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The Southern Israelite Page 9 Enormities of Anti-Semitism People of Israel Who Gave Mankind Exalted Concepts of Justice Are Made Victims of World’s Flagrant Unfairness By HENRI BARBUSSE [ | iaV f >een asked to state my views ,n ill* 1 question of anti-Semitism. I •umply |]i ,,<t willingly in order tlius hii^li contact with a more ex- !onMV t‘ .!*• wish public. \ .Icwi'h question lias existed since the verv inception of history. 1 do nut propo'C to deal with it from the »t;ut. hut 1 venture to remind the n . ;l< l*-r that in several of my books— notahlv in my novel, Les Enchaine- (known in America as ••(haul'''), wherein I have tried to revive a part of world history—I at tempt to show the significance and mcanim: <»t' the anti-idolatrous, anti- nati'dialist spirit, as well as the im portant and righteous seeds of revolt which I'tael has sown throughout the world, i have just published a glimpse of the personality of Jesus, endeavor ing to reveal it free from the mystic trappings with which Christianity has cloaked it. I believe I am not mistaken ind on perfectly safe ground if I say that in reality, before he became the i hri't of the Christians, Jesus was a pure emanation of the .Jewish genius. The century-old hatred of the Christians has created against the Jews a state of profound, widespread, and vicious hostility. The indeologic and moral lau.-C' of that antagonism must he looked for especially in the Hellenic and Latin affinities of the majority of the leading clenient" of modern nations. The great con- tint nt the time of the origin of Christianity '"hen it was still impregnated by the insistent • all "t the Torah and the Prophets for Justice, "'liuti it was far more Jewish than Hellenistic) had pitted one against the other the Roman win Id jind the demand for universal justice of the masses united under the sign of the human •h-'ii'. 1 his conflict has continued throughout tin* ages and, after the rise of Christianity, hccaine more Hellenistic than Jewish. * hir present capitalistic-bourgeoisie society contain", in spite of its democratic coloring, many striking analogies with the Roman ideas, and it hates everything which menaces its sway "vet those principles of nationalism on which >t i' founded. * a, 'L the growth of anti-Semitism has been cultivated by pandering to the basest instincts " notions susceptible to incitement against ' 1 !| races, and to the plundering of such peoph-. Anti-Semitism has established itself less in all countries, but it flourishes ,n "' r 1,1 those having an autocratic and reac- government. In those countries the •■('ily become marked victims charged ' • ,; ; dl sorts of misdeeds in order to vent hern public wrath provoked in reality by t: * auses, and in order to foment, through '‘“•m! hatred, discord, and sinister disorder. I ve personally studied the question on the 1 the Balkan countries. In all of these, '■'pecially in Rumania and in Bulgaria, tnitism has been and is an important r . v of the white terror. P s of anti-Semitic students there are - an increasingly open game of social e - It is inspired by Professor Couza, Barbusse, noted French author of "The Fire", "Chains", "Force", ami other novels, reveals himself a Jew of profound discernment in a keen analysis of present-day discords. 7 his is the first pronouncement on this subject Barbusse has written for American readers. As an editor of F Humaniic he voices an enlightened point of viexo. Of his latest work, Jesus , he writes in a private communication in part as follows: My actual and objective conception of Jesus is entirely different from that ,of C hristian tradition and is, in fact, most strenuously opposed to the latter. As far as I am concerned Jesus the prophet, whose image has sub sequently been disguised and deformed so as to suit the Christian Christ, is a pure emanation of the real Jewish spirit. This character is traced, as you will see, in several passages in my book. I may say that the conclusion one gathers from this, in the light of historical documentation, is: that C hristianity is a utilization of a lesson which embodied and pushed forward to its extreme logical consequences the great Jewish idea of justice, equality, and universality,—achieved through the intermediation of Hellenic-Oriental myths zvhich play such a part in the Christianity of St. Paul.” auxi (i play stn, who his peri of t aia-t of hostile shouts in the streets, then developed into systematic assaults and persecutions not only agninst .Jewish students, but also against Jews in gen eral settled in that country. There have been many evidences of revolting connivance on the part of the Ruma nian authorities in these anti-Semitic outrages. A Minister of Public Instruction, M. Angeleseu, has publicly expressed his approval of anti-Semitic excesses. Even the judges themselves have been manifestly partial, of which l will quote one instance only. In 1025 a Court Martial at Bucharest sentenced a student named Klein to two years’ imprisonment “for the attempt to re sist by violence acts of Christian stu dents”. The anti-Semitic Svastira writes in one of its issues: “Christian brethren! The Jewish rabble of Rumania call our Saviour a charlatan and miser, and publish these outrages in their press. There you have the extent to which these hyenas lacerate with fury our economic life. Christian brethren! Be ready for the great revenge which is near! The great Hay of Judgment is impending! Woe to you, Jewish scum! Woe to you, foul I leasts of hell, grave diggers, who, in festal clothes, devour day and night, the corpses of those who had fallen under your claws. When this Svastira sets the hour of Doom, you will drown in your own blood!” And in another issue the anti-Semitic Carpatii (in Polesti) published the following incitation to murder, under the caption, “Murder!”: “The Jews have started a drive throughout the country with a view of crushing every thing that’s good, of destroying the very State. In the face of all this, the government is silent. . . . The Rumanian people themselves ure silent, although they are veritably bludgeoned over their heads. The result, if we keep on being soft with the Red beasts, will be our destruction! “Kill them! . . . “Our national dignity makes it imperative that we inflict a mortal wound on every person planning the destruction of our race, our State! “Kill fearlessly! Nobody has the right to stop your aim, when the existence of the Ru manian race is at stake! Honored is he who kills the traitor and enemy of his country!” And further on: “I repeat: To kill the enemy of your country is no crime. It is the greatest honor for a Rumanian. Kill, then! . . . Only slaves hesitate; heroes kill! . . .” The government, confiscating democratic and labor papers, refused to do anything to stop this overt appeal to criminals. The “Union of Rumanian Jews” has recently submitted a lengthy memorandum to the Min ister of Public Instruction dealing with the troubles at the Rumanian universities, contain ing many exact statements of facts. According to Universal, the Minister has decided to “file that document in the archives” as “not deserv ing serious attention”. Not long ago M. Zirelsohn, Chief Rabbi of HENRI BARBUSSE—HUMANITARIAN ^ ^ ^ ^ Whose best energies are b^ d^t^ t° a fearjss^iomlnt^s ^ Kishenew> was expelled from the Senate be- !>en y Poached war on the Je wsJh*om p^esett-dly Society, notably the conflict between cause he had protested against anti-Semitic "T* Chan at JftSSy ' The g ° Ver T‘'T capital and labor. Raders will douoiicss agree mu, me ' the greatest latitude to the misdeeds c " . ^ |U/ 0 f a man 0 f great spiritual and physical e anti-Semitic students. These disturb- V^inentlv fitted to fight for a better day. He hates the 'ere at first confined to the articulation Raders will doubtless agree that the^ photograph misdeeds. • vigor—one j haye > M .f ore , ne the address which the Chief sa us quo, zirelsohn de i iv . (Continued on page33) ugliness of soul, the defeat of the humble.