The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1921-01-12
Rights of Religious and
Racial Minorities
COMMITTEE APPEALS TO ALI.
PEOPLE TO AID IN ERADICAT-
ING RACIAL PREJUDICE AND
RELIGIOUS FANATICISM.

of Religious Minorities has issued the fol
lowing statement. which was signed by
Soraon. : sesretary; y fi'i Henry 4. Htklnson.
Nehemiah Boynton.., William J, Bryan.
charies ". Eliot samuel 4 Eliot. Abram
J. Elkus. lin Europel, lanes Cardinal Glib
Esa,e1 q%Ga e. arna. Holt mssSs5t KSC
Lauritz Larson, Robert lansing. j. II.
fSnsb'l%w %w,Inm g%sMI MapoMsi 1lsavc vcbaees baGt
MacFarland Louis Marshall William L.
Merrill. Henry Morgenthau. Alton d.
oscar Straus. William Howard Taft. Worth
NJ. Tippy, James J. Walsh, Stephen :.
Wise.
One of the grave problems of the
present day concerns the rights of re-
ligious and racial minorities. We had
hoped that the struggle for religious
nations; that the world recognized
that the right to worship God accord
ing to the dictates of ones conscience
is among the most precious rights of
man; that the adiercnts of any and
every faith should have unchallensed
freedom to endeavor to win converts
by persuasion; that every one has
right voluntarily to change his faith;
and that any constraint 10y either
Church or State upon those who pre-
fer their own faith is repugnant to
every sane and enlightened mind. The
Peace Conference at Paris expressly
sought to guard the rights of relig-
ious minorities and articles for their
protection were incorporated in the
treaties.
Among the disappointing conditions
that have followed the war, however,
is the recrudescence OF persecution in
Il disturbing number of countries. The
changes of frontiers have sometimes
united separated members of tine same
nationality or creed into n new State.
In other cases these changes of 'front.'
iers have broken old ties. Minority
groups have arisen which are scparaf-
ed by creed, Language. or by national
ity from the majority of the people
il the State to which they now be-
long. The protective clauses of recent
treaties are. in many instances, being
disregarded. and minority groups are
being subjected to tranny and op
preston. ranging nil the WY from
petty annoyances to the most atrocious
cruelties In some cases. those whose
rights are being restricted are Protest
ants. in other eases, Roman Catholics.
and in sill others Jews; altho in GER
tain lands all three are the objects of
persecution.
We are not unmindful that political
economic and racial factors are fire.
quently involved. But we must re-
member that the alleged interests of
rhe State have ever been the excuse
of officials for prosecuting a religious
minority. As for the. excuse that per
sccution is for economic rather than
religious or racial reasons, why is it
then that it includes women and chill
dren as well ns multitutles of men
who are not engaged in business? And
why does it not include men Of other
faiths who are notorious for the kind
of financial dealings that are object.
cd TO? If persecution is primarily
racial rather than religious it is none
the less reprehensiblc. Race pre-
judice and religious bigotry are twins.
America and Great Britain. of all
lands, are the ones where neither re-
,igious nor racial eninities might be
expected to exist, for they have prided
themselves upon their civil and re-
ligious liberty, While. however, we
were engaged in studying the rights
of religious minorities in other coun-
tries we were startled and humiliated
by che outbreak OF propaganda against
the Jews in England md the United
States. Inflammatory and abusive
articles pamphlets, and newspapers
are being diligently circulated among
public officials, editors teachers,
clergymen, and many others. a de-
tcrmineJ effort is apparently being
made to poison the minds Of those who
make and enforce our, laws and who
mould public opinion. The scale up
on which propaganda is being conduct
cd indicates literally financed or
ganization.i The crux of the charge is
That there has been for century
hidden conspiracy of Jews to produce,
revolution, communism, and anarchy
by means of which they hope to ar
rive at the hegemony of the world
thaG this is really a conspiracy
against civilization" and that the rev.
olutionary Bolshevist movements in
many lands. and the innumerabls
strikes of working men (from the day
Of the nrmistice until today mot
single week has passed withOuC n
strike. we are told has been directly