Now-editorial Notes

The Republican machine in Pennsylvania has committed the unpardonable blunder by choosing such an irresponsible and discredited demagogue as Congressman Louis T. McFadden to be its spokesman. McFadden’s scurrilous and vile attacks on President Hoover and other distinguished Americans, his vicious un-American campaign of hate and malice against the Jews of America have demonstrated conclusively his utter unfitness for office in the House of Representatives of the United States. He has all the qualifications of a second-rate Hitlerite Nazi.

It is amazing that former Ambassador Henry P. Fletcher, now chairman of the National Republican Committee, himself a Pennsylvanian, has permitted this unfortunate blunder, thereby alienating the support of vast numbers of Republicans.

The Philadelphia Council of the American Jewish Congress is elaborating plans for a campaign against the re-election of Congressman McFadden. A resolution has been adopted by the executive committee of the Council authorizing the appointment of a committee to arrange meetings throughout the State “to warn citizens of the lurking menace to America in McFadden’s elevation to leadership.” The resolution also deplored “the indifference to Jewish sensibilities by the Republican leadership.”

It is eminently proper to conduct such a campaign against the vituperative and bigoted American Congressman. The Jews of Penns#vania know McFadden well. His record is disgraceful.

That the Republican National Committee should assist him to the position of leadership in the Republican councils, after his unprecedented and vicious attack on an American President, who is the outstanding leader of the Republican Party, passes all understanding that some of the films produced in this country contain unwholesome and demoralizing features that have an injurious effect on the youth. Efforts should be made by intellectual and spiritual leaders and educators to curb this tendency among the film producers and directors, and to offer a constructive proposal to remedy this serious fault.

But what about the countless number of stupid, almost idiotic pictures that are offered for the entertainment of the American motion picture public, young and old, that give them distorted views of life, that are an insult to the intelligence of intelligent people, and that tend to lower the intellectual standard of the masses? The Interfaith Council will have no ground to object to these pictures and other forms of entertainment, although they are perhaps even more injurious than the so-called salacious films.

It would seem that Rabbi Sidney E. Goldstein could find some more urgent problems to bring to the attention of the Jews during the coming Holy Days than this film crusade.