New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-19
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: An envelope addressed to me con-
tanned a printed leahet bearing the tue
"L,et the Peace Conference Convene by Dr.
J. l.. Magnes. 1t is a copy Of an address De
livered at the so-called peoples Council OF
America" at Chicago, September 2, 1917
In the same envelope found note
which reads as follows:
81 should much appreciate such comment
on this address as you would care to MAKE
~. L. MAGNES.
"Indian Field Road, Greenwich, Conn"
II the author had sent me copy OF MS
address ere he delivered it and ere ne mad IL
printed and distributed broadcast, ] would
have considered it private affair, and, II
cared, | would have made such comment on
it in a private letter as might have dls-
suaded him from making the step. But
since the thing is done, deem it my duty
to have my comment published through the
press.
/ shall not try to mince words and speak
sub rosa. | will be as blunt as my heart
feels about IT,
Pacifists in Agreement with Enemy
DR.. Magnes, you are a doctor Of divinity
and a rabbi When you speak your ann is 10
voice the sentiments of your people Men
like you ought to be mighty careful before
they decide to participate in such move
ment.
The purport Of your address was and IS
to induce the American government TO pc
gin peace negotiations with the enemy, al
though our government does not think that
the time has arrived to do so. Your argu-
mentation and trend of thought are similar
to those of the German government, which
wishes to have peace now, and not wait until
it's backbone Of militarism is broken for
ever; it would favor any conditions Of peace
which would give it the status quo ante
belum in order to prepare again for the
conquest of the world.
But | shall not discuss with you high
politics. This is not my purpose. What
intend to do is to show you that as rep
resentativc Jew, you have committed great
blunder.
To be frank, | must admit that We Jews
are cyclists. However, we are not excep-
tions. All mankind is so. When the great
worlds war broke out good many Of our
race were in favor of Germany; not because
German Kultur is the paramount issue for
the welfare of humanity at large and of
Jews in particular, but because of two evils,
Russia and Germany, we chose the lesser
that Of Germany, whose injustice to the
Jews was not as great as that of Russia.
But after Russian autocracy fell and
crumbled we as we'll as the rest of human
ity perceived only one great evil, and that
was the autocracy of Germany.
The Gospel of Free Russia
The ordinary Jewish people, fed for
years with hatred against their common en-
envy, Russia, had no time Immediately to
realize the great change. 1t was up to the
Yiddish press and to representative men
like you to preach the new gospel of fidelity
to reborn free Russia and the hatred due to
the last autocratic government of the civil
lied world, Germany. II was the solemn
duty of the Yiddish press and of gentlemen
of your calibre to teach the Jewish people
the great lesson why our American govern
ment entered this war, how it was utterly
impossible to stay any longer out of it, and
then interpret the aims and purposes of our
government, which is fighting for the democ-
ratization of the world, and incidentally,
for the final freedom of our race.
You did not do this. You were still
sympathizing with Germany and helping her
TO reach the goal she WAS striving for.