As a result of objections voiced by the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League to synonyms given for the word, “Jew,” in Roget’s International Thesaurus, the new edition which the publishers, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, of New York, have on the press will not contain the objectionable references. The Thesaurus, used extensively by authors and writers and recognized as an authority on words and thenr meanings, in its previous editions gave the word, “Jew,” the following synonyms: “cunning, rich, usurer, extortioner, heretic.”
This was first brought to the attention of the Anti-Defamation League by Simon J. Heller, of Denver, first vice-president of B’nai B’rith District No. 2, in March of this year. It was immediately taken up with the publishers who then wrote as follows: “The references were put there by Mr. Roget, not by us. You may be sure that we would have been glad to receive suggestions for changes, and now that we have had the matter brought to our attention, we shall be happy to make use of the idea.”
Following a further exchange of correspondence, the Anti-Defamation League is in receipt of this expression from the publishers: “Supplementing our correspondence regarding Roget’s International Thesaurus, we enclose proofs of eight pages which have been corrected in the new edition now on the press.” As shown by these proofs all objectionable references to the Jews have been entirely eliminated.
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