R. D. B. Speaks

For thirty years Editor-in-chief of the Daily Express in London, England’s most celebrated journalist, and chairman of the Board of Directors of the London Daily Express

I have only been two days in the country. I am writing this on my way to the West after an interrupted visit which took me back to England last month. In those two days since I have landed I have had more opportunity of getting about New York and after many years I have made a discovery which is rather surprising. My recollections of New York of forty and fifty years ago is that foreign nationalities were sequestered. Sectionally there were the inevitable Irish in one part, Italians in another and the numerous Chinese of that time still in another, while the Jews—not so many of them—were definitely planted in their own district. I recall this because, in the early ages, when I was a reporter on the old “New York Herald”, it was never difficult for us to locate any denizen of any foreign nationality, because all you had to do, if you wanted to corral a German, you went to Third Avenue, which was redolent of beer saloons. Then hie yourself to Mulberry Street where the Italians, who were mostly peanut sellers, hung out. Then Hester Street where the Jews lived in that particular vicinity. The remaining Submerged Tenth, namely the Americans, had to find habitation and sustenance in the suburbs of Brooklyn, Harlem, Staten Island and the Jersey place where the large mosquitos used to come from.

Now, I have made the amazing discovery that every third man you meet in New York, or nearly so, is a Jew. This means that there are two million members of the Chosen Race within the confines of Greater New York, and this means too, that if they had cohesion and a sense of organization, which they definitely have not got, the Jews of New York alone could dictate to foreign oppressors of their race the policy towards themselves which they most require. Unfortunately, my limited experience of Jews is that while they are imbued with a noble spirit of fellowship and generosity they will not conform to rules and regulations in organization. I believe, in the time of Moses, when he guided his unique followers through the Red Sea, he had a difficult time, because every third member of the expedition felt that he had a field marshal’s baton in his knapsack. That is my experience of Jews today. There are too many field marshals and not enough privates. On reflection, I put out this hint—there are two million of you in New York,—get together and work up a proper organization. Don’t talk about being constantly oppressed and tyrannized. Talk about the roseate future. Look the future in the face and help to bring about the benefits in store. Don’t criticize.

I am speeding towards the West and am not leaving my address—because in response to this telegram which I am sending from Chicago I should receive hundreds of letters of protest. It wouldn’t make any difference in any case, because my withers are unwrung and it is just as well that someone should dissect the facts as they are as tell you about it.