Pierre Poujade, leader of the newest party in France, denied today that he is anti-Semitic or racist. He made his statements in reply to correspondents’ questions.
M. Poujade, whose party press has consistently attacked Pierre Mendes-France, former Premier, and members of his family, asserted that he had attacked Jewish ministers not as Jews but as ministers, His press to this day continues to attack M. and Mme. Mendes-France, urging them to return to their “desert” background.
Asked whether he would be willing to denounce anti-Semitism, M. Poujade answered affirmatively, but insisted that raising the-entire issue only created anti-Semitism. He denied that he and his movement were racist, but admitted that officials in his movement had to be able to trace their French ancestry back at least three generations.
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