British Jews Consider Imposition of Sanctions Against Members Who Shame Community

A proposal that the Jewish community consider imposing sanctions against Jews who damage the community’s good name was discussed here yesterday at a meeting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. The discussion was held in connection with a bribery scandal in British public life involving high Labor Government officials and financial operators, including a number of Jews.

Speaking before the Lynskey Parliamentary Tribunal of Inquiry, which is investigating the scandal, Attorney General Sir Hartley Shawoross today said: “There are some on who think that some of the matters under investigation here involve some reflection on the Jewish community. That is an unfortunate and, I submit, an unjustified impression.” He added that “it is neither helpful nor relevant to say whether or not witnesses took the oath with hats on.” Shawoross was referring here to the coverage of a number of British newspapers which have been attacked for the anti-Jewish manner in which they have reported the day-by-day developments in the inquiry.

The central figure in the investigation is Sidney Stanley, a financier and business man, who admitted giving presents to government officials. During the course of the Lynskey Tribunal’s hearings, it was revealed that deportation orders on charges of fraud had been issued against Stanley in 1933, but could not be served because he had changed his name from Solomon Koshyzoky. When he was located it was impossible to send him back to Poland because of the war, a witness told the Tribunal.

A degree of anti-Semitism is believed to have been stirred up by the inquiry in which some of the witnesses involved–in apparent attempts to bribe or influence government officials–have been Jewish financiers. None of the ministers or government officials involved are Jewish. One of the reported effects of the trial is that the Conservative Party has asked Commander Ashe Lincoln, a Jew with an excellent war record, to withdraw his candidacy in East Harrow because the Party feels that it is inadvisable to have a Jew as its candidate at the present time.