Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Catholic Paper Urges Deutsch Denounce Bias

September 2, 1934
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

out, “have long conferences with at least one persecutor of Catholics—Calles—whom every intelligent Christian loathes more than the Jews do Hitler and whose recent attacks on the family and all religion were highly objectionable, and did not Mr. Deutsch emerge from such conferences with bouquet for such tyrants?”

Further attention is called to the Dr. Fama incident in the following excerpt:

“When we protested against his voting to put Dr. Fama on the city payroll, he was amazed that he had backed an enemy of Catholicity. He would, he told us, investigate at once. That was months ago. Nothing further was heard.”

In a letter calling attention to the editorial, Patrick F. Scanlan, managing editor of the Tablet, writes:

“May we take occasion at this time to express our thanks to the Jewish Daily Bulletin for the fair, intelligent and impartial way in which it has presented this entire matter to its readers. The Tablet will carry an editorial note to that effect this week.”

HEARD OF NO PERSECUTION

Mr. Deutsch yesterday said he would not answer the Tablet’s article, directly calling the attack unwarranted. He did, however, make the following statement to the Jewish Daily Bulletin:

“I did not study the religious problem in Mexico, and wasn’t fully aware of what occurred. I was in contact with many Catholics there, and nobody ever complained to me that Catholics are persecuted. I never spoke about religion.

“If there are any onerous restrictions on Catholics existing there, nobody called them to my attention. Nobody told me that the lot of the Catholic is different from that of any one else.

“The Tablet did not wait for me to come back and answer the charges, but condemned me in advance.

SAW CATHOLICS WORSHIPPING

“I’m opposed to religious persecution in Mexico or anywhere else. If there is persecution of Catholics in Mexico, I condemn it. But I haven’t seen it. I went into churches and saw Catholics worshipping there, seemingly with freedom.

“I don’t know the laws of Mexico and how they affect the Catholics. My visit had nothing to do with religion. I only went there for a vacation. I saw public improvements and better working standards and praised them. I consider it my duty to cement better relations between the United States and Mexico.

“The only reference I made to religion was when the Golden Shirts tried to convince me I was wrong in trying to arrange for places in Mexico for exiled Germans. Believe me, I told those Golden Shirts plenty.

“I will join with the Catholics any time for a fight against religious persecution in Mexico. I will fight and condemn religious persecution anywhere just as I have done in regard to Germany.

“The Catholics are all wrong if they think I sanctioned persecution in Mexico. They are ascribing something to me that is entirely false.”

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement