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By
Bernard Postal
In this article
Mr. Postal gives
the first complete
review of all the
Jewish men and
women who have
become associated
in one capacity or
another with the
New Deal of the
Roosevelt Adminis
tration in Wash
ington.
Professor Femx Frankfurter
has declined a number of important
Positions.
P ERHAPS the most pointed contrast between
the lot of the Jews in Germany and the
position of their co-religionists in the United
States is afforded by comparing the Hitlerite gov
ernment’s policy of deliberately and ruthlessly
eliminating from every phase of Germany’s pub
lic, economic, industrial and cultural life those
Jewish men and women of talent who have labored
to make Germany great and respected with that
of the Roosevelt administration, which has selected
more Jews to fill influential positions than any
previous administration in American history. In
shaping the policies of the “New Deal,” Jews are
being accorded an unparalleled opportunity of
serving their country in its hour of need.
How r ever, before we take a look at some of
these Jewish “New Dealers” and before we ap
praise their contribution to the concerted program
of national economic recovery, it is necessary to
take cognizance of the grossly libelous rumors that
the Roosevelt administration is a “Jewish” ad
ministration because of the number of Jews as
sociated with it. In this connection it is there
fore valuable to quote in full two paragraphs
from a recent issue of the Kiplinger Washington
Letter of Washington, D. U., an impartial finan
cial service which is in a position to be well in
formed on this very question:
“Jews—We have had many inquiries from
this country and abroad on Jews in the new
government, indicating widespread whispered
rumors of a ‘situation.’ Facts: More Jews oc
cupy influential positions in relation to Roose
velt administration than in any other previous
administration. Examples: Baruch (outside),
whose ideas influence Roosevelt. Moley, John
son, Peek and others. Frankfurter (outside),
whose ideas influence a score of aggressive
young lawyers here and there in government
service—some Jew's, some not. Morgenthau,
who has equivalent of cabinet position. Straus.
Warburg, Ezekiel, Wyzanski, Frank, Wol-
man, Sachs, Swope, Schneiderman, Hillman,
etc., etc.
“Do they hang togetherf Do they form
any single coordinated sphere of influence?
No. All have their different spheres, some
times overlapping. Are they ‘radical?’ Most
of them are ‘liberal,’ but the fountain source
of the most ‘advanced’ political philosophy is
rather among officials with Anglo-Saxon
names. Do they have material ‘influence?’
IN THE NEW
The Men and Women Who
Help to Carry Out the
Recovery Act
o
*
*
*
Herbert H. Lehman
Now Governor of
New York—is re
peatedly mentioned
as a likely successor
in the event of Secre
tary It'oodin’s resig
nation.
Jesse I. Straus
Now A mbassador to France—led the
way in organizing the business men.
No, not much. They aren’t partic
ularly strong in the party organiza
tion. Very few of the political-in
fluence lawyers of Washington are
Jews. Do they have intellectual in
fluence? Yes, a lot of it, mainly as
advisors, but so do many who are not Jews.
Most have judgment of people, and of popu
lar mass psychology.
“Significance of Jewish influence in Roose
velt Administration: We see none; perhaps
you can.”
So much for the bogy-man of the sinister and
all-controlling influence of Jew’s over the Roose
velt administration.
In dealing with those Jew’s actively participating
in framing and carrying out the New’ Deal legis
lation it will be simpler to separate them into
three groups: those who w r ere prominently identi
fied w’ith Roosevelt’s fortunes before he became
President; the members of the “brain trust”; and
those who by sheer merit have found themselves
drafted into the growing army of men and women
helping the Roosevelt administration, in official or
unofficial capacities, to instil new strength into the
nation’s economic life by means of the national
recovery program.
Attention w’as first called to Roosevelt’s close
association with Jew's long before he became Pres
ident. During Mr. Roosevelt’s first gubernatorial
campaign in New’ York in 1928 he became ac
Bernard M. Baruch
II ho recommended
the appointment of his
former associates.
quainted with Samuel Rosenman, then!
a member of the State Bill Drafting I
Commission. Impressed w’ith R<*m j
man’s ability in gathering campaign
material, Mr. Roosevelt appointed
Rosenman his personal counsel. It wa-!
in the course of this relationship tha* I
Mr. Roosevelt came to appreciate
Rosenman’s judgment and he stx>n
charged him with a multiplicity of con
fidential and responsible tasks. When
Roosevelt elevated Rosenman to the
Supreme Court he admitted he wa*
“cutting off my right arm.’’ That thi<|
was not idle flattery is evidenced h\
the fact that Judge Rosenman owns a
photograph of Assistant Secretary of
State Raymond Moley, which is in
scribed “To Sam Rosenman, founder
and head of the Brain Trust.’ The
inscription aptly summarized Rosen
man’s service to Roosevelt because the
now famous “brain trust” came into
being during Roosevelt’s years as gov
ernor. Even now Judge Rosenman is
frequently called to Washington to con
sult with the President.
Rosenman w r as not the only Jewish j
advisor of Mr. Roosevelt while he was
in Albany. Henry Morgenthau, Jr-j
who served as State Conservation Com
missioner, was constantly called in bv
Governor Roosevelt for advice anJ
help, and during the presidential cam
paign Morgenthau did a great deal m
mapping out the Rooseveltian appeai
to the farmers and in drafting the j
Democratic party’s agricultural plank
After March 4th President Roosevelt
turned to Morgenthau as the logical
candidate for the chairmanship of the Federal
Farm Board, a position which clothes him with
great authority under the recovery program. M f -
Morgenthau is also the generalissimo of the co
ordinated farm relief forces and a member of the
Roosevelt “super-cabinet.”
Another pre-election associate of Mr. Roosevelt
was Jesse I. Straus, now ambassador to h ranee
It was Mr. Straus who led the way in organizing
the business men of the country behind Roosevelt >
candidacy for the presidency. After Roosevelt wa>
re-elected governor of New’ York in 1930 by - in
overwhelming majority, Mr. Straus launched 3
nation-wide straw vote among business men
determine w’ho w’ould receive their support in the
presidential election of 1932. His probe revealed
tremendous support for Roosevelt and on ti e has*'
of this survey he sponsored an intensive campaign
to organize Roosevelt-for-President clubs t ^oug
out the nation. The result is history’. A$ one ''
the more liberal and advanced merchants of *
country, Mr. Straus w’as prominently me: tiofl«f
as Mr. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Commerce t ;tl „
mately he became the first of the “New
diplomats and he is now’ (Please turn to p<
[12]
» THE SOUTHERN ISRA LlTE