Roosevelt on this or any other public question. The issue is whether Americans are entitled freely to express their views on public questions without being vilified or accused of religious bias.
Mrs. Roosevelt has been a public figure for twenty-five years. Her every act has been a matter of record. In that splendid record I do not know of a single act or work that would in the slightest degree indicate bias or prejudice against any religion or any race.
Her whole life has been dedicated to a constant fight for tolerance and brotherhood of men as children of one God. She will, I am confident, retain the trust and the affection of all peoples irrespective of creed or race.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
