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Louis Marshall as Defender of Jewish Rights
Evaluated in Impressive Historical Record;
Roles of Distinguished Men Told inWS11 Book

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An accepted view that if there
were no Jews they would be in-
vented somewhere to serve the
anti-Semitic purpose assumes real-
ity in an analy-
sis of anti-Semi-
tic o c c u rrences
in this country
during the years
of Louis Marsh-
all's leadership.
That is why,
to commence his
b i o graphical
sketch, "L ouis
Marshall, De-
fender of Jewish
Rights," just pub-
lished by Wayne
State University
Marshall
Press, the bio-
grapher, Dr. Morton Rosenstock,
and associate professor
of social studies at Bronx Commu-
nity College of the City University
of New York, quotes from Jean-
Paul Sartre's "Anti-Semite and
Jew": "If the Jew did not exist,

the anti-Semite would invent him."

(The Rosenstock volume was
published with the financial assis-
tance of the Morris and Emma
Schaver Publication Fund -for Jew-
ish Studies.)
There were so many occasions
when Louis Marshall arose to
speak up for Jewish rights, that
in our time, with a lessening of
bigotry, the occurrences will amaze
the unknowing. For those who
are well acquainted with the his-
tory of the Jew in America, the
events depicted in this volume
serve as reminders of many fantas-
tic developments on the American
Jewish scene.

The Ford-Dearborn Independ-
ent era, the Massena blood libel -
case, the Leo Frank case, dis-
crimination by clubs and a score
of other events transpired in the
era covered in this biography.

Dr. Rosenstock does not view
this work as either a history of
modern American anti-Semitism
or as a full biography of Marshall,
but rather as an attempt to under-
stand the nature of inter-group
problems that arose in early 20th
century American Jewish life.
Nevertheless, the survey of the
anti-Semitic occurrences in which
Marshall played an important role
and his emergence out of such
roles into acknowledged leadership
make this book, in a sense, a bio-
graphical as well as a sociological
study.
At the same time, the reader is
informed about the early events
at the beginning of this century
which motivated the formation of
the American Jewish Committee
under the guidance of Jacob H.
Schiff and Dr. Cyrus Adler,
leadership eventually to be as-
sumed by Louis Marshall.
Even then, there was a struggle
for democratic action, Marshall
having led the democrats, Oscar
Straus and Adolf Kraus favoring
"the creation of a self-appointed
a n d self - perpetuating b o d y."
Kraus even asked: "Is it necessary
that this Committee represent the
riffraff and everybody?" It is on
this score that the struggle later
developed with the American Jew-
ish Congress which, "under the
dynamic leadership of Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise, emerged as a
prominent and aggressive cham-
pion of Jewish, and general, civil
rights."

Marshall was quick to protest
against indignities, to repudiate
assimilationism, to resent slurs
on Jews by non-Jews. He "re-
sented the popular idea that the
United States was a Christian
country," and he secured the
withdrawal of a Department of

Commerce pamphlet for immi-
grants which called the U.S.
C h r i s t i a n, although Oscar
Straus, then Secretary of Com-
merce, "found it inoffensive."

He took issue with Israel Zang-
will's description of this country
as a "melting pot," he urged pre-
servation of their identity by Jews
and in 1924 he wrote: "Is a Jew
any better after he has turned his
back on his glorious tradition . . .?
Would the world be any better if
Jews and Jewesses were to inter-
marry . . . as some of the assimila-
tionists would have them do? I
answer, a thousand times, No!"
He began as an anti-Zionist and
just before he died, in 1929, he as- .
sisted Dr. Chaim Weizmann in
creating the Jewish Agency. He
also supported the Balfour Declar-
ation. But when his brother-in-law,
Dr. Judah L. Magnes, who became
president of the Hebrew Univer-
sity, wrote to him from Jerusalem
that his children were speaking
Hebrew, Marshall replied, in 1923:
"I hope that they will not forget
the use of the English language,
and that they will retain a love
for their native land, which, after
all, will continue to constitute the
best hope of the human race." It
was in line with his insistence
that America is Zion for American
Jews.

Marshall believed in resorting
to demonstrations against anti-
Semitism only as a last resort.
He devoted himself to fighting
overt anti-Semitism. Yet, as
early as 1924, when most people
were indifferent to the emerg-
ing Hitler movement, he pro-
tested to the National Associa-
tion for the Advancement of
Colored People against its use
of the swastika as a decorative
symbol because the swastika
was appropriated by Adolf Hit-
ler whose policies on the Jews
were identical with those of the
Ku Klux Klan, "that is, the elim-
ination of the Jews politically,

and even physically."
There are interesting accounts
in Dr. Rosenstock's book of Marsh-
all's attitude on the Yiddish lan-
guage. He was critical of Yiddish
newspapers, as he was of the
American Jewish Congress policies
and of Stephen S. Wise. But he
learned Yiddish in order to be able
to read the Yiddish press and to
keep abreast of events as they af-
fected the Jewish masses, and he
believed that the Yiddish press
was an important Americanizing
instrument for immigrants. He
even helped in the formation of a
new newspaper, Yiddishe Velt—to
be "clean, wholesome, religious in
nature . . ." but it soon collapsed.
Dr. Rosenstock states: "When a
plan was broached for the publica-
tion of a daily Jewish newspaper
in English, Marshall endorsed it,
hoping that it would eventually
put an end to Yiddish journalism,
`a consummation devoutly to be
wished.' "
Marshall, we are told, "sympath-
ized with and understood the East
Side Jews. "He "upbraided his fel-
low uptown Jews
for isolating
themselves in a
gilded ghetto and
warned that so-
cial gratification
could lead to the
older community
being o u t strip-
ped by the new-
r." He assisted
in mediating lab-
or disputes, and
in the women's
clothing strike of
1910 he worked
Schiff
with Jacob Schiff

and Louis D. Brandeis in the adop-
tion of the famous arbitration
Protocol.

Marshall cooperated with Weiz-
mann. This biography indicates
that "during the last decade of
his life, Marshall continued his
efforts to bridge the gap between
Zionists and non-Zionists."

An interesting incident is re-
corded in this book. Marshall
was not interested in holding
public office, but he considered
himself qualified for the U.S.
Supreme Court. This is the story
told in the Marshall book:
"When a vacancy on the Court
occurred in 1910, Marshall was
an active Candidate. Jacob
Schiff, Judge Mayer Sulzberger
and Col. Isaac Ullman (a power
in Connecticut Republican cir-
cles), visited President Taft in
the White House to urge Marsh-
all's nomination. Taft reportedly
replied, 'Schiff, if you were
President, would you name Sam
Untermyer's partner to the Su-
preme Court?' whereupon Schiff
lost his temper and left with the
delegation. Taft, anyhow, had
already received the acceptance
of Charles Evans Hughes.
Marshall later partly blamed his
failure to receive the nomination
on the opposition of Arthur Bris-
bane and the Hearst forces. Af-
ter the war, when it was sug-
gested that President Harding
might appoint him as ambassa-
dor to Turkey, Marshall rejected
the idea with disdain: 'I would
regard it as a humiliation to
have another Jew join the pro-
cession of Jewish ambassadors
to Turkey. We have had enough
of that bird. It might as well be
understood that we are not Ori-
entals .. .'"
* * *

"Marshall and Schiff,- recover-
ing from their astonishment, at-
tempted counter-arguments, but
the President cut them short,
and as a final gesture, gave the
delegates an opportunity to read
part of a dispatch from Ambas-
sador William W. Rockhill in St.
Petersburg, .which repeated the
standard arguments about loss
of trade. There was obviously no
further room for discussion.
Schiff, furious, was sufficiently
incensed to refuse to say good-
bye to the President, and on the
way out remarked to Marshall,
`This means war."'--

Numerous conflicting repor
have been issued recently regard-
ing the events in Massena, N.Y.,
where, on Sept. 28, 1928, a ritual
murder charge was leveled at the
community's Jews. (See Jewish
News, Oct. 1, 1965). The Rosen-.
stock record gives a full account.
. of Marshall's courageous stand
in condemnation of the outrageous
charge.
An important account is given
by Rosenstock of Marshall's role
in the Leo Frank case.
* * *

A teetotaler, Marshall advocated
Soon thereafter, it will be re- compliance with the Eighteenth
called, Taft changed his tune and Amendment: "He therefore strong-
abrogated the treaty with Russia. ly advocated the substitution of
grape juice for wine (for Jewish
* * *
sacramental purposes), a proce-
The libel suit dure which had the approval of
instituted by rebbinical authorities. Most Jews,
Aaron Sapiro however, did not share his reserva-
against Henry tions and continued to prefer
Ford, and a sim- wine."
ilar suit by Her-
Marshall's attitude on "the Jew-
man Bernstein,
receive much ish vote" also forms an interest-
space in this vol- ing chapter in the life of the
ume and have a champion of just rights for Jews
special i n terest —and in his insistent demands
that Jews should not capitalize on
for Detroiters.
It is recalled their citizenship at the polls.
here that Dr. Leo
Marshall is described as being
Ford
M. Franklin re- concerned "to a great extent with
f u s e d to accept the annual gift the defense of Jewish rights in
of a custom - made car that was America, and it was as spokesman
Ford's annual gift to him. Ford for the Jews that his reputation
"w a s surprised
largely rested."
and hurt." But
There is an interesting para-
Dr. Franklin, ac-
graph in Rosenstock's book that
cording to the
h a s reference to the emerging
R o s enstock ac-
competitive spirit in Jewish organ-
count, "b e came
ization. He states:
the center of the
"One of the striking features
s t orm, claiming
of Marshall's campaign in de-
that Ford was
fense of Jewish rights was his
not an anti-Sem-
strong feeling that Jews them-
ite, but had been
selves, through misbehavior and
victimized by
Jacob Schiff figures in many of evil advice."
the use of unwise tactics, were
endangering their own security
the activities conducted by Marsh- Franklin said that
and encouraging anti-Semitism.
all. One historic incident deals Ford had been
Continually recurring in. Marsh-
on the verge of
with the issue
retracting the
all's private correspondence was
that was created
Dearborn charges
the theme that his moderate ap-
by Czarist Rus-
when Marshall's
proach to problems of discrim-
sia's refusal to
telegram arrived,
ination was jeopardized by indis-
validate the pass-
Franklin
angering him
.cretions, intemperateness , or
ports of Ameri-
and
resulting
in
the
renewal
of
rivalry by fellow Jews. Marsh-
can Jews, the
the attack. Adolf Kraus, national all's attitude was not based
claim having
president of the Bnai Brith, sup- purely on personal vanity, al
been made that
ported Franklin's belief that Ford
though this cannot be excluded
American Jews
had been amenable to friendly
but rather on his fundamental
are being dealt
Jewish intercession until Marshall beliefs that the Jewish position
with the same as
charged in. To Marshall, this rea- in America was sound, that great
the Russian Jews
soning was rank nonsense . . . public controversies were ordi-
(who were suffer-
Franklin, who was willing to credit narily unnecessary, and that
Taft
ing from Czarist
Jews could deal more effective-
bigotry). Pledges had been made Ford with humanitarian impulses
by President William Howard Taft and who suspected that he was ly with anti-Semitism by their
iii his election campaign to end aiming his attacks mostly at Bol- own example than by attacks on
the discriminations. Marshall had sheviks, was warned by Marshall their enemies. In part, also, this
issued a warning that "the time that Ford was not simply against feeling was the consequence of
is past when sweet words will but- the Jews as Bolsheviks, but against the rise of competing Jewish or-
ter our parsnips." Dr. Rosenstock the Jew as Jews. Ford was an ganizations.
`ignoramus,' but his attacks were
relates the following:
The author reaches the conclu-
dangerous because of his unlim-
"On Feb. 15, 1911, larshall,
ited wealth . . . Franklin, feeling sion that "whatever success Marsh-
Schiff, Adolf Kraus of Bnai that 'these times are too critical all achieved in defending the Jews
Brith, Congressman Goldfogle,
for any of us to indulge in petty depended on the soundness of
and other representatives met
personalities,' apologized to Marsh- America and the resulting strength
with President Taft and Secre-
all privately and later repeated or weakness of opposing forces,
tary of Commerce, Charles Na-
his apology publicly at a meeting rather than on Jewish activities
gel.
of Jewish leaders. Nevertheless, or lack of them," that it was the
he persisted in his idea that a American system's commitment to
"After a pleasant White House
more tactful approach would have guarantees of freedom for all "that
luncheon, Taft took from his
stopped Ford at the beginning of checked the danger of anti-Semi-
pocket a prepared statement and
tism in the 1920s." Nevertheless
read it to his guests. He re- his campaign."
it is evident that the form of steps
spected his campaign promises
(Note by reviewer: subsequent taken contributed towards elimin-
and the importance of upholding
events proved that Ford's hatred
ation of bigotry.

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national principles, but abroga-
tion of the Russian treaty, he
affirmed, would seriously en-
danger American property with-
out accomplishing anything con-
structive. Implying he might
feel differently if he were Jew-
ish, Taft pointed out that he had
to act as President of the whole
country.

was ingrained, that he retained
his prejudices even until World
War IT. A biography of Henry
Ford by a University of Mich-
igan professor, David Lewis, to
be published soon by Wayne
State University Press, will
prove this contention).

Dr. Morton Rosenstock's compil-
ation is an important evaluation of
the battle for justice and it is a
vital contribution to an under-
standing of Louis Marshall and
his time.,
P. S.

—

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
40—Friday, February 4, 1966

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