New-York tribune., 1912-02-26
Judaan Society Discusses Son.
bart's Economic Life"
TELLS RUSSIAN CONDITION
Professor Seligman Says 1t Will
Continue as at Present for
Another Generation.

The Judans. society of Jews formed
TO consider the large questions that affect
the Jewish life," met last night at the
Hotel Majestic TO discuss the new book.
The Jews and Economic Life written
by Sombart. German economist. DR..
Henry NJ. Leipzger presided and intro
duced the speakers
Professor f. r. A. Seligman, OF Column
bia. a personal friend of Sombart, gave a
brief resume of tho book and pointed TO
the sdellght It threw on the situation In
Russia. The Rev. DR.. s. Schulman, of
Temple El, denounced Sopbart's ex-
pressed conception of the Jewish religion,
and Albert NJ Friedenberg pointed to some
OF the Weaknesses Of the author as an his
torIan. TO his designation. for instance, of
Robert Morris. the hnancier Of the Revo-
luton. as a Jew. and TO his intimatlou that
Christopher Columbus possessed Jewish
blood.
Because of his coquetry with social
ism" said Professor Seligman, "Sombart
incurred the dlspleasure OF the German
government and could not get professor
ship in a German university. But he is,
perhaps. the most brilliant of living Ger
man economists. He is not affiliated with
the Jews.
He points out that the Jews since the
dispersion-or, at least, since the eleventh
or twelfth centuries-have played great
role in modern commercial development.
They we're the money lenoers Of the
Middle Ages and framed the modern meth
DDS of economic life, bills Of exchange,
~ an
bart tends to the conclusion that the Jews.
II not the actual creators of these insu-
tutions and all they stand for, played
most important, IL not the most impor-
taut, part in their evolution.
The influx Of the Spanish Jew into Hol-
land. Solnbart says, led 10 Holland 5 great
ness flscaly, and the entrance into Eng
land of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews
in the time Of William and Mary first made
England financially important lie thinks
America is the Jewish country par excel
lence, that every great financier here IS a
Jew. and that even Christopher Columbus
himself was Jew"
The SPEAKER described the induStriallsm
Of the Middle Ages, founded on the guild
system and the negation of competition.
and then pointed to the Jews invasion OF
this placid pool" with his methods of
advertising his goods which the laws Of
those days forbade; his penchant for
dressing" his shop windows. another prac-
tice severely frowned upon a. likely to at
tract customers from rivals and finally,
his underselling OF competitors. which was
IN those days absolutely Illegal. 1t was
not his Introduction OF an alien religion,
but OF an alien idea in commerce, which
made the jew hated, Professor Seligman
said, and the Jews social condition had
improved only I'm those countries where the
Industrial revolution of the last century
had swept away fhc last shreds Of mediss-
yalism.
For this reason the condition OF the Jew
in Russia was worse than in any other
country Of modern Europe. he explained.
and he prophesied that n would continue as
at present for another generation, or until
the Industrial revolution which had trans
formed the other nations had revolution
ICED Russia. whose industrial conditions he
described as IN the later medieval stage
Emigration 10 this country, the abrogaton
OF the Russian treaty, all outward specifics
would have no effect. he said. until the day
OF the industrial revolution, which was
bound 10 come.
II was Sombart's argument that the Jew
sh religion and not the circumstances OF
biz life had made him money lender
which called forth tho indignation Of Dr.
Schulman, who remarked:
Never In my life have I read a book
with so much scientific terminology and 50
little OF tho scientific spirit"