The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-01
THE PEOPLES FORUM
COLUMBUS SECRET
Pretended to Be a Christian WIN
Really n lew.

Pretended to Be a Christian while
Really n Jew.
To the Editor: II is not surprising that
Mr.. Francis de Sales Ryan should so
firmly believe that Christopher Columbus,
as expressed IN your columns Of satur-
days issue. was a Roman Catholic; but
Mr.. Ryan cannot be ignorant OF the fact
that nov discoveries are being constantly
made In matters OF history as in other
directions. and upon such discoveries the
little book, The Secret Of Columbus" Is
based.
OF course, not being able to md q copy
Of that work, he Il quite excusable for
being ignorant OF its contents. and for
his benefit may say that It IL being
sold by Brentano, BurwelI. Kann. Low
Cermilk Schiller. the PalaIs Royal. the
Washington News Company. Woodward
& Lothrop. and others while, contrary
TO his information. II may be found in
the Congressional Library. the Public
Library. the Masonic libraries. the libra
ries Of the War and Navy departments.
and in several hundred private libraries.
While II only costs 3 cents. I viii be
exceedingly pleased TO present Mr.. Ryan
with a copy II he will send me his ad-
dress, because. assuming that he is really
interested to ind out the truth. a perusal
OF II might induce him to change his
mind.
In the anonymous communication Of
June l0-assumed TO have emanated from
Mr.. Ryan, and which I answered in your
issue OF June 27-the writer seemed to
think the allegation that Columbus mar
ia WhlNF 80 -. A.
bishop" settled the question Of his race
and birth; and now he seems TO be equal
~ positive that certain extracts from an
alleged will OF Columbus settles It,
Mr.. Ryan gives no date, and he should
know that several wills have been at
tributed to Columbus, two OF them dated
in the same month Of May prior TO his
death, one May 4 and the other May 10.
and that the former has been declared
by HarrIsse and other critics to be spuri-
Gus. In writing this have before me
the original Spanish version Of the will
OF May 10, 1896 duly authorized by the
Duke OF Veragua, a perusal OF which
Indicates that Mr.. Ryan most likely has
derived a portion OF his extracts from
the spurious document But II these state
ments were all accepted as authentic, It
would not disprOve my contention that
he was a Jew in race and faith.
To understand Columbus one must
know something OF the painfully trying
period in which he lived, and his under
lying motive constituting his secret"
which was deeply reltgiods, but not
Christian-though he nearly always pre-
tended II TO be so.
Columbus was one OF the most intensely
Jewish characters that ever lived, and
very expert in the art OF assembling. a
circumstance that has misled many peo-
pie. quite possibly Mr.. Ryan among
them. The great navigator had no desire
to be burned at the stake, as some Of his
relatives had been-neither TO have his
children burned after him; and II Mr..
Ryan win read the little book refeEred to
showing these and other facts, unless
he has some other purpose than to get at
the truth, he may come to agree with
the present writer.
HYLAND o. KIRK.
Washington, D. C.. June ., 49,