The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-03

ex-President Taft was secured by P NJ. Raskin. who is a member of the speakers staff of the Zionist Organ ization of America, while they were both travelling on an ipterurban trol- ley in Pennsylvania. Mir. Raskin was accompanied by Mir. Morris Neaman, a we1I-known Zionist of Pittsburgh. who participated in the conversation. The interview appeared originally in
 "The Day" a Yi1dish daily newspaper published in New York city)
 As soon as we boarded the car, my travelling compani Jn called my attention to the fact that former President Howard w. Taft, was one of the passengers. I approached MT. Taft introduced myself and told him that I would like to have his views on Zionism.
 The Zionist movement interests
 me very much" MT. Taft readily ac-
 quiesced. "The Jews probably do not
 know It. but 1t Is a fact that have
 always been interested in the Jewish
 people and it's remarkable destiny. Only recently I wrote an article about
 Jewish prosecutions in various lands. The continued existence of the Jew
 ish people, in spite of all the persecu- tions and outrages which 1t has en-
 dured in all ages, is most cxtraordin-
 ary. Let me tell you this. I have
 many Jewish friends, but most of
 them belong to the Reform wing, and
 most of them are anti-ZionistS. I am,
 perhaps, the only Zionist among
 them," and he chuckled the familiar
 Taft chuckle.
 What are their objections to
 Zionism," I asked him.
 Tt seems they fear they will be
 suspected that they are not good
 Americans - that they are hyphen> ated. You understand -
 You say, MT. Taft, that you are a
 Zionist" I continued. You believe
 therefore that there is no contradic-
 ton between Americanism and Zion
 ism? In other words, that a Jew can
 be a good Zionist and at the same
 time a good American?
 Certainly? America consists of many nationalities, and each one of these has its national and spiritual center somewhere else. And still they are excellent American citizens. The late war demonstrated this thorough ly," MT. Taft had become serious once more. T see no reason why Jews should not have Palestine their national-cultural center. Rabbi Da- Nlu IDlllpSOh OI "lIAA
 whom I have discussed this matter
 at various times, argues that a. person cannot at one and the same time be- long to two nations. But the Jewf are a race. How can they separat themselves from their race? The Jewish race Is perhaps the strongest of all; I say the strongest because l one drop of Jewish blood in another | race invariably makes itself apparent. It would occur to no one, therefore, to criticize the Jews because they are | a separate people, and because they are drawn spiritually to the cradle
 of their origin" "Yes," he continued,
 ''I believe that a spiritual center for
 the Jewish people is not only desir- able but necessary"
 My friend, Max Pam. of Chicago.
 told me recently that many of the Jewish immigrants of East Europe become demoralized because they have lost their own spiritual atmos- | phere, and cannot adjust themselves l to a new spiritual atmosphere. For such people spiritual center in Palestine is undoubtedly a necessity. Once, when I gave utterance to Q similar opinion, Dr. Philipson and my reformed Jewish friends regarded me is if l were almost an anti-Zionists. 4lNEeOy IL IS FLlpOSSlDlS IOI IIle lO l understand how a Jew can be any thing but a Zionist"
 '"The American people are in con1- plete sympathy with the Zionist as- pirations and if I were In the White House I would heartily support the Balfour declaration. There is no doubt. however, that Americas atti- tude in this matter is the same as that of Great Britain"
 -Anti-ZionistS, however, deny that ne Jews are q people," remarked MT. Neaman. They argue that they are merely a religious sect"
 How can they say such a thing?'' ME. Taft remarked. The Reformed q Jews are a race and not a religious | sect, because in their religion they are really Unitarians.
 I then directed the conversation | toward the question of the pogroms in | Poland, and asked why the American | Government does not take cognizance | of these outrages.
 We are not sufficiently inform d | concerning the pogroms in Poland, ' | said Mir. Taft, But the little infor- | nation which we have is enough to | arouse every honest man. I can as-
 sure you that I have talked concern
 
 even have a letter from Paderewski's s l secretary in Washington. filled with | protest and reproach. Persecution of l the Jews is a serious crime of the | nations. You undoubtedly know that
 when I was in the White House ! | broke off diplomatic relations with | Russia because of it's brutal treatment
 of the Jews. To be prefectly frank, l l was at the outset opposed to that 1 course because I feared that Russia
 would avengfe itself by further out l rages against the Jews. Later, how | ever, I was glad we had broken off ! diplomatic relations, and as I con- l template now what has happened to
 Russia, I regard it as a punishment | by Providence for it's treatment of | the Jewish people"
 What do you think, Mfr. Taft, of | the Jewish demand for minority | rights in various lands?" I asked. "I deplore the fact that because | of the Japanese attitude at the Peace 1 onference, there was no paragraph | included in the Peace Treaty guaran-