Now Editorial Notes

On Memorial Day the graves of fourteen Jewish Revolutionary War patriots were decorated at the cemetery of the Congregation of Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish cemetery in New York City, at Chatham square near Oliver street, Rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, conducted the services, and members of the Jewish War Veterans participated in the ceremony. Judge Myron Sulzberger, president of the New York Lodge of the B’nai B’rith, presided.

The Jews of America contributed their share of the upbuilding of America from the very beginning. Jews were identified with the discovery of America by Columbus. Jews fought for American Independence. They participated in the Civil War, in the Spanish American War and in the World War. They have played, and are now playing, a conspicuous part as Americans devoted to the ideals of America, in time of peace.

Wherever the Jews have settled, they have adapted themselves to the environment of their new homes, have served their adopted lands loyally and have helped to build up those lands materially and culturally. In Germany, they aided in building up Germany, they aided in building up German commerce and industry, and made lasting contributions to the intellectual achievements of Germany. Many of the Jews “out-Germaned” the Germans themselves in their devotion to their “Fatherland.” the Nazi ingratitude to German Jewry, expressed in savage terms, is a severe blow to the pride and self-respect of the German patriots who worked and fought and died for their country, but it is also a severe blow to Germany itself. For by its cruel ingratitude, Germany has humiliated itself and has eliminated itself from the family of civilized nations.

The Jewish position is secure wherever democracy prevails. Under autocracy, or under dictatorship, the Jewish position depends upon-the whims of the autocrats of-dictators. Beneficent despots, for political and other motives, sometimes adopt a friendly attitude toward the Jews. In most instances, however, autocrats or dictators have made the Jews the scapegoats for their own governmental blunders and crimes. In Germany the Nazi dictatorship rose to power and is maintaining itself on an anti-Jewish program.

The security of the Jewish position is bound up with the democracies of the world. Wherever there is liberty, wherever there is justice, the Jews have the same rights and obligations as the rest of the population.

IN A FOOL’S PARADISE

The Nazi Minister of Justice, Hans Frank, at a luncheon of the American Chamber of commerce in Berlin, declared that no boycott will force Germany to her knees and that the world might as well make up its mind that it is no longer dealing with the Germany of Versailles. And then he said to the Berlin American Chamber of Commerce:

“I am glad to say that boycott in the United States is not the work of the American people and it is my duty to help American authorities to break this boycott insanity.”

Hamilton fish Armstrong, editor of the Foreign Affairs, one of the Foreign Affairs, one of the foremost American publicist and students of European affairs, who has recently returned from a visit to the capitals of Europe, including Berlin, writes in his latest series of articles appearing in the Herald Tribune:

“The financial and economic situation (of Germany) is catastrophic, and for a simple reason. Germany must buy abroad a great part of the raw materials which she converts into exportable manufactured goods. But the racial policy of the Nazis, and their treatment of socialists, republicans and liberals of every variety, has been repugnant to people all over the world. Wherever Nazi policy has been understood in its essential aspects-wherever, namely, there is freedom of thought, speech and judgment, the real fruits of liberty-men have spontaneously given expression to their feelings by refusing to buy German goods and German services whenever others are available. This antipathy for everything German is far from being the result solely or organized boycotts by Jewish organizations, though obviously these have been effective. It has arisen because the violation of Jewish rights and of civilized standards of equity and fair play has outraged not merely Jews but all Christians also”.

Sir Robert Mon, chairman of the British boycott committee, now on a visit in this country, at a conference with Samuel Untermyer, president of the Non Sectarian anti Nazi League, declared:

“With less than one per cent of Jews in the world population, less than three per cent of Jews in the world population, less than three per cent of them in the population of the United States, and less than one-quarter of one per cent in Great Britain, no such inroads upon German trade would have been possible, even if every Jew in the world were an active boycotter. It is a stupendous uprising of outraged humanity the world over, irrespective of race or creed.”

The sooner the Germans commence to realize that the moral and material boycott against German goods and services is not merely the work of the Jews, but that it is supported also the world public opinion, the better it will be for Germany. The ruinous consequences of the moral and material anti-German boycott cannot be explained away by such speeches as the Nazi Minister of Justice made before the American Chamber of Commerce. The Nazi rulers live in a fool’s paradise, if they imagine they can hoodwink the entire world as they are hood winking the German people. Their misdeeds continue to shock civilized people everywhere. And the German people are paying the heavy penalty for having enthroned Hitlerism and all the evils it embodies.

The effect of the world-wide boycott felt so keenly in Germany today is only the beginning. Germany is gradually losing her markets in various lands, and German-made goods are being replaced by products made in the United Sates, England, France and Czechoslovakia. Hitler, by his system of racial, religious and political persecution, is ruining not only the present generation of Germany, but is undermining the future material well-being of the German people.

Not by propaganda will Hitler succeed in stemming the tide of anti-German sentiment abroad. The only means by which Germany can regain her prestige and equality among the nations is by restoring sanity to its governmental policy, by re-establishing human rights to those elements of the German population that have been degraded and persecuted along racial, religious and political lines.