Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Page 8 LEWIS PRESENTS New Summer Sport Frocks The Southern Israelite Passion Play’s Presentation by Jewish Produc- ers Viewed as Stirring Anti-Jewish Prejudice in United States “always the new" is Lewis’ motto—and sport frocks for Summer are accepted as outstanding in all style centers—Lewis offers them in jacket dresses ensembles and sleeveless models for only $ 1'L In all the smart Summer shades. H. G. LEWIS & CO. 102 Whitehall St. ran / Mmi; am AUM;\/t >rin\srir An ice-cold Coca-Cola, with that delicious taste and cool aiter-sense ol refreshment, leaves no argument about when, where—and how. Th« Coc»-Gol» Co.. AtUuti. G*. MILLION A DAN IT MAP TO BE POOP TO OE T WHERE IT IS Morris Gest. Ignoring Protest of American Jewish Committee President, Says He Prefers Audience and Critics to Pass Judgment; Heartlessness Which Will Never Be Forgotten. Louis Marshall Wires Producer Coca-Cola Bottling Co. 560 Edgewood Ave., N. E. ■h—c^yWnrtir hTLr^.^. --y • —- . » • • 1 - ■ -" J New York (J. T. A.).—The presen tation of the Freiburg Passion Play, scheduled to be opened at the Hippo drome in New Vork, according to an announcement by Morris Gest, was viewed as an act of “astounding heart- lessness’ on the part of an American Jew, leading to the stirring of anti- Jewish prejudice. An exchange of letters and tele grams between Louis Marshall, presi dent of the American Jewish Commit tee and Morris Gest, well known pro ducer, made public through the Jew ish Telegraphic Agency yesterday brought to light a spirited controversy on the subject. Immediately upon the announce ment by Mr. r?0 st of his intention to stage, with the assistance of David Belasco, the Freiburg Passion Play at the Hippodrome, Mr. Marshall wrote to the producer protesting against the project, both from the point of view of “millions of good Christians who believe that the pre sentation of such a play is a vulgari zation of what they regard as sacred” and from the point of view of Ameri can Jews who believe that such pre sentation would “furnish material to our ignorant defamers and add fuel to the tlame of prejudice and bigotry.” Mr. Gest, who ignored Mr. Mar shall's letter as well as a subsequent one when no reply was received, de fied the President of the American Jewish Committee by declaring in a telegram under date of April IT, that he prefers the first night audience and the critics to pass judgment. It was this attitude which Mr. Mar shall termed “an astounding heart- lessness which will never he forgot ten.” The President of the American Jewish Committee, recalling the agi tation over the production of Cecil de Mille’s “King of Kings” and the ensuing wave of anti-Jewish prejudice, argued that Morris Gest as an Amer ican Jew should abstain from staging the Passion Play. Following two letters dated April 2 and April 12, Mr. Marshall wired to Mr. best on April 17 insisting upon a reply. Mr. Gest’s telegraphic reply read: "1 have refrained from answer ing you so far because I prefer to have the opening night audience and the critics of the leading newspapers who represent the fairminded public of New York pass judgment upon the religious pageant. Personally I do not find it offensive. Did I feel so I would not sponsor its presentation.” Mr. Marshall replied on April 18th by telegram: I regret to say that your telegram is most unsatisfactory. When the wel fare and peace of mind of an entire people are involved it is presumptuous for you to ignore the experience of the past and to disregard the harm which but recently followed the pre sentation of a moving picture play portraying the same subject as that which you are now seeking to exploit and which will occasion great mental agony and deep humiliation to thou sands of estimable men and women. Your purpose to permit those who may share your indifference to the feelings of your fellowmen to pass judgment upon your action after the seeds of mischief have been sown without giving the slightest consid eration to the opinions and sentiments of those directly affected evinces an astounding heartlessness on your part which will never be forgotten.” Mr. Marshall’s letter to Mr. Gest on April 2nd, read: “From the rotogravure section of Sunday’s Times I observe that you intend to present the Freiburg Pas sion Play at the Century Theatre in the latter part of this month. “I hope that this is not true, be cause I am confident that if this play is enacted, it will, as plays of this kind always do, result in a recrudes cence of anti-Semitism. That has been the story of ‘Oberammergau,’ of the recent moving picture ‘The King of Kings,’ and in respect to the passion plays of medieval times. The average theatregoer is emotional, does not possess an accurate historic back ground, nor is he capable of differen tiating between fact and fancy. “The Jewish people, as you should know, have suffered for centuries from the reaction occasioned by plays of this character and by the story on which they are founded. I remember as a school boy in my native city of Syracuse the treatment that I re ceived from my schoolmates at this season of the year, although ordi narily our relations were of the friendliest, solely because of the im pression made upon their minds from hearing the story’ read at the opening exercises of the school. “Moreover, there are millions of good Christians who believe that the presentation of such a play is a ' u ^' garization of what they T regard a? sacred. Why should >’ou give offence to this religious sentiment? «ri> should you, a Jew, contribute to the dissemination of ill-will and hatreo against your own people? Why shou< you furnish material to our ignorant defamer and add fuel to the flame of prejudice and bigotry? I had an op portunity to see a private vie^ 0 the picture ‘The King of Kings, an was informed of the comments ma e after the performance by those * viewed the production at the variou- motion picture theatres. I can ' e ^ well understand from what I sa^ ' v • it was that the immediate effect * to inspire hatred and detestation ♦ the Jews of this day, of whom > are one, on the part of those unt ing people who were carried a " a - their anger. i.- Vi are “There are some subjects wmc not for the stage and nobody s know’ better than you that, '' ® this play is regarded as blasphe or mischievous, it should ne'er