Lindsay Reprimands Anti-poverty Official for Anti-semitic Remarks on Radio Show

Mayor John V. Lindsay’s office reported today that the Mayor had sent a letter to David Billings, III, chairman of the New York City Council Against Poverty, declaring that some of Billings’ remarks on a radio program Tuesday were “plainly offensive to members of the Jewish community of the city and indeed to many of our citizens, including me.” The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith said Billings’ remarks on the WNYC program were “vicious anti-Semitism” and asked Lindsay to remove Billings from his office.

The charge was made in a letter to the Mayor from Milton Seymour, chairman of the ADL New York Board. By coincidence, Billings was sworn in yesterday by Lindsay to a third one-year term as head of the city’s policy-making agency for poverty programs. Seymour said Billings had made anti-Semitic remarks on “Action Interview,” a program on the city-owned station. Billings issued a statement at the swearing-in ceremony in which he insisted that any remarks he made on the WNYC program were not directed against any group. He had called foes of the bitterly-contested low-income housing project in Forest Hills “an influential group religiously.”

Billings said today that he was not referring “to the Jewish community” and that he did not consider the disputed Queens housing project “a Jewish Black groups thing.” He said that to state “a person of the Jewish faith is wrong–that doesn’t mean I’m anti-Semitic.” Jews have been among the leaders in the fight against the housing project. A spokesman said Lindsay had reprimanded Billings privately before the swearing-in ceremony and that he put his criticism on record in the letter to Billings, the text of which was released today. At one point in the WNYC program, the question was raised as to why those opposed to the project seemed to be getting substantial publicity, while those who support the project apparently were not heard.

According to the ADL, Billings commented that “You just got one group in this so-called democracy. This group is being listened to the most. Let’s ask the question why. We have to deal with them and I have no problem because the particular group that’s making noise happens to be an influential group religiously. Listen to what I’m saying, religiously. They can hook up with other factors in control economically; many of them hold legislative positions of that religious origin; many of them control the school system of that religious origin; many of them control the press and the mass media of that religious origin….”

MAYOR ‘DEEPLY DISTURBED’

Seymour declared that “it is inconceivable that a person holding such blatantly bigoted views could properly discharge the responsibilities of a public position requiring deep sensitivity and concern for all peoples. It surely brings into question his suitability to occupy a position of public trust. We respectfully urge that, as Chief Executive of the City of New York, you remove Mr. Billings as chairman of the Council Against Poverty.”

In his letter, Lindsay stated he was “deeply disturbed” by Billings’ comments on the radio program. The Mayor wrote: “I strongly reject what you said. I believe you did not mean to say anything that might be regarded as anti-Semitic. Still, any person who occupies the elected and highly responsible position of chairman of the Council Against Poverty must recognize the danger of polarization that can result from remarks that seemingly are directed against any ethnic group.”

Lindsay added: “I hope that you will clarify this matter and that out of this unfortunate incident will come a greater sensitivity for the feelings of our people.” Asked about the ADL demand for Billings’ dismissal, the Mayor’s office spokesman said that though the Mayor appointed the members of the 51-member Council, the chairman was elected by the members and that the Mayor did not control the office of the chairman.