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The Southern Israelite Page 5 Taft W illiam Howard Taft, 21th I’li sident of the United Stabs, (1909-1913), passed ■ay on March 8 in his sev- , nty-third year. One of the u ost distinguished records in the annals of American his- ,,y has thus come to a close. It iIlium H. Taft was, succes- ,»///: Solicitor-General of thi United States; Judge of the Sixth Circuit United States Court; Professor and I lean of Law at the Univers ity of Cincinnati; President of the Philippine Commis sion; Governor of the Philip pine Islands; Secretary of li ar; President of the United States; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. During the time rep- resented by this extraordi nary record William Howard Taft always remained a gen uine and true friend of the Jewish people. The author of this article indicates the salient points of Taft's role n matters of Jewish import. —The Editor. That the death of Ex-President William Howard Taft removes from the American scene one of its most distinguished personalities is univer sally recognized. By the passing of the rotund, jovially smiling, even- mpered ex-Chief Justice of the Su- ■me Court the Jews of this country have lost a genuine friend, whose «st in our people was not per functory or dictated by petty political Taft was a friend of the lews because he had come in contact n th their leaders and with the Jew- masses. Undoubtedly he was the American President who, more than an V of his predecessors or successors "dice, kept up a continuous rela- tionship with questions of Jewish im- His administration was marked three events which loom large in tistory of American Jewry: The recognition of the American pass- y the Russian Government; the nation of the treaty between the overnments drawn up during the dstration of James Buchanan; s vetoing of the Immigration because of its provision for a y test. These issues, which °f paramount importance to iean Jewry, confronted William 'ard Taft during his Presidential tn i and provided a conclusive test attitude toward Jewish inter- The action he took on them '1 him as a great President • , a staunch supporter of minority ’ an( *> above all, as a highly personality who recognized r,e standard of justice. ' n ? the agitation for the abro- ' °f the Russian treaty he did evade the issue or to hide , ta .‘ a . k arr age of more important ever * eS ' contra ry, he made Tn v 01 *t to settle the question. invited to a conference at ■Friend Of The Jews Reviewing the I.ale Ex-President's Relations to the Jewish Community By ROBERT STONE the White House Jacob H. Schitf, Mayer Sulzberger, Louis Marshall, Adolph Krauss, Philip Stein, Jacob Furth, Bernard Bettman, J. Walter Freiberg and Simon Wolf. These men were representative of the three most important national Jewish or ganizations, the American Jewish Committee, the Independent Order of B’Nai B'rith and the Union of Amer ican Hebrew Congregations. At that conference the abrogation of the treaty was discussed fully. President Taft, in a most elaborate address, prepared with the minutest care, pre sented his viewpoint to the Jewish leaders. Knowing who was who in the American Jewish Community, Taft was quite aware that these nine men represented the entire Jewish population of the United States. It would have been possible and quite feasible for the President to give a politician’s promise to do all in his power with regard to the abro gation of the treaty, and thus to delay his actual decision for a more propitious, less agitated moment. But Taft was not the sort of politician who sacrifices principles for votes. Besides, he was an authority on con stitutional questions and a statesman who did his own thinking. Accord ingly he declared to the big Jewish nine that he was unable to take any steps “because we have no interna tional right to object to any nation excluding any of our people.” Jacob SchifT did not hide his anger, and told the President that the delegation felt “deeply mortified.” Louis Mar shall, whose “profound knowledge of constitutional and international law” Taft admired and respected, tried to argue. But all in vain. President Taft stood his ground, declaring that the fact that the treaty had existed so long made it impossible for him to take any steps. Thus the confer ence proved fruitless, notwithstand ing the fact that President Taft sym pathized with the Jewish point of view. Unquestionably it was difficult for him to decide as he did. The executives of the American Jewish Committee, the I.O.B.B. and the Union of American Hebrew Con gregations then started on a series of conferences with members of both Houses of Congress and prepared the ground for the Senate and the House to pass a resolution directing the President to notify the Government of Russia of the purpose of the Amer ican Government to terminate the treaty on the first of January, 1913. President Taft, relieved of the con stitutional obstacle, signed the abro gation on December 18, 1911. “It was an act of justice, and I am proud to have performed it,” he commented to a friend. During the remainder of his term, although all kinds of pressure was brought upon him to renew the treaty without regard to the Jewish question, he steadfastly refused to do so and kept faith with his promise to know but one class of American citizen, regardless of coun try of origin, race or creed. Taft’s relationship with the Jewish community was a close one from his early youth. Indulging in reminisc ences in an address he delivered on Haym Solomon at the Eighth Street Temple in Washington, D. C., Taft said: “My father was a member of the Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, and that church stood just opposite Dr. Wise’s sqnagogue—just across the street, on the corner of Eighth and Plum. Occasionally we exchanged ministers; we had Dr. Wise in our pulpit, and our minister spoke in the synagogue across the street. As a consequence—under the influence of my father, who was the broadest man I ever knew—I came to feel that the Jews were a very important part, as they are, of the citizenship of Cincin nati. “And as I attended the public schools, and was prepared for college there, I had occasion to note that there were some young men and wo men with ‘stein’ at the end of their names who were always among the first in the class. Every one who lives in a community like that of my home city of Cincinnati knows that none of the great charities, none of the theatres, none of the societies for art, artistic development of music could live if it were not for the sup port of the Jews.” Almost the last act of Taft’s Presi dential term was his vetoing of the Immigration Bill. While his official reason was his disapproval of the literacy test, it was generally known that he took the Jewish phase of the measure into especial account. He knew well what hardships the Jews had to suffer in Russia and Poland and what immigration to the United States meant to them. On one occas- sion he expressed his joy that the Jewish immigrant could find a new life in the United States, in the fol lowing terms: “Since the Christian era the Jews have greatly suffered from racial antipathies. Their history has been one long story of persecution, oppres sion and cruelty directed against them on account of their race. Some times the bitterness has been distinct ly and purely religious, but more often it has been racial. * * * It is pathetic almost to see the Jews of the East Side, who come from Rus sia and elsewhere, seize and enjoy and appreciate the opportunities that are given in this government for educa tion. I have been there to see the energy and sincerity with which they respond to every patriotic sentiment, feeling, as they do, gratitude to the flag under which they enjoy the edu cational and other privileges that this government affords. I believe, and I am proud of the fact, that the Jews in America enjoy an equality that they have in only a few other coun tries of the world.” There were times when the ex-Pres- ident of the genial smile would be aroused to great anger and indigna tion. This happened when, as Chief Justice, he felt his deep sense of social justice offended. On such occasions the usually urbane Mr. Taft did not care a rap as to who was at the re ceiving end. Thus he was one of the few great American public figures who mercilessly flayed Henry Ford when the richest man of the world sponsored the anti-Semitic Dearborn Independent. His comment was made in unmistakable terms and showed clear-thinking Americans how to re act to the activities of the Dearborn Independent. Chief Justice Taft said: “Only recently has there appeared in this country an elaborate attack upon the Jews and a studied effort to create an anti-Semitic feeling and movement in the United States. This is greatly to be deplored. When I first heard of it I was inclined to think the wise course was to ignore it, and that in a short time it would die for lack of interest and support. I thought that answer and refutation would dignify it, advertise it and serve the purpose of its projector, and I am not sure that this is not still the correct view. But you who know bet ter have come to the conclusion that the matter is of sufficiently serious import to call for discussion and ans wer. I feel strongly the evil char acter of the attack, and I do not hesi tate to condemn it and give my rea sons for so doing. “The attack is made in a series of articles in the Dearborn Independent. This is the paper which Mr. Henry Ford, the successful manufacturer of the Ford automobile, has founded for the avowed purpose of expressing his views without fear or favor. * * * How much of the articles is due to Mr. Ford’s initiative, and how much he has yielded to the representations of others in consenting to its publica tion, one cannot say. But, of course, he is responsible for the effect of them. “There is not the slightest ground for anti-Semitism among us. It is a vicious plant. It is a noxious weed that should be cut out. It has no place in free America, and the men who seek to introduce it should be con demned by public opinion. “I have read the articles and the documents, called the Protocols, upon which they purport to be based, and after an analysis of them I find it difficult to discuss them with pati ence.” It was this keen understanding of the Jewish question and his sincere, politically untainted attitude toward Jewish affairs that characterized the late ex-President’s relationship to the Jewish community of this country. When Taft commented on Jewish events it was obvious to Jew and Gen tile that there was no attempt at flattery or partisanship. Taft was a social thinker who analyzed and dis sected every individual Jewish ques tion before coming to a conclusion. Refuting the popular stories about (Continued on Page 14)