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Page 4 The Southern Israelite The Jews in the House of Commons A Who’s Who of the British Parliament. By ROBERT STONE Although there are only 300,- 000 Jews in the British Isles six teen of them rverc elected to the House of Commons at the last elections, their members almost eqtuilly divided between the Con servative, Liberal and Labor Parties. This is a rapid sketch of the sixteen members of the House. The author emphasizes the fact, in contrast to the sit uation in American politics, the Jexvish representatives in Par liament have reached extremely high positions in government service. Most of them are of old, distinguished families.—The Editor. Great Britain may have exerted its efforts strenuously to keep Jews out of the latter part of the nineteenth century, but once the restrictions were removed Jews have had less difficulties in attain ing high position in public service than even Jews in the United States. The reasons for this are to be found in the state of mind of the English public, and secondly in the attitude toward public office held by Jews in the British Isles. For some reason membership in the House of Congress in the United States is looked upon as the hope of small |H>litical leaders. In England, however, some of the foremost Jews in every walk of life not only aspire to membership in the House of Commons but stand election after election if their constituency does not send them to Parliament the first time. The list of the Jews at present in Parliament includes some of the most distinguished figures whose names are well known not only in England but throughout the world. As in every other country. Jews in England are rigidly divided in their politi cal opinions. Of the fifteen in the Com mons membership in the three parties claims almost equal numbers. The most distinguished Jewish member of the House is Sir Herbert Samuel, who was for several years leader of the Liberal Party, until he recently retin- quished the post to Lloyd George when the latter resumed his active charge of the party. His career in public service has been a long and prominent one. He has at various times held the i>ost of Postmaster General, Home Secretary and Undersecretary of State for Home Af fairs. Probably his greatest service to the Empire was rendered as Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Coal Indus try which, during 1925 and 1926, was con fronted with the task of disentangling the complicated situation in the British col onies. To the Jews, however, Sir Herbert Samuel will best be known as the first High Commissioner to Pales tine, a post which he held for five years, being succeeded in 1925 by Lord Plumer. There is no Jew in America whose participation in politics can be compared to that of Sir Herbert. The difference is, of course, traceable to the variance in standards between America and England. In the former country a “politican” is regarded with opprobrium. In England “politician” is synonymous with states man and is a high title of public esteem. Another prominent Jewish member of the Liberal Party in the House of Com mons is James dc Rothschild, son of Baron Edmond de Rothschild of Paris. Rothschild has taken an active interest in every phase of Jewish life and has be come particularly identified with Pales tine undertakings, of which his father is regarded as the outstanding benefactor. Major Harry Louis Nathan is also a communal worker who has turned his attention to politics as a Liberal. Nathan is well known for his friendship to the Hebrew University at, Jerusalem. Among other Jewish posts he holds is that of Member of Council of Jews’ College. The two other Liberal Jewish members arc Major Leslie Hore-Belisha and Percy Alfred Harris. The former, a son of Lady Hore, has not been particularly identified with Jewish interests. He has, however, a distinguished record in public life, and served at one time as President of the Oxford Union Society. Harris has been connected with a number of communal projects. ♦ II arburg’s Sense of Humor Felix Warburg’s comparatively recent emergence into active contact with all phases of Jewish life has served to em phasize the versatility of the man. Every new campaign and every new occasion shows a new side of his character and personality. Nobody, for example, would think that this international banker and serious-minded philanthropist is a humor ist. Not until, of course, one has heard some of the excellent jokes that he can and does crack. We had the opportunity of attending a little luncheon recently at which Mr. War burg also was present. He was urging every one to go out and get big subscrip tions for the Allied Compaign. Take no excuses, he said. The object is to get money atid in a big way. To illustrate his point he told the familiar story about Baron Rothschild, and gave it such fine treatment and spoke his German so really humorously that he won hearty laughs, even though most of the people had heard the story often before. "/ Know My Business" The story is one told by Baron Edmond de Rothschild of Paris, concerning a schnorrer who came to see him and asked for a very substantial sum, which would amount to about ten thousand dollars in our money. The schnorrer was not plead ing for a cause but for himself. The Baron turned to him, after some reflec tion, and said: “If you were really seri ous about getting a contribution from me you should have named a much smaller sum, which I would quickly have given you.” The five Liberal members of the House of Commons are thus seen to be among the best elements of British Jew ish society, giving to political life a dis tinction which politics could never bestow upon them. The Conservatives have six adherents in the House of Commons, also outstand ing members of the Jewish community. The foremost of these is Sir Philip Sas soon, recognized as one of the most enthusiastic champions of aviation pro gress in England. Though still in his early forties Sassoon (whose other Jew ish names are Albert Gustave David) has already occupied the post of Under secretary of State for Air in the Baldwin Government. The Sassoon family is one of the oldest and most famous in British Jewish life. Sir Walter 4 de Frece, the London theatrical magnate, has also gone in for politics under the Conservative banner. Arthur Michael Samuel has been one of the most prominent political figures in England for a number of years. He has been at various times Minister for Over seas Trade and Undersecretary of State ♦ But this enraged the schnorrer. “Please- Baron,” he protested, “don’t teach me how to schnorr. I know my business.” Also a Disease Talking of millionaires who have a sense of humor reminds me of Philip Wattenberg, the man who gave $100,000 for the establishment of the Einstein In stitute of the Hebrew University in Jeru salem. Wattenberg has an inexhaustible fund of stories, which he collects and creates himself. The other day we heard him recall this one about Rambam, the great medieval Jewish scholar familiarly known as Maimonides. Rambam, in addition to being a philoso pher, was also a physician who was widely respected in his town. He conducted a free clinic where he treated hundreds of people daily. His favorite method of diagnosis was to lift up a man’s eye lids and then recommend a prescription. This amused one of the Jewish peddlers of the neighborhood, who scoffed at this form of medicine. He was in perfectly good health. But one day he came into Rambatn’s office, got into the line as though he were a sick man. His turn came and Rambam, of course, lifted his eyelids. He then wrote out a prescrip tion and handed it to the man, who thought that he had put over a fast one on the physician. But out of curiosity’s sake he went to the apothecary suggested by Rambam to get his prescription filled. After several minutes the druggist came hack and handed the man a five dollar bill. Which astounded the peddler. But the clerk explained: “Rambam writes me (Continued on Page 12) Scanning the Jewish Horizon Gossip and News of Jewish Personalities By MARTIN GOLDE fo r Foreign Affairs. He first » fJf prominence as Lord Mayor of Norwich to which office he was elected i n 19]j Since 1918 he has represented the Fan; ham Division of Surrey. Despite his political office, however, he seems to have had the time to devote himself t writing The title of one of his volumes indicates that his bent for literature is off the beaten track, for it is called "The Herr ing, Its Effect on the History of Britain.” The third Samuel in the House of Commons is also a Conservative. Samuel Samuel, M. P. since 1919, is a leading banker in the British Isles and is con nected with the powerful Shell Transport and Trading Company and with the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company. He is one of the venerable figures of the House, having already reached 75. He has interested himself in a number o communal enterprises and is now Presi dent of the Jewish Soup Kitchen of Lon don. One of the most striking figures in the House of Major Jack Benn Brunei Cohen, Conservative, the only Member of Parliament who can address his col leagues sitting down. This is due to the fact that both his legs were amputated a- a result of war wounds. He served in the army' for three years, and was mentioned in dispatches on several occasions. Th? son of Alderman Cohen of Liverpool and the son-in-law of Sir Stuart Samuel, Ma jor Cohen has served in Parliament since 1918. He is Honorary Treasurer of the British Legion. Another Conservative member i> Isi dore Salmon, who has been in the House for a long time. He is known widely for his communal work. In addition to his duties as Treasurer of the United S\na- gogue he holds the chairmanship of the London War Pensions Committee. The Labor members arc. of course, < miparatively new element in Parliament ,ut despite this five Jews were elected s Laborites in the MacDonald elections ince that time one of them, Dr. L - pero, has resigned on account c ealth. The other four include hmanue hinwell, who was Undersecretary o' lines in the short-lived MacDonald ca let of 1924 and who holds a high place i the present Labor Government. Mic ae larcus, formerly of the Edinburgh ouncil, George Isaacs, of Southwark, nd Harry Dav, also of Southwark, com- lete the Jewish contingent in the Lai* inks Altogether it is a remarkable £^1 lat the 300,000 Jews of the Brito ave sent to London to repress. l great many of them have q oeT .- * igh places; the others have t- isks as representatives seriou iating themselves at the same t ewish communal projects. With Lord Melchett, Lord Hrt.l'W nd Lord Rotchschild in the upper f Parliament the Jews of 0 r . ffer a striking contrast to - v --' ^ ewry, w’ho have only eight t Congress and none in the Sen. Coovrieht 1930, by S. A. F.