“In the death of Lord Arthur Balfour the world has lost one of its Elder Statesmen, Great Britain has been deprived of one of its most outstanding personalities, and the Jews are bereft of one of the noblest friends they have ever had,” declared vice-president Curtis today in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“What Lord Balfour did for Zionism will live forever in the hearts of a grateful Jewry. The issuance of the memorable Declaration that bears his name will go down in history as one of the noblest, far-sighted and constructive achievements of British statesmanship. The author of the Balfour Declaration is no more, but his Declaration which made it possible for world Jewry to realize the hopes and ambitions of centuries, will not die.
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the death of this great British statesman, whose loss is not only that of the British people but of all humanity.”
GOVERNOR FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
I am distressed to learn of the death of Lord Balfour. I had the privilege of seeing much of him during the war. The United States and indeed the whole civilized world loses a friend of peace and goodwill among nations.
LIEUT-GOVERNOR HERBERT H. LEHMAN
I am greatly shocked and deeply grieved to hear of Lord Balfour’s death. He was one of the outstanding figures of our time. A great patriot and a broad-visioned Liberal, he was not only concerned with the interests of his own country, but always considerate of the rights, aspirations and ideals of others. His life and philosophy may well be an example which others should emulate and his place in world’s affairs will be difficult to fill.
JUDGE JULIAN W. MACK
It is indeed sad when any of the Elder Statesmen pass away. Lord Balfour’s death is a genuine loss not only to his country but especially to the Jewish people.
His interest in Palestine and in the establishment therein of the national Jewish homeland was not a matter of politics or even merely of statesmanship; it was due to his reasoned conviction that the Balfour Declaration was not merely a measure of justice to the Jewish people, but an important step in the reorganization of international relations between all of the peoples.
He had become a convinced Zionist long prior to the war. England’s own interests merely furnished for him the opportunity publicly to declare his views and to pledge his country, and through it the powers of the world to the realization and support of the Jewish people’s age-long hope.
In these critical times the loss of his counsel is indeed a grievous one.
BERNARD S. DEUTSCH
In the passing of Lord Balfour the world loses a statesman of vision, and Jewry the world over loses a staunch friend.
Balfour was essentially an Englishman but never ceased to be a friend of humankind. At this critical moment in the history of world Jewry it is a sore loss and it will be difficult to replace this friend of our people.
JAMES N. ROSENBERG
A great friend of the Jews, a great statesman and a great gentleman is dead. We mourn him.
DAVID SARNOFF
A great statesman, scholar and benefactor of humanity has passed. His loss will be mourned not only by the British Empire, but by all the civilized peoples of the world.
DR. STEPHEN S. WISE
No one may undertake to appraise a rich and full life covering the fields of learning and statesmanship, such as were that of Balfour, within some moments after his passing. But it may be said that Balfour fulfilled the Greek ideal as the philosopher-statesman.
It was his understanding of the great movement of human thought that moved him to champion the cause of Hebraic nationality, and he never doubted or wavered, despite political scoffing, Arab antagonism, Jewish doubting. To the end he remained the steadfast and noble advocate of the great cause with which his name is become imperishably associated.
While Balfour lived, much was said of the need of interpretation of the Declaration bearing his name. He is gone: it is for the Jewish people to dedicate themselves to the fulfillment of the mandate, implicit in the covenant which he drew up on behalf of the British Empire with the Jewish people. Balfour is dead, but the Balfour Declaration lives.
MORRIS ROTHENBERG
By the death of Lord Balfour Zionism loses its foremost protagonist in the non-Jewish world. As the father of the Balfour Declaration his name is inextricably bound-up with the modern Jewish Renaissance. Lord Balfour’s efforts in behalf of Zionism and his brilliant exposition of the Zionist cause will remain an imperishable memory with the Jewish people.
DR. LEE K. FRANKEL
I am deeply grieved by the death of Lord Balfour. I have had the honor of personally meeting him and was struck by the depth of vision which characterized this great statesman, philosopher and noble friend of the Jews.
JAMES MARSHALL
It is with regret that I learn of Lord Balfour’s death. He was throughout his life a scholar, a philosopher and aristocrat in the precious sense of that word. It was this that taught him to value tradition and to recognize the latent and beneficent energies of Judaism which might be realized by the recognition of its ideals and the guarantee of freedom to develop its historic culture. Only a man of broad vision could have been the author of the Balfour Declaration. Only a man of courage could have given utterance to it.
FERDINAND VEVERKA
Ferdinand Veverka, Czechoslovakian Minister to the U. S., in a statement issued to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today, said: “The death of Lord Balfour removes from British public life a man who represented a rare combination of the statesman and the philosopher. He belonged to the best type of English statesmanship, characterized by sagacity and honesty.
“Balfour will always live in the memory of men as the creator of the Jewish national home. We Czechoslovaks will bear him an eternal gratitude, for it was he on behalf of the British Government, that issued in 1918 the Declaration recognizing our national aspirations to freedom and independence.”
DAVID M. BRESSLER
The passing of the Earl of Balfour will be greatly mourned by Jews everywhere. In the hearts of many of them his memory will always be treasured as the author of the famous Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, which resulted in the creation in Palestine of a Jewish homeland—an aspiration which very large numbers of them have cherished through the
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
