Letters to the Editor

To the Editor of the Jewish Daily Bulletin:

A boycott is often justified as the best weapon to wreak vengeance upon an oppressor, to obtain justice, when all other efforts fail.

It is now urged as a retaliatory measure against the Hitler government, for its ill treatment of the Jews in Germany. Is it advisable and will it be effective?

It is opposed by many influential people and organizations. It is, however, advocated by numerous Jewish societies and many equally zealous, militant Jews.

When reason, law, or the pleading of outraged humanity have no effect upon a government or people such as is now in control of Germany, it does seem proper and justifiable to institute a boycott, “let the chips fall where they may”.

One need not go far to see the efficacy or temporary advantage of a boycott. Recent illustrations may be cited.

The British government did not take notice of the necessity of doing something for her subjects in India, until a boycott was ordered.

The aggressions by Japan upon China were met with a national boycott, recognized as the most effective weapon by the Chinese.

An international boycott is now raging between England and Ireland, disguised in the form of tariff reprisals.

The boycott in all these instances, has had the desired effect, to the extent of compelling a recognition of the wrongs inflicted upon protesting peoples.

The first unorganized boycott on the part of Jews in the United States was against the wholesale dry goods business of Hilton, Hughes & Co., successors to the late A. T. Stewart, merchant prince of his time, in New York, whose store is now the home of Wanamaker’s.

Judge Henry A. Hilton, senior member of the firm of Hilton, Hughes & Co., was the owner of a hotel in Saratoga Springs, which, on Hilton’s orders, refused hospitality to Jews and excluded the family of Jesse Seligman, a prominent banker of San Francisco and New York, because they were Jews.

This became public and Jewish merchants throughout the country, mostly of German origin, cancelled orders or closed their accounts with that firm, resulting in the destruction of its wholesale business.

No doubt many of those protesing merchants sustained losses as result of this boycott, but they we# motivated by principles higher th# those of financial benefit and it has never been recorded that one o# those merchants ever regretted participating in a movement calculated to resent such an insult to Jews i# this country.

Boycotts are outlawed by decision of the United States Supreme Cour#That decision is disregarded in extreme cases in this country and the boycott has the sanction of people and nations in all parts of the world, cruel as it may be in it blighting effect on all concerned.

(Signed) H. Jandorf. P. S.—Boycotts are legalized b# the League of Nations and sanctioned by that body. H. J.

A SUGGESTION

To the Editor of the Jewish Daily Bulletin:

As a reader of the Jewish Daily Bulletin for a number of years, have come to feel a need which you paper can fill, especially now that you have the enlarged Sunday edition This need consists of a clear knowledge and understanding of the political, religious, social organization and status of the Jew in the various countries throughout the world today.

You could have a series of article in your Sunday editions giving the necessary facts, leaving out their his torical phase, the aim being to be a concise as possible.

If this need were limited to myself I certainly would not be so presumptuous as to make such a suggestion, feel that there are many who feel the same need, who wish to have clarifie# for them the nature of the organization of the Jews in other lands today I hope that you will find it bot# proper and useful to institute such series of articles.

Sincerely yours,

(Signed) Jesse Finkle.