New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-18
Interests Are
With Entente

This brought them together, this
keeps them together in America.
Would the Jews possess political
vision and perspective, should the race
have passed a political schooling and
discipline, they would have discovered
at the very outset Of the war that their
racial and national interests are with
the Allies and not with the Teutons.
That the Allies, and not the Teutons,
must force TO the forefront the rights
of the small nations. That the tri-
umph Of democracy. and not Of autoc-
racy, must ultimately quell anti-Semit-
ism, and, above all, that England, and
not Turkey, may return Palestine to
them. But not all the Jews have
grasped the war situation IN its true
aspect Like many Irish, they looked
upon the situation not IN the light OF
their national interests, but in the heat
Of their national passions and hatred
Having hardened themselves as pro-
Germans in the course Of the first years
of our neutrality, they turned into
pacifsts when we entered the war as
the intermediary stage between the
pro-ally and the pro-German.
4 To what extent pacifsm in itself is
far from Jewish psychology and how
far pro-Germanism is from Jewish
creed is best shown by the native
Jews, or such that came to this coun-
/ try when they were young. No one has
taken the trouble to establish the per-
centage Of Jewish volunteers in the
war, but a study Of the names of
/ Jewish students who enlisted for war
from our colleges will convince that
/ the Jews of the younger generation, If
they are not ahead, are certainly not
/ behind other nationalities in the ranks
of patriots.
/ Ii is not Just, therefore, 70 judge the
Jews as a race from the incidents OF
the last mayoralty campaign. II any
3 one is 70 be condemned for the atti-
, tude Of the East Side in the war it is
| those who had abandoned the East
! Side TO elements and forces that have
very little in common with the East
, Side. Nothing establishes this fact
more strikingly than the experience OF
the men who were active in the last
{ campaign. In the few instances that
4 loyal and patriotic leaders Of the Jews
succeeded to reach the masses and
made clear to them the principles in
volved in the war, the objects sought
and the consequences Of failure, they
( invariably enthused the masses with
. IdlkN III AUtIlCd anu q WIN " VIII ohN
sacrifice for il.
OF course, il is painful and humiliat-
/ ing TO see 10000 citizens led by man
y who glories in his refusal TO buy a
! Liberty bond. But when we bring back
to our memory the Pilgrim Fathers OF
/ the country, who, after years OF free
| dom and honor in Holland, refused 70
I turn Dutch and declared themselves
3 still 20 be English at heart, nothwith-
standing its prosecutions and pogroms,
we may treat the East Side with more
charity and forbearance, in spite of its
! lack Of appreciation Of the momentous
issues involved in the war.
As 20 the contingent Of the later
waves Of immigration who are not long
I enough in the country 10 feel its heart
and 10 know it's will, they are paying
the price of their ignorance. 1t is a
sad chapter, this chapter OF life. OF the
newer strata of the East Side. but
the tragedy is theirs and no one else's.
Forced TO carry every burden of war,
share in all its sufferings, they have
been deprived by their pscihst leaders
I Of the only comfort and Joy left which
comes from the consciousness Of sac
rihee for cause that is right and q
future that is glorious.