M. Leon Blum, the leader of the French Socialist Party, attained his 60th. birthday this week. Messages of congratulation have reached him from all parts of the country and from the Labour movements and leaders abroad, including the Executive of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which has sent M. Blum fraternal greetings in the name of the German workers.
M. Leon Blum was born in Paris in 1872. He started as a literary critic, publishing his first articles in 1891, contributing chiefly at first to the “Revue Blanche”. He has also published several novels as well as political and social-economic works. He was appointed literary editor of “Gil Blas” in 1903, and in the following year he joined the staff of “L’Humanite”. One of his books “du Mariage”, has run into seven editions.
During the war and the early post-war period, M. Blum came into prominence as a political and pacifist leader, and in 1919 he was elected one of the leaders of the French Socialist Party. In 1924 he was for the first time elected to the Chamber of Deputies, and immediately made a big Parliamentary reputation. He now holds the position of Chairman of the Socialist Parliamentary Party and is the recognised leader of the French Socialist movement. He is a member of the Executive of the Second Socialist International, and is the founder and editor-in chief of the Party organ, “Le Populaire”.
M. Blum has never ceased to interest himself in Jewish affairs. He is particularly interested in the Jewish work in Palestine, and has frequently spoken at meetings on behalf of the Keren #ayesod. He is a member of the French Pro-Palestine Committee, and represents French Jewry on the Council of the Jewish Agency.
At the first meeting of the Jewish Agency Council at Zurich, Deputy Blum pointed to Professor Einstein sitting on one side, and to Mr. Kaplansky, the leader of the Poale Zion, sitting on the other side, and said: Here we have sitting together the greatest genius of the Jewish race and my friend who represents the Palestine workers on the Second International. Such a meeting must evoke the admiration not only of the world of Jewry, but of all mankind.
I have always been proud of my membership of the Jewish race, Deputy Blum concluded his speech, and I have always avowed it with pride.
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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.
