Now–editorial Notes

The meeting of The Judeans at which. Professor Franz Boas, of Columbia University, Professor Ellsworth of Yale, and Dr. Maurice Fishberg, discussed the Semites and the “Aryans,” was of unusual interest and importance. The learned anthropologists exposed the absurdity of the Nazi race theories of the superiority of the “Aryans.”

Professor Boas, the dean of American anthropologists, who was the guest of honor, said that while it was generally accepted by scientists that the “Aryan” race theory was pure fiction, it was necessary to keep on exposing it, in order to combat the vicious agitation of the “Silver Shirts” and other organizations of that type in this country. He pointed out that it would be a mistake to ignore this agitation, however important it may seem how.

Professor Huntington, of Yale, suggested that it would be wise for the United States to admit a larger number of the refugees from Germany not merely because they are oppressed or persecuted but in order to “add to the intellectual resources of American culture.” He remarked that persecution is often directed against people whose quality is far above the average, and that “for such people the United States should be a refuge.” He said such a form of selective immigration to the United States would be desirable, but added that the idea is still Utopian, for the reason that people are not yet sufficiently civilized to adopt these standards of immigration requirements.

Dr. Maurice Fishberg, author of “The Jews–a Study of Race and Environment,” and authority on tuberculosis, delivered a brilliant and authoritative address analyzing the fallacies of the Nazi race theories. He pointed out that while the Germans have appointed themselves as the only people of the “Aryan,” or true Nordic, noble race destined to rescue European civilization, despite the fact that Scandinavia and England and even Ireland “have a higher proportion of this coveted breed,” the German authorities have never permitted an investigation of the racial composition of the German population. He said that it was distinctly prohibited to take anthropological measurements in the German army, the best group of men on whom reliable researches as to the race composition of a population could be made under present conditions. And he gave the reasons why such an investigation was verboten. The whole Aryan race theory would be disproved by the results of such an investigation.

It is to be regretted that the meeting was limited to members of the Judeans and their friends. The facts presented by these authorities should be widely disseminated in order to offset the vicious Nazi propaganda in this country.