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Portrait of a Fath
A Character Sketch of Nathan Straus, Jr.
By HENRY MONTOR
H ho is the man who bears the illustrious name of the late Nathan Strausf Is he carrying
on the traditions of hu father? How does he react to the problems of Jewish lifef These
and many other questions must interest those who wonder whether sons follow in the footsteps
of their noted fathers. In this thorough sketch is provided an insight into the mind and char
acter of Nathan Straus, Jr.
I T was his deep-seated laugh
which swept aside my pre
conceived image of the man.
It was not the grin of politeness
hut an amusement arising out of
an advanced sense of humor,
which included himself as well
as others as target. His ability
and willingness to scoff at him
self illuminated the personality
whom lineage and physique
have conspired to keep shrouded.
'The world at large would
hardly consider it a handicap to
bear the name of Nathan Straus,
Jr. It is the symbol of compas
sion, generosity, human under
standing. But a son is shad-
awed by the repute of his father.
The public generally assumes
that the original mold cannot be
tilled again, that the offspring
is borne up by the solid founda
tion of his progenitor. The son
is torn between reference for the
memory of his father and chagrin at the obtuse
ness of the public.
For Nathan Straus, Jr., the accident of fate had
been aggravated by features which are sensitive
rather than dominating. The sternness of his eyes
is obviously only a mask under which he may more
easily conform to the conventions of economic and
public life. But it needs only the slightest touch
to dissipate that sternness and to reveal Straus as
the individual he is: possessed of a high sense of
duty, and yet sardonic; intensely Jewish, but never
theless capable of analyzing Jewish defects; respect
ful of the heritage of America, though keenly
aware of the caricature into which some phases of
its libertarianism have been transformed.
I he career of Nathan Straus, Jr., has been a
'eries of anomalies. The contradictions in his life
have been products of destiny and not the reflection
( .'f a volatile character. The means with which his
family has been credited was not a master key to
p very avenue of desire. It was rather a tether
''vhic i kept him within the confines of a tradition.
He should be proud today to own the largest
hotel and restaurant equipment concern in the
country. He should be particularly satisfied be
cause the growth of the house is identified with his
ership of its progress in the last decade. I wo
“rations ago crockery was the magnet which
rought the Strauses from Georgia to Gotham.
<y it is the mainstay of the fortune of Nathan
Js > Jr. For many years the business has been
ne - ‘cted. Larger mercantile concerns had at-
d the house. Not so long ago there were
; ! rumors that the ancient and honorable estab-
ent of ‘‘Nathan Straus and Sons” was to be
‘Owed up among memories. But Nathan
ls < Jr., stemmed the downward tide.
I am not citing this episode of business acu-
purely because it is a token of his independ-
5 *t his initiative, his sense of responsibility.
e all are indicated, to be sure. But even in
the axis of his life—Nathan Straus, Jr., lives
Nathan Straus, Jr.
a paradox. Not his passion to
gloat over a vaulting business,
to applaud himself for financial
wizardry.
Only h is intimates know that
the ambition of this Straus scion
is to be preoccupied in the field
of literature, to publish, to
write, to have contacts with the
free spirits of the domain of
letters. In his earlier days he
had no need to pay homage to
economic success. But today the
pressure of subsistence forces his
eyes from his real goal to that
aim which offers nothing hut
livelihood.
His sense of duty is keenly
developed: not only with re
spect to his own family but to
the community at large. How
else explain a man who could so
easily escape the responsibilities
of communual leadership by
pleading the pressure of his per
sonal concerns. It is a pretext—usually a valid
one, even as it might be for Straus—-of many men,
particularly Jews, who enjoy repute.
The occasion which brought me the experience
of revelation was Straus’ acceptance of the chair
manship of the American Palestine Campaign in
New York. His name had appeared before on
letterheads. A National Chairman. I omp and
circumstance for a fund-raising effort" is the usual
public reaction to glittering names on stationery.
Now he was accepting specific responsibilities and
not bestowung patronship. I searched his record.
I found that this was the first time in all his career
that Straus had assumed leadership of a money-
raising drive. 1932 seemed hardly the year to
break a precedent. Palestine seemed hardly the
cau«e. His sense of duty had again lassoed his con
science, even though he had placed in jeopardy h.s
power of evoking a response from fellow Jews.
Nathan Straus. Jr., believes in Pa estine. Not
as a cliche by which he gives himself a sense ot
humanitarianism—a process enjoyed by so many
others I do not intend to convey that he will
overwhelm you with a torrent of rhetoric to
demonstrate his spiritual and intellectual identi
fication with Zionism. Straus is not Riven to lush
ness on any subject. He may not speak much but
he says it fervently, cogently, convincingly. Sin
cerity, not bombast, is the test of mentality.
Why did he involve himself with Palestine
fund-raising? Because he believes it the para-
mount cause in Jewish life. When others were
hesitant, he took hold. Because his friends had con-
vinced him that his energy, his persuasive tac
were essential if the effort were not to collapse.
Listen to him talk and you feel yourself trans
muted by his aggressive faith in Zionism. It »
not an affiliation sprung from his father s attach
ment to Palestine. That introduced him. His
own conviction bound him. _ . ,
Straus should be insulated from the Jewish
Weltschmerz. He is not. He senses the forces ot
Thj
SOUTHERN ISRAELITE ★
J ^
er s Son
disintegration that tend to undermine the Jewish
solidarity. But he points out that the greatest
cohesive force among the Jewish people today is
the external factor of the world’s hostility. It is
not an encouraging view. But Straus is rather a
realist. On the other hand, an obligation weights
on the individual Jew. Unless he is wilting to
align himself with his people, take a substantial
and forceful interest in its problems, he auto
matically outlaws himself. He has excommuni
cated himself. There is no more middle ground,
Straus insists. One is wholcsouledly a Jew or
merely a nondescript remnant of the world's poly
glot population. Ilfs ideal type of leader he finds
is Stephen S. Wise, “who in outspoken Zionism,
unswerving liberalism and courageous champion
ship of integrity in public life constituted himself
a type of the best in American and in Jewish life
today.”
The Jew must make 1 OS per cent good. It was
a doctrine taught to him by his uncle, Oscar
Straus. Nathan Straus, Jr., has seen it proved in
experience. But he has little faith in Jewish self
commiseration about anti-Semitism. In fact, he
rather resents some of the efforts to obviate it.
He can sympathize with the feeling of those who
would ban from the schools such literature as
tends to poison the child’s mind. But censorship?
That should be the last weapon to which the Jew
should resort. Curiously enough, however, he finds
the good will movement a practical aid. He recog
nizes that some of it is idle. But he places a great
deal of faith in the attitude of the Christian min
isters. What the country needs is more men like
John Haynes Holmes and Harry Emerson Fos-
dick. Their beneficent influence would seep
through the Christian mind, obliterate the stains
of anti-Jewish virus.
One thing he can’t forgive his fellow-Jcws:
their lack of interest in political life. 'I hey should
play a greater part in the political development of
the country. Men like Governor Julius Meier of
Oregon and Lieutenant-Governor Herbert H.
Lehman of New York. T hey give flesh and blood
to Jewish character; they provide symbols of
luminous Jewish prestige. Jewish young men
should head in that direction. They could purify
a field that is polluted because the best minds have
betrayed their responsibility. Suggest that anti-
Jewish feeling would stop the Jew’s progress;
Nathan Straus, Jr., has no patience with you.
Show him Jews of integrity and worth who have
tried and failed.
Straus* own career was typical of what progres
sive thought and courage could compel in the
political realm. In his years as State Senator he
introduced more liberal legislation than any col
league. Political position was a trust and not an
honorary title. I he Citizens l nion, New \ ork s
nemesis of the slothful and inferior legislator,
pinned their accolade on Straus: “Of all Sena
tors, he made the best record of votes and intro
duced legislation of the highest character. . . .”
If you scan his record before you look up hts
date of birth, you will find it hard to believe the
latter. But he is only forty-two.
Educated at Heidelberg and Munich, )oung
Straus was introduced into the intricacies of public
welfare by his father. He even helped Straus, Sr.,
in those famous milk demonstrations in Germany
which were eventually to revolutionize the health
problem and save countless lives. He remembers,
with a chuckle, those good old days when he and
his father contributed to unemployment. Impos
sible, you say. Well, it was the gravedigger and
the coroner in the town near Heidelberg where
pasteurized milk was reducing the infant deaths
so miraculously that the men w'ere without jobs.
But they had no cause for damning hate. Straus
pensioned them. (P/ease turn to page 16)
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