The New York herald., 1922-06-18
Continued from First Page.

Jews. for / should feel very badly to
think that these did not coincide.
There Is. most unfortunately, rap
idly growing anti-Semitic following in
this country. causing--and no doubt In
part caused by--a strong race feeling
on the part of the Jews themselves. In
many cities of the country Gentle clubs
are excluding Jews altogether. who are
forming separate clubs of their own.
Private schools are excluding Jews. I
believe, and so. we know. are hotels. All
this seems to me fraught with very great
evils for the Jews. and very great perils
for the community. The question did
not originate mere, but mas been brought
over from Europe-especially from
those countries where 1t has existed
for centuries.
Antf-Semitic Feehug Grows.
''The question for those OF US who
dsplore such a state Of things Is how it
can be combated. and. especially for
those of us who are connected with col
leges. how 1t can he combated there
how we can cause the Jews to feel and
be regarded as an integral part OF the
student body. The antiSemitic feeling
among the students Is increasing, and It
grows in proportion to the increase in
the number Of Jews. II their number
should become 40 per cent. of the student
body the race feeling would become In
tense. When. on the other hand, the
number of Jews was small. the race
antagonism was small also. Any such
race feeling among the students tends
to prevent the personal intimacies on
which we must rely to soften anti
Semitic feeling.
~ono IT, "a fru w
take q limited proportion of Jews ! sus-
pect we should go long way toward
eliminating race feeling among the stu
dents. and as these students passed out
into the world, eliminating 1t in the
community. This question Is with US.
We cannot. solve 1t by forgetting or
ignoring 1t. If we do nothing about the
matter the prejudice is likely to In
crease. Some colleges appear to have
met the question by indirect methods
which we do not want to adopt. 1t can
not be solved except by q cooperation
between the college authorities and the
Jews themselves. Would not the Jews
be willing to help us in finding the steps
best adapted for preventing the growth
of race feeling among our students. ana
hense in the world?
"The first thing to recognize IS tnat
there Is problenl--a new problem
which we have never had to race pc
fore, but which has come over with the
immigration from the Old World. AFTER
the nature Of that problem Is fairly an
derstood the next question Is how TO
solve 1t In the interest of the Jews as
welleas OF every one else.
Very truly yours, .r.., ,owr,,.
M. Benesch,s Reply.
In answering this Mr.. Benesch sent
the following:
"MY DEAR DIR. LOWELL:
IT find myself in complete harmony
with some Of the statements in your let
ter Of June o. but in complete disagree
ment with others.
II hope and believe 1t is true that the
instructing staff Of Harvard University
is not anti-Semitic at heart. am ap-
prehensive, however. that the wave OF
anti -Semitism which has been tnundat-
ing the country during the last year or
more has not left the members OF the
staff untouched. am apprehensive too
that some members of the Harvard
alumni have not been inactive in ex-
pressing and making felt their anti
Jewish and unsocial proclivities.
although agree with you that' un-
happily, there is a rapidly growing
anti-Semitie feeling In this country. !
must take issue with you upon the
proposition that this feeling is caused
In part by strong race feeling on the
part Of the Jews. Is not the strong
race feeling on the part of the Jews
the result rather than the cause? In
other words, has rot the strong race
feeling been developed as measure or
self defense?
'You throw out the suggestion that
eff every college In the country would
take a limited proportion of Jews.
suspect that We should go a long way
toward eliminating race feeling among
the students; and as the students passed
out into the world. eliminating 1t in the
community
Carrying your suggestion to its log
ieal conclusion would inevitably mean
that a complete prohibition against
Jewish students In the college would
solve the problem OF anti-semitism.
Moreover, 1t might lead to the estab-
lishment of a distinctively Jewish uni
versity, contamination most sincerely
to be deplored.
If 1t be true, and I have no doubt
that II is true. that the anti-semitic feel
ing among the students Is increasing.
should it not be the function Of an in
stitution of learning to discourage rather
than to encourage such spirit? If cer-
tain members of the alumni and cer-
tain members of the student body foster
SO un-Amercan a spirit Harvard Uni
versity which has always stood for true
democracy and liberalism should be the
first to condemn such spirit and exert
every effort to prevent its growth.
"If 1t is at all possible for you to
call meeting of group of Jewish
graduates. together with the members
ef the corporation and such other gradu-
ates or undergraduates as are inter-
ested In this vital problem, such meeting
to be called within the next ten days
or two weeks. l shall be very glad per-
sonally to make the sacrifice of time and
mn f6 at siinb In bal