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Published Weekly by
Th.
IOU law..•
Jevrtal Cbremirle Puhlishia: Co. lees
JOSEPH J. CUMMINS
JACOB MARGOLIS
JACOB H. SCHAKNE
Preslaent
Editor
General Manager
Entered as liteocd-class matter )(mach I, MC at the Prieto:Ice at Detroit.
Mich, under the Act of !larch 3. 1879.
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The Detroit Jewish Chroalicle Invitee corr.pondenre on aubjects of Interest
to the Jewish people, but dIsclasens responsibility for an indorsement of th e
•Iews expressed by the writer.
V14
February 11, 1927
Adar 9, 5687
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The Capital Punishment Bill.
Capital punishment is the supreme vengeance of
society against the offender who commits murder. All
the casuistic and fanciful reasoning in the world cannot
disprove the fact that when the murderer is hanged on
the gallows. that society has avenged itself upon its
blotched and bungled malefactor.
Many who favor it will deny that they are motivated
by a desire for vengeance, but are concerned about th(
protection of the community, or the ridding of society
of a menace and prevention of repetition of the crime
Those who approve it can point to facts which in their
opinion demonstrate the soundness of capital punish-
ment as a deterrent and point with particular enthusi
asm to Great Britain to prove their contention, whit(
the opponents to capital punishment point to Chicago
Illinois, or Memphis, Tennessee, or a hundred othe r
places with high murder rates, where they have capita 1
punishment, to prove that taking of life does not reduc
the number of homicides.
Every argument of this sort, either pro or con, is i t
the last analysis superficial, for there are so many so
ciological, biological, economic and juridicial aspect
of the whole question of crime that one is neither hon
est with himself nor with his readers if he predicate
his objection to or approval of capital punishment upo
such illustrations as the murder rate in Britain or Chi
cago.
Too often in the discussion of capital punishmen
the debaters forget that murder is a crime that need
to be considered as objectively and unemotionally a
any other anti-social offense. Undoubtedly, murder i
the gravest of all offenses against society and no on
should Minimize the fact, but yet it must be considere(
in relation to our life just in the same manner as w
consider arson, rape, or highway robbery. Lest it b
forgotten, it is not so long ago that these offenses, to
gether with many lesser felonies, were punishable wit
death. We have travelled some distance in our under
standing of the question, but there is still an enormou
distance to be covered before we can view the matte
of murder with the same critical and dispassionate un
derstanding as we apply to the other offenses.
In this connection, a seven year study of gangs an
gangland, made by Professor Thrasher of the Univer
city of Chicago, is illuminating. He found that ther
are 1,313 gangs in Chicago with ramification extendin
into every section and class of the life of that city
He found that there are 50,000 gang members an
10,000 professional criminals who prey on the commur
ity. Practically all members of the gangs are men, bu
women play an important part in the numerous orgie
which are implicit in gang life to perhaps a greats
degree than in any other group. The gangs are th
schools for criminals and the breeding place of the gan
is the slum.
Just as in a similar study made recently at Sing Sins
it was shown that the slum contributed the largest quot
to crime, just so Professor Thrasher, after seven yeas
of painstaking careful observation and study, finds the
the slum is the crime incubator. If, after many simile
studies it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of all the
the slum is a potent factor, then we have at least isola
ed one of the disease producing agents and can pr
ceed to discover and isolate the other agents whic
make for anti-social action and living.
Until the subject has been adequately studied an
the results determined, those communities that hat
discarded capital punishment can keep its homicid
members confined. To return to capital punishment
Michigan would be a most unscientific act in view of tt
existing data upon the problem of crime and its gen
sis.
As long as all the causes for crime are not asce
tained, we can rid ourselves of the social irritant, U
murderer, by putting him out of the way, but he w
persist as long as the causes which have brought hi
into being continue. A little less vengeance and mo
sympathy, understanding and scientific knowledge a
what is needed in this whole controversy that has aga
arisen in the state of Michigan.
The legislature will do well to leave it in the state
quo until it knows more about it.
The Revisionist Conference.
At the League of Zionists Revisionists Conferen
held in Paris, resolutions were adopted which at on
showed a realistic attitude in matters of internal affai
and a wholly fantastic and impossibilist position in mu
ters touching the mandatory power.
For instance the conference passed a resolution ur
ing the development of Jewish insurance companies
make available insurance funds for Palestine inv'et
ment. This is in line with sound and sagacious busine
methods followed in successful business ventures
America. The formation of a world union of liebraic
advocated by Jacob Kahn, the Hebrew poet, is a pr
posal easily realizable and most assuredly in keepi
with the fundamentals of Zionism. But when the 1
visionists touch upon political matters, reason and u
derstanding seem to desert them. They deal only
slogans and shibboleths. To them political facts a
exchanged for inponderables and intangibles and the
is such confusion of fancy with fact, with ideal f
achievement that one is rather surprised that a serio
group of men can solemnly pass such resolutions.
One would imagine that the mandatory power h
but the Jewish people to deal with in Palestine. T
whole fiscal and international policy of Great Brita
should allocate land for Jewish colonization ; modi
is
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taxation and customs; introduce a protective tariff for
Palestine trade and industry ; incorporate a special Jew-
ish unit for the defense forces, demand that the Pales-
tine government take over the health and educational
systems so as to relieve the Zionist organization of the
burden.
In Detroit we would hardly ask the board of educa-
tion to defray the expense of the United Hebrew
Schools. If they would do so, then we would expect a
curriculum essentially different from the present one.
If the Palestine government were to take over educa-
tion, we dare say that the Zionist movement would con-
sider it a misfortune. It would be tantamount to a sur-
render of Zionism for it is hardly conceivable that the
education would be Hebrew, as it it not the dominant
language of the country. Certainly the resolution pro-
vided for a special Jewish department guaranteeing
the Ilebrew and national character of the schools, but
who is so foolhardy as to believe that those who pay
will not insist upon having something to say about it.
All the other resolutions touching the matters of
land allocation, customs, taxation and tariffs proceed
upon, to us, wholly wrong theory of Jewish dominance
of Palestine. If the Jews were a majority and had the
support of the minorities, the dictatorial attitude of the
revisionists would not only be commendable as showing.
a spirit of conscious militant national aspiration, but
would have the prospect of some measure of success.
If the Premiers of Canada, Australia, South Africa
and New Zealand made demands for autonomy or for
modification in taxation, customs and tariffs; it is wholly
in keeping with the power and influence they represent,
but when a minority group within a minority group in
a mandated territory assumes such a role, then it is
either play acting or is sheer visionaire stuff.
We believe that at this time the mere adoption of
these demanding resolutions is unfortunate. The Zion-
ist movement has been subjected to severe criticism for
the very things which were done by the revisionists in
Paris. Their attitude is not one of friendliness but is
calculated to stir up considerable bitterness because of
the belligerent attitude of all the resolutions approved.
As to the crisis in Palestine being due to the pres-
ent Palestine administration, that is merely a cry of an
opposition which is not particularly concerned about
the accuracy of the charges made.
We are persauded that the policy of the Zionist
Organization, because of its appreciation of the actuali-
ties is the correct one to pursue at the present time, and
for some time to come. If conditions should change in
Palestine to such an extent that the Jews are a majority,
then it is time to demand changes from the mandatory
power.
At this critical time, Dr. Weizmann needs all the
co-operation and assistance he can possibly get and
should not be obstructed and harrassed by a group of
men whose emotions are much stronger than their rea-
son.
Roumania Avenges Herself.
World Jewry has been so exercised over the pogroms
in Roumania that it compelled the non-Jewish world
to take cognizance of the insupportable conditions pre-
vailing there. The matter was brought to the notice of
the League of Nations. The Christian religious bodies
in America joined in the protest that resulted in a pe-
tition to Secretary Kellogg. Indignation meetings were
held all over the world and interpellations took place in
European legislative bodies, so great was the feeling of
outrage experienced by all socially minded and anti-
pogromist men and women everywhere. It is true that
the government denied the excesses and Mr. Cretziano,
the Roumanian minister in Washington, charged the
Jews with conspiring with the Bolsheviks to give his
country a bad name. If we should take the advice of
Rabbi Niemerower who was accepted as the Jewish
religious representative in the Senate. all the magnani-
mous efforts of disinterested parties should cease.
The rabbi would have those Jews who do not live
in Roumania discontinue their efforts to abate the po-
groms and atrocities and, what is more, the excesses are
greatly exaggerated. In this instance, the Jews of the
world will pay little or no attention to him. He does
not speak for Roumanian Jewry, even though he was
accepted as the religious representative by the Senate
instead of Rabbi Schor. It was, in our opinion, just be-
cause he was ready to do this piece of very questionable
work with exceptionally bad taste, that he was so gra-
ciously received.
In the recent case of Hungary, world Jewry was
rather impolitely told to mind its own business. Those
Hungarian leaders who thought they could liquidate
their own problems were speedily disillusioned. The
government used them as a cats paw. They played the
government's game and burned their fingers without
gaining anything for their people. Even though the
Hungarian case showed a spirit of pride and responsi-
bility in marked contrast to the sycophantic and apolo-
getic attitude of a Niemerower, yet is accomplished
nothing in the way of bettering Hungarian conditions.
We cannot criticize the rabbi severely, inasmuch as
the condition of Roumanian Jewry is tragically hard
due to the continuous anti-Semitic propaganda of the
Cuza's; the politics of the Bratiano's; and the murder-
ous activities of the Morarescu's. There have been
courageous rabbis in Israel who dared to oppose every
oppressive measure against their people and who re-
fused to temporize with the authorities or apologize for
their actions. We would be much happier had Rabbi
Niemerower stood up to those who pogromed his people
and told them that their actions were offensive to the
civilized world. The unrelieved stark tragedy of the
whole affair consists in the fact that a rabbi should
feel impelled to do the part of shoddy apologist. How-
ever, Roumania is at the bar of public opinion and the
rabbi is only a pitiful incident.
Notwithstanding the assurances that all is well with
Roumanian Jewry, world Jewry will continue its effort
to correct the abuses and discriminations visited upon
an inoffensive minority people. It is as much its obli-
gation and responsibility to do this work as it is to help
European Jewry in its present undertaking to solve and
adjust its difficult economic, social and political prob-
lems.
Ghettoism is a disheartening spectacle and we would
be more than happy not to witness any more acts of
groveling such as indulged in by the obsequious Rabbi
Niemerower.
A. D.: J.i7F tilt r
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Jewish Humor
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"This Unbelieving World" 1
By Leo M. Glassman
By RABBI LEON FRAM
(Copyright, 1927, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency.)
The Young Spinosa.
A young man who was known to
be extremely timid and particularly
bashful in the company of the oppo-
site sex had difficulty in securing him-
self a bride. A shadchen who heard
of the case undertook to solve the
problem for the young man. "Look
here," he said to him, "the trouble
with you is that you do not know
how to engage the attention of the
young ladies with clever conversa-
tion. I will therefore coach you, and
I assure you you will be successful
with the girl I will introduce you to.
Now, when you call on her, talk about
three subjects, love, her family and
philosophy--but only a few words on
each subject, just to show her your
versatility."
Whereupon the young man, who
was not very keen of wit, accom.
panies the shadchen to the house of
the prospective kalleh. Arriving there
they were given a very warm wel-
come and a luxurious meal, follow-
ing which the shadchen and all the
other members of the family discreet-
ly left the room in order to give the
young couple an opportunity to be-
come acquainted. The young man,
who up to now had not uttered a
word, felt that the moment had ar-
rived for him to make the supreme
effort. Remembering the instructions
given him by the shadchen, he began
thus:
"I say, miss, do you like herring?"
"No, not a bit."
The young man was disappointed,
but, having covered the subject of
love, he proceeded to the next.
"Well," he stammered, "does your
brother like herring?"
"Why, I have no brother," replied
the girl. Another failure, the young
man thought to himself with a pang.
However, there was still one more
chance, so he proceeded to the sub-
ject of philosophy.
"B-b-but — supposing you had a
brother, to you think he would like
herring?"
Only Kosher Food.
A lady who was watching a per-
formance in a theater which did not
appeal to her very much was so bored
that finally she could not repress a
very conspicuous and somewhat aud-
ible yawn. A Gentile in the next
seat remarked:
"Madam, I am afraid you will
swallow me."
"Have no fears," the lady replied.
"I am a Jewess and you know that we
Jews are careful as to what we eat."
Publicity.
A beggar entered a restaurant and,
approaching a man who appeared to
be wealthy, he asked him for alms.
The wealthy man resented the beg-
gar's intrusion, but in order to get
rid of him he picked up a very small
piece of bread and handed it to him.
Whereupon the beggar took the news-
paper from the table and began
wrapping the tiny piece of bread
in it.
"That is beyond the limit!" cried
the wealthy diner with indignation.
"It is enough I gave you the bread,
how dare you take my newspaper?"
"I meant no harm," the beggar
apologized, "but it seemed only prop-
er to me that such a noble gift should
at once go into the newspapers."
An Insult.
"What do you know about that?"
a .Jew complained to his friend. "That
impudent scoundrel, Chaim, called me
an 'old fool!'"
"I can understand your anger," the
friend replied sympathetically. "It's
a mean lie—why, you're not old.
You're only 35."
Why the Czar Preferred His Ruble.
Two batlans were having a discus.
slot:. Says one:
"I cannot understand why the czar
demands a ruble from me for taxes.
Hasn't he enough rubles? He makes
the money himself, doesn't he? Then
why doesn't he make as many rubles
as he needs and leave me alone?"
"You understand, it's this way,"
the other batlan explained. "The
Talmud says that the kingdom of the
earth is like the kingdom of the
heaven, and it is well known that
when a man performs a good deed,
a mitzvah, God creates a new angel
in the heavens. Of course you will
ask why should God want you to per-
form a mitzvah whereby to create an
angel, when He could create as many
angels as He needs? So the answer
is: certainly God can create all the
angels He needs, but He wants you
to create one for Him just the same.
Likewise with the kingdom on earth.
The czar can make as many rubles
as his heart desires, nevertheless he
prefers to have your ruble and
mine."
TO CO OPERATE
-
The Christians of America are in-
creasingly coming together in a
strengthening combination of their
forces to face the world with a united
front to the end of spreading religion
and combatting the world's moral de.
linquencies. Our Christian brothers
are actively engaged through this en-
deavor in bringing the message and
influence of their religious ideals to
others.
In face of this Christian movement
Jews must acknowledge with shame
as they contemplate the spirit of the
Maccabees that they are seriously di-
vided religiously and nationally into
groups that are not only not co-oper-
ative, but are conflicting sod antago-
nistic. While the Christians are seek-
ing to abandon or bridge over their
sectarian differences, Jews are deep-
ening the chasm in their midst by
their liberalism. A persistence of
this condition must, to my mind, mean
a progressive deterioration fraught
with what may be vital danger. Just
as the Christians are coming together
so should Jews, not, however, to the
end of rivaling but rather to that of
more successfully co-operating with
them as they are now seeking to co-
operate with us.—The Supplement.
If you have not broken the shell
you cannot eat the kernel.
and which shall be as congenial to his
When I entered the Hebrew Union
heart as the Bible.
College, Lewis Browne was already
The "Outline" of course, never quite
there. lie was only in the high school
carried out its author's ambitious pro-
department of the college with a
gram. It has not been accepted as a
stretch of seven or eight years between
new divine revelation, and it has not
him and his goal of a rabbinical di-
replaced the Bible. It has turned out
ploma. He was very impatient about
to be no more than one of the many
the long, long road ahead, yet he was
good pamphlets that have been written
never quite sure that he really wanted
in the cause of international accord.
to be a rabbi. His hobby was writing
But it did achieve something which
and his favorite models were the Eng-
was not in its author's mind at all. It
lish writers. He consumed everything
became the nucleus of the new library
Joseph Conrad and II. G. Wells ever
of popularized science which we have
wrote. Ile was a queer chap at col-
seen accumulating since 1921. These
lege—was Lewis Browne—his face
books all have the laudable aim of
looked bigger than all the rest of his
making the chief results of scholary
body, and his eyes looked bigger than
investigation the common possession
all the rest of his face. One never knew
of all the race. Not long after the pub-
what those straining, bulging, wistful
lication of "The Outline of History,"
eyes signified. Those that liked him
there appeared J. Arthur Thomson's
said it was high aspiration. Those
"The Outline of Science" in which as-
that did not like him so well said that
tronomy was treated as the romance
it was mere ambition. Undoubtedly
of the heavens, biology as the dream
he was very much envied. Although
of evolution, and geology as the tale
only a student in the high school de-
the rocks tell. Immediately following
partment, he contributed copiously to
this, there were published two works
the college periodical, the Hebrew Un-
on the Outline of Literature, one by
ion College Monthly. When H. G.
31r. Drinkwater and another by Mr.
Wells' two specifically religious hooks
Macy. Close upon the heels of these
appeared, "The Undying Fire" and
came the "Outline of Art." A Detroit-
"God the Invisible King", Lewis
er now entered the field with a book
Browne wrote a review of them for
called "The Microbe Hunters," in
the college monthly in which he con-
which 31r. De Kruif creates out of the
gratulated H. G. Wells upon his hav-
esoteric of bacteriology, a series of
ing seen the light and attained almost
thrilling short stories. Last winter
to the intellectual summit of Jewish
the "Science of Psychology" was made
monotheism. Ile sent the article to
into a novel in Dorsey's "Why We Be-
Mr. Wells. A few weeks later he re-
have Like Human Beings," and only
ceived a note from the great man
this summer—who would have believed
thanking him politely for his courtesy,
it?—the most abstruse and remote of
and declining graciously the compli-
all human learning, philosophy, was
ment that his religion was almost as
re-written so that high school boys and
good as Judaism.
girls might revel in it. I refer to the
The receipt of that note, perfunctory
"Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant.
and non-committal though it was,
An Amazing History.
proved a decisive event in the career
The happy idea came to Mr. Browne
of Mr. Browne. He was now in asso-
that among the subjects in which peo-
ciation with the great. He was carry-
ple were very niuch interested for one
ing on a literary correspondence. All
reason or another was the Jews, and
the emotional exuberance of young
that the history of the Jews was quite
manhood with its fertile capacity for
inaccessible even to literary men.
the generation of delusions now led
Heinrich Greets' classic "History Of
Mr. Browne to identify himself as an
the Jews" is a work of five volumes,
Englishman—as an aristocratic Eng-
and all the shorter works either do not
lishman and a writer. He cultivated
cover the whole of Jewish history, or
the accent of an Englishman and as-
are written in an academic style, ac-
sumed the dress of an Englishman. He
ceptable as text books from which to
affected all the eccentricities which are
study with the guidance of a teacher,
supposed to inhere in literary genius.
but not inviting as just books to pick
Even with a slight effliction of rheu-
up and read. Perhaps he saw this op-
matism came, he turned it into a bless-
portunity for popularizing Jewish
ing, for it gave him the opportunity
customs because he was rather well
to employ a cane in true aristocratic
prepared for it. He had given the
fashion. It made his identification
best years of his youth to studying the
with the Englishman of letters practi-
Bible. His favorite professor at col-
cally complete. All that remained was
lege had been Dr. Gottard Deutsch,
to write a book. And, so wonderful
professor of post-Biblical history. He
are the ways of the human mind, the
had spent many hours in Dr. Deutsch's
book was not long in coming; and
study helping Dr. Deutsch in the class-
when it came, it was modeled after
ifying and filing of his notes and lis-
Browne's English idol, Ii. G. Wells.
tening, in moments of relaxation, to
Dr. Deutsch's vitally humorous and
Mr. Browne never completed his
keenly searching comments on Jewish
course at the Hebrew Union College.
and general history. Dr. Deutsch's
For reasons best known to himself he
influence is visible on most pages of
had ceased to love the Hebrew Union
Browne's "Stranger Than Fiction," a
College and the Jewish community at
short story of the Jewish people. In
Cincinnati. One summer while spend-
setting about this task, Mr. Browne
ing his vacation in New York, he start-
now sensed a perplexing problem.
ed upon the writing of a novel. That
Practically all the other popularizers
summer he also became an admirer
had already made their reputation
and intimate of Dr. Stephen S. Wise.
through previous works. Van Loon
With the help of Dr. Wise he secured
was famous before he wrote the "His-
what we call a free-lance rabbinical
tory of Mankind." Dr. J. Arthur
position at Waterbury, Connecticut.
Thomson was a world-famous scien-
It was while officiating as rabbi in
tist before he became editor of the
Waterbury, that Lewis Browne found
"Outline of Science." 31r. Browne
the opportunity to become acquainted
was practically unknown. His liter-
with literary people in the nearby me-
ary works amounted altogether to one
tropolis of New York. Sinclair Lewis,
or two book review's which had been
author of "Main Street" and "Rabbit"
published in the Nation and the New
was very much impressed by the man-
uscript of the novel which Mr. Browne
Republic. Mr. Browne decided, it
seems, that he must write not merely
submitted to him for criticism, and he
an interesting history of the Jews, he
even consented to write a preface to it.
This novel, which was to have been
must make it astounding, an amazing
called "The Golden Ghetto," was never
history, otherwise the work of an ob-
published. It probably never will be
scure author would receive no atten-
for it was an incontinent utterance of
tion. This explains the extravagance
of the early chapters of "Stranger
the bitterness Mr. Browne felt at the
time he took his leave of Cincinnati.
Than Fiction." Mr. Browne permitted
Browne has since outgrown the feel-
himself to describe King David, who
ing that he must vilify an entire com-
is known to tradition as the writer of
munity with an entire profession be-
the tenderest poetry ever uttered by
cause a few tactless people bruised his
the soul of man, as a highway robber,
youthful sensitiveness.
and Mr. Browne made bold to describe
King Solomon, who is known to tra-
Tho Influence of H. G. Well..
dition as a philosopher and peace-mak-
The most fruitful literary contact
er and patron of arts and letters, as
Mr. Browne niade in New York was
nothing other than a pirate. It was
that with Ilendrik Van Loot:. It will
this sort of daring, iconoclastic writing
be recalled that almost simultaneously
that
excited popular interest in the
in the year 1921, Mr. Van Loon and
book. It must be conceded, however,
Mr. Wells wrote brief and simple his-
that
once
we have prevailed upon our-
tories of mankind. Van Loon's book,
selves to forgive these extravagances,
entitled "The History of Mankind"
we
find
the
book a valuable piece of
was written ostensibly for children
work. What the author loses in his
but is actually read only by adults.
shallow
treatment
of David and Solo-
lets G. Wells' work "The Outline of
mon, he more than compensates for by
History" was written for adults, but
his rich interpretation of Amos and
to Mr. Wells contemporary adults
Jeremiah. By the cunning of Browne's
were beings who needed to he taught
pen, the history of the Jewish people
life all over again, from the beginning
becomes a magnificent drama, the con-
like children. It was from Van Loon
flict between the spirit of prophecy
that Browne got the idea of illustrat-
and the spirit of priestcraft. It is a
ing his books with his own pen-and-
drama replete with brilliant phrases
ink sketches. Drawing was a gift of
and holding the attention to the very
Mr. Browne's which no one had sus-
end. Mr. Browne's book has led peo-
pected until his first book appeared.
ple to read Jewish history who would
It was from Mr. Wells that Browne
otherwise never have come near it. In
got the idea of popularizing the dread
his review of it in the Nation, Van
science of history. In Wells' "Out-
Loon said that "Stranger Than Fir-
line," Mr. Browne saw his opportunity • tion
gave him the opportunity he had
for emulating the literary giant
long sought in vain—to get an inkling
whose autographed letter had once
of
what
the Talmud was like and to
given him such a mighty urge toward
catch a glimpse of Jewish history since
writing.
Bible
days.
Not only is it the only
Undoubtedly, Mr. Wells is to be
book on Jewish history than non-Jews
credited with initiating one of the most
will
read,
it
is
also the only book on
salient movements in current book-
the subject that Jewish young men
making—the systematic populariza-
and
women
will
read spontaneously.
tion of the vast and fascinating hoards
My experience has been that if I place
of modern, human knowledge which
the
book
in
the
hands
of one member
heretofore was available only to uni-
of a family, the book runs through the
versity students or to voluminous,
entire family. Fathers and mothers,
omnivorous readers. It is not true,
uncles and aunts insist upon their
however, that Wells wrote his outline
turn at it. When the history of the
merely for the sake of making world-
Jews
has been made so famelneting,
history easier or more convenient read-
we can forget one or two error. and
ing. Wells informed his work with a
one
or
more extravagances. "tit retie-
grand mission to mankind. The "Out-
er Than Fiction" Is a much biter
line of History" was inspired by the
book
than
"This Believing World."
tragedy of the Great War. It was
The success of the first 'molt intro-
Mr. Wells' conviction that the peoples
duced
Browne to the well of
of Europe were persuaded to go into
writers and gained for him his entree
that savage conflict because they did
into
the
coveted
society of Greenwich
not know history. If the average man
were so well acquainted with the his-
Browne
now
decided
to give up the
tory of mankind that he knew in the
career of rabbi and devote himself al-
first place that wars had always been
together
to
writing.
Having
estAlb
futile, as harmful to the victor as to
!jailed • reputation as a popularizer,
the vanquished, and knew in the sec-
he began looking about for something
ond place, that he and his fellows of
else to popularize. Why take the cre-
all nations were united by their most
ative pains of writing novels when
fundamental interests — economic,
Wells has made history and science so
scientific, and artistic—and separated
profitable? Ile hit upon the science
a. enemies only by silly, groundless
superstitions, then, argued Mr. Wells of comparative religion, and he trav-
eled
to Jerusalem, the city called Holy
the average man, knowing all this,
by three religions, to write "This Be-
simply could not be made to fight. The
lieving
World," a simple account of
dragon of war would be slain by the
the great religions of mankind. Sig-
magic of • history which the average
man shall read as he reads a romance
(Continued on next pare.)
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