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r Page Twelve

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday; August 6, 1943

Lord Wedgwood

Deceased British Statesman, Most Courageous Christian

Defender of Jewish Rights .Everywhere, Was One of
Staunchest. Supporters of Zionist Cause and Was
Referred to as "Member of Parliament for the Jews."

Lord Wedgwood
Is Dead!

F

OR THE WORLD AT

. large, this brief sentence
represents the passing of a noted states-
man; a former -Colonel in the British
armed forces, scion of a family that
became known throughout the world
for the pottery : bearing its name-.
But for the Jewish people it spells
the loss of the greatest. friend we have
had in many generations. .
Josiah C: WedgwOod, former M.P:,
D.S.O., former vice-president of the
- British Labor Party, was an Ohav Is-
rael. He had earned hiS title of a lover
of our people' and as defender of our
, rights because for him it was a matter
of justice and of righteousness. -
In theinterests of justice for the Jew,
Lord Wedgwood, who was elevated to
. the peerage. i.n 1942, risked his personal
career and popularity in England.

Example of His -Courage

A typical example of his daring and
courage is the radio address he deliv-
ered from London to the dinner of the
. American Palestine Committee in
Washington on June 8, 1942, at which
Dr. Chaim Weizmann was guest of
honor. He was condemned for it, and
- the British. Broadcasting Corporation
which carried his address punished the
censor for permitting the address to go
through. But Lord Wedgwood stuck to
his guns and carried on the fight for
Jewish rights.
He knew his confreres' attitude to-
wards him..
- :Six..years ago, this writer recom-
mended that his name and the names'
- of General Jan Smuts, Prime Minister
. of South Africa, and Dr. •Stephen S.
Wise be honored by having colonies
named for them in Palestine. Under
date of April 9, 1937, in the letter
. reproduced on this page, he wrote:
"./. should be highly honoured

and delighted—but I doubt if the
Administration would! •Anyway
-- my sentiments 'remain the same.".

obvious—the more people there are to
help us destroy Hitlerism, the better—
none are more anxious, that try to kill
Hitlerism, than the Jews. Not to allow
them to fight for their own land, their
own skins, by our side is inhuman and
treachery to all we fight for. These
reasons I have given are obvious. Yet
why is it forbidden to arm? Let's be
frank! We have nothing to conceal any
longer! Our enemies know already why
we want the Jews of Palestine armed
and why the British forbid it. We want
the Jews of Palestine armed in the.
sure and certain conviction that, once
armed they will never surrender these
arms save with their lives. Yoked for
25 years in double harness—the end has
come. Twenty-five years of what
should have been co-operation have
been 25 years of jealousy and 'malice
and uncharitableness, ending in the
mass massacre of the STRUMA. The
British Administration have been too
strong for the British parliament and
conscience. The whole administration
in Palestine from the top to the police,
are against the half-million Jews of
Palestine. They will never let them
have arms, nor land, nor free immigra-
tion, nor a refuge, nor a home—Never!
They don't like the Jews. There are
enough anti-Semites and crypto-fascists
still in Great Britain to back up that
policy and the STRUMA and PATRIA
and the shootings and concentration
camps are all forced upon the British
Government to prevent the Arabs mak-
ing trouble just now Wishful think-
ing! The Arabs are an excuse, not a
reason! Any change now must involve
the whole administration—they all
have a vested interest in proving the
Balfour Declaration unworkable — in
proving themselves right.
"There is no longer any hope from
any British administration. The bomb
that blew up the STRUMA blew too
deep a gulf between. It was the logical
and inevitable end of the policy. There-
fore seek to get your America to act--
to press for arms and justice—to accept
the Mandate—to build another free
land with open doors and open'hearts.
I am speaking to you, Stephen. Wise,
and to you, Hillel Silver. I have tried
to save for my own countrymen the
glory of rebuilding Jerusalem—of doing
justice and creating freedom. It's no
use. They won't do it ! I can't help. You
must turn to America and take on the
job yourselves. Ask no more from Bri-
tain. We prefer King I b n Saud and

The June 8, 1942 address, aroused
worldwide- discussion; and Lord Wedg-
wood was charged with. motives of in-
citing the -Jews of Palestine to violence
against the British authorities. He na-
turally denied it. It was unfair to
charge so eminent a British leader
with such intentions. He pointed out,
in London, on June 9; 1942, that it was
_ not true to say he attempted such a
thing because "it is years since any
word of mine has ever been reported
• in Palestine."

Philo-Semite

By

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

if it should ever occur to you to think
poorly of the way in which we have
acquitted ourselves, if you see too
many black pages in our history, re-
flect that all nations of the world have
such black pages. But see at the same
time in our history, as in America's,
that at least there have always been
men to denounce the crime of their
own government, to seek to right the
wrong. You and I, Senator Wagner,
may not succeed, but we can keep our
country's name clean by daring to be
in the right. We may all look forward
to the day when there will be no leav-
ing it to England or leaving it to Amer-
ica—when joined in a Federal union of
the free, the Jews of Palestine 'may be
partners, and neither isolated America
nor isolated England shall any longer
be afraid to do their duty. As we used
to say in the gunners—Jews, stand
your horses, forviard march!"

"M. P.

for the Jews"

Some people in England often re-
ferred to him as "The Member of Par-
liament for the Jews." Even Jewish
members of Parliathent never rose to
the glory of being so honored as
staunch defenders of the oppressed-.
There is a tradition in the Wedgwood
family for service in causes in -behalf
of the - underprivileged. His great-
grandfather, also Josiah Wedgwood,
gave his fortune to free the slaves.
Also, there is that tradition among
the. English for service in behalf of
Jewish - national redemption in Pale:3-
tine: Not only Arthur James Balfour—
later Lord Balfour—but scores of others
lent their names in support of the Zion-
ist cause.
But Lord Wedgwood was the most
militant of all supporters of the Jew-
ish cause. Like his ancestors the Wedg-
woods, he was a social reformer and
was always aligned with the liberal
elements in politics.
In 1938, this militant Christian Zion-
ist wrote a letter to the Jewish Former
Officers' Association at Tel Aviv, Pal-
estine, in- which he urged. that Jews
should follow a policy of non-coopera-
tion with Great Britain in order to force
adherence to Zionist pledges by his
government. Publication of this letter
was prohibited in Palestine. But he
read its text in Parliament. In this let-
ter he made the following significant
statement:

"Last year some Jewish illegal
immigrants were marched in
chains to Acre jail (in Palestine).

HOUSE OF COMMONS

LIKARY

His Historical Address

That address remains an historic
document. Here is its text in full:
"The chief merit of Chaim Weiz-
mann is that he seeks to restore or
create the self-respect of the Jewish
people. I think the creation of self-
respect is the great aim of all states-
men everywhere and that fir Jews and
for all lovers of wisdom it is obvious
and pre-eminent. In Palestine the Jew
is on horseback—head up—free from
the cares of what others may think of
him at home.
"I used to think, being fathered on
the doctrines of Henry George, that the
first step towards freedom was to get
the land. Give me the land* and I will
prOduce the men. In 1942, in a worse
world, I must reverse the order. Only,
the men. must be armed. In. 1942, men
without arms don't count and have no
rights—presently they have no food
and live no longer. That's why Victor
Cazelet and I and that handful of God's
good Englishmen who still put duty
and conscience before subservience to
any government, have formed a com-
mittee for concentrated collective ac-
tion for the arming of the Jews of
Palestine. The arguments are mostly

King Farouk and veil and fezzes of the
Middle Ages. I speak also to you, Sen-
ator Wagner; you are as devoted e to
your people as I to mine. You are • as
proud of America as I am of England's
past. Will you see where ?les America's
duty? Can you take on the • job from
our enfeebled hands? The- responsibili-
ties of the world have laid on our
shoulders long enough. It's your turn
now.
"The mantle of Elijah bas fallen
upon Elisha—not only in Palestine. It
is your rendezvous with destiny. And

I think if you had freed them on
that march, even by z'iolence,
British public opinion would
have supported you and it would
never have occurred again."

This statement, which may have been
responsible for the charge that he en-
couraged violence, was a vindication
of the Jewish position that no one
comes to Palestine illegally; that the
only illegal action is when Jews are
denied admittance to Palestine.

Latest Felicitations

The Wedgwood addresses, in defense
of the Jewish position in Palestine, in
condemnation of anti-Semitism in Ru-
mania and in Poland, and numerous
other appeals in behalf of just rights
for the Jews, would fill several vol-
umes. These addresses should be gath-
ered and published, as a great inheri-
tance for the Jews even more than as a
tribute to the great philo-Semite.
Only five weeks ago, . when it was
announced that Lord Wedgwood had
recovered from a serious illness, his
friends, Jews and non -Jews, felicitated
him most heartily. The issue of JUly
18 of the Zionist Review. of London,
which arrived here a few days- ago,
carried two interesting statements. One
was • by Barnett Janney, M. P., and the
ocher by Mrs. Edgar Dugdale, niece- of
the late Lord Balfour.
Mr. Janner's statement was in the
form of an open letter to LOrd Wedg-
wood, as follows:
"You will not be surprised that today
a warm and affectionate greeting is
being extended to you by millions of
well-wishers who earnestly and anxi-
ously.. pray for your speedy restora-
tion to health and strength.
"On behalf of your innurrierable'
friendS, amongst whom I am happy to
count myself, I want to thank you for
the courageotis struggle you have made
and are still making against 'cruelty
and injustice.' You have always fought
`breast forward' and have spared your-
self neither in time nor energy. With
forthright indignation you have : con-
demned `man's inhumanity to - man'
whenever and wherever- your wide and
penetrating vision has traced it.

Savior of Oppressed

"We fully realize how great a strain
has been put upon you by the appeals
which have been made to yOur humane
and generous nature. You have wel-
comed the opportunity of service .even
to the lowliest of those who have
scught your aid. 'Even - your closest
friends will never know how many
you have saved froni the bestial scourge
of the oppressor and from the unspeak-
able torture of the concentration camp.
"The Jewish people have particuldi .
cause to be gratefUl to you for the
share that you have taken in alleViat-..
ing the distress of our oppressed breth-
ren. Your stand in the forefront of the
fight for the establishment of the Jew-
ish - National Home has sustained our
hopes through numerous difficult
times.
"We entreat you not to continue to
overtax your strength so that for many
years to come, your presence amongst
us may act as a guide and inspiration."
In a lengthier article entitled "The
Courage of Conviction," Mrs. Dugdale
speaks of Lord Wedgwood's part in
the fight towards realizing the Zionist
ideal. She reviews his proposals con-
tained in the book. "The Seventh Do-
minion," in which he urged that Pal-
estine be made a Jewish dominion as
part of the British Commonwealth of
Nations, and states:
"The essence of the example set by
Lord Wedgwood is—have a policy,
stick to it, and do not be afraid of the
courage of your convictions."
Lcrd Wedgwood lived:to read these
tributes whose sentiments all Jews
share to the fullest. But he survived
their publication by only a month.
Detroiters will recall the meeting of
Pisgah Lodge of Bnai Brith Josiah C.
Wedgwood addressed more than 20
years ago in the Emanuel Synagogue
on Woodrow Wilson and Taylor • Ave.
No one who had the privilege of
knowing him will ever forget this
great man.
But it was not necessary, to know
him to Worship his' courage and his
friendship for the Jewish people.
Of him it may truly be said that he
was one of the Chassidei Umoth
Olom—the noblemen among the na-
tions of the world. And of him mil-
lions of Jews will say: Zecher Zadik
Livracha—may the memory of this
righteous man be a blessing for all
generations to come.

