The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-30
Prof. Bergson Explains His General
Attitude Toward Jewish Question

Literary Digest: Professor Berg
son, who has been called the greatest
Jewish philosopher since Spinoza,"
leave an uneasy feeling in the minds
Of his co~religionists after his Ameri-
can visit. II is charged that he kept
away from Jews and Jewish institu-
tlons during his sojourn here, and was
not even tempted as much as any Or
binary tourist by the curious aspects
of the largest Jewish agglomeration in
any city in the world" The offender
himself, ION being accused of treason
TO his race says a writer in The
American Hebrew CNew York;. ex-
planned that every minute Of his time
was disposed Of by the gentlemen who
had arranged for his coming here.
But he took occasion to express his
personal attitude toward the general
Semitic question in a way to bring
down the criticism OF the conservative
members Of his race. The American
Hebrew reports him as saying:
While we are on that subject, /
wish to state emphatically, and you
may repeat 1t as my sincerest belief,
that our salvation is complete assim-
1lation. We always complain OF being
snubbed in the countries we live in,
and yet we do not show any willing
ness to melt entirely while we are in
il1 pVtE ~ StiS" you HOW bNIoIE lily
Feelings are on that subject, / assure
you that had / been invited by Amer
lean Jews to visit any Jewish institu-
tion as a Jew, / would have declined
the invitation. And yet / consider my
self as good a Jew as anybody else,
and feel as keenly as any other Jew
when some injustice is done us.
Though | look at it as only a huge and
undeserved compliment, nothing fiat
tpTE mo n1nTn thar Union nv name ir
mentioned after hat of Spinoza.
There is nothing l am more proud Of
than to belong to the same trade as
Maimondies and the philosopher Of
Amsterdam.
Still. / consider myself in every
way a true Frenchman, and / was de-
lighted TO see French culture and
French art highly appreciated in this
country. l cannot have too much
praise for DR.. Butler for his very
friendly feelings toward the French,
my people, and France, my country"
The writer, s. Lubarsky-D ebalta,
goes on to explain the probable cause
Of Professor Bergson's attitude.
Though I have the impertinence
not to agree with the great Jewish
thinker on the matter of total assim-
ilation, / perfectly understand the pro-
cesses by which Professor Bergson
came to think that way. The main
argument of French anti-Semites is
that most Of the Jews do not desire to
assimilate themselves with the French
though ample opportunity is afforded
them. There is no social or govern
mental determinations against Jews,
as In other countries. The Rheinachs,
who are always r~eproached with their
German-Jewish origin, do their best to
be forgiven, and are the foremost adj
vocates Of complete assimilation. Pro-
fessor Bergson seems to think like the
Reinachs. My modest experience
during the Dreyfus affair when first
a student at the University of Mont
pellier, and afterwards as a writer for
the Partisan papers taught me that
the course advocated by the Reinachs,
and praised now by Professor Berg
son, is not only h~umiliating, but USE
less. Drumont, the leader OF French
snti-Semitism, has always found that
there were too few Jews in Franco to
be slandered; and he converted TO
Judaism all the prominent Frenchmen
who declared themselves defenders of
Justice; he made Of Gambetta a Jew,
of ZoIa, Of Picquart, OF -Clemenceau.
What chance has, then, q real Jew to
be treated with fairness, even when