New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-27
Why Blame the Jews9
They Are Doing Their Part to Uphold
This Government


To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: As a constant reader Of The Tribune
and admirer Of your brilliant and patriotic
editorials, may ! be allowed to answer the
letter written by Mr.. L. T. Heatley, pub
lished in to-day's Issue under the heading
Fighting Law and Order"
II is race hatred, it seems TO me, that
prompted the author Of this letter to De-
smirch a race gifted with imaginative power
and loyalty Of spirit to the respective ma
tons Of the world. For any one to say that
the Jews never knew what IL was to be loyal
in Russia, or to speak Of loyalty at all to the
Cars Russia at this time Immediately after
the revelations born Of the Russian revoiu-
ton. is sheer nonsense. That Russia Is
republic to-day, fighting with the enlightened
nations Of the world for democracy, the
whole world knows is due in no small way
TO the genius, loyalty to highest ideals and
noblest aspirations Of the Jewish students OF
Russia.
According to Mr.. Hestley, any one is So
cialist, particularly q Jew, merely because
it offers him a vehicle for fighting law and
ORDER How false and ridiculous, how gro
tesoue and sad IL is to read such statement
on Liberty Day! Jewish young men in right
full proportion, and many voluntary tnou'
sands Of them, are to-day in the training
camps preparing to fight for law and ordef
and ready to give "their everything ior thi'
country. And the author goes on, saying,
Socialism as It is here in New York Is not
socialism. Il is anarchy in its worst form"
I don't wish to uphold socialism here IN ne"
York or elsewhere. but | can't refrain from
saying that to the unimaginative, to those VINO
blndly cling to uniting and outiiveo traui-
tions anything in the state OF trahsit'oh OF
evolution seems anarchical. This most TERN
bic war of wars Is itself the most indescrioa-
BILE anarchy: but our purest instincts ana
national ideals impelled us to enter TINS
anarchy to help save the world from .he
medieval tyranny and fear of the Prusslah
Hun. that tomorrow we might live and pros
ner in q much better and freer world
am writing this letter one who prays
,nd hopes for the early and absolute defeat
Of Germany and the anti-Semitism which she
than any other nation or
race has bred in the last century. Deiong
to no particular party, and, thank Cod ! am
not German As one of the Jewish faitn'
horn in Russia, and as citizen of this coun-
try. which | love and revere, i pray tor
greater Justice, peace and happiness, for bet
ter understanding and harmony among
classes. races and nations. And II II Is So
cialism that might bring this about then let
il be socialism, and in the course OF time
socialism may outlive itself for something
still better. hope for the realization OF
the nobler principles of life and for the de-
liverance of all nations from the war-ridden
kaisers and kings, from the war-making ana
war profting lords and politicians every
where. all of whom I believe are possessed
of summarized souls. bombed hearts and gas
poisoned spirits of universal type.
The world is undergoing to-day unforetold
changes, not alone political or social. mere
is unrest in every phase of human endeavor
in art. music, drama, science, philosophy
as we'll az sociology. The world is war-slck
and socially shattered, and it is so because
il ia making progress. The world Is strug-
Cling. yes, bleeding, for new spiritual equih'
brium. that inherent forces, conditions, times
and discoveries will give rise TO or call forth
to.morrow. This world calamity was nevi-
table. This is to be a page in the history OF
the struggle of the human race, and ruler
and darker page it will be, the contents OF
which will shade all other foregone catastro-
Plies.
For any one to blame socialism, or any
race or creed in particular, tor universal
condition is either malice or ignorance.
New York. Oct. "a, 1917. MAX WEBER.