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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) [7]