The New York herald., 1922-06-18

lem which must be solved. President
Lowell in his letter says that an at
tempt. will be made to maintain the
present system as against a system
of distinctly JEWISH and distinctly
gentle universities.
Mr.. Benesch's Letter.
The letter to Mr.. Benesch is the first
statement that President Lowell has
made on the question, though other
representatives of the Harvard board
of overseers tave discussed it. Mr..
Benesch said to-day that there will be
no attempt this year to limit the per-
centage of Jewish students. He is
head of the Cleveland branch of the
anti-defamation league organized by
B'nai Birth to meet attacks on the
Jewish race. Mr.. Benesch wrote to
DR.. Lowell on June Z as follows:
my DEAR DIR. LOWELL:
'In common with other Jewish gradu-
ates Of Harvard, was astounded at the
official statement issued last week with
reference to the restriction of enroll
ment. Even had the statement made no
special mention of students of the Jew
ish race 1T would have been objection
able because of the undoubted iinplica-
ton. Containing. as the statement did,
however, particular reference to the
Jews, 1t is tenfold more Objectionable
because of the direct suggestion made
70
ceivc its purpose.
1T is utterly impossible for me to
comprehend how an institution of learn
ing which has throughout It's history re-
ceived contributions from men of all
religious faiths and which has enjoyed
an enviable reputation for non-secta-
rianism can even contemplate the adop-
tion Of a regulation obviously designed
to discriminate against the Jews The
late Jacob II. Schiff for years main
tanned a deep interest in Harvard and
was loyal to Harvard's traditions. Do
you think that he would remain silen.
were he alive to-day in the face Of such
action on the part of the university
authorities?
Cites Jewish Contributors.
Felix Warburg and other eminent
Jews Of New York city and elsewhere
were liberal contributors to the iHar-
ward endowment fund. Are their feel
ings not to be considered?
Il am graduate of more than twenty
years standing. ! have contributed to
the endowment fund and am contribut-
ing now annually to the scholarship fund
established by my class, the class OF
1900. You would criticize me with poor
grace were I to withhold any further
contributions under the existing circum-
stances.
Shortly after my graduation I wrote
an article entitled The Jew al Harvard. ;
In which, / think, successfully COM
bated the notion then prevalent that
Harvard was anti-Semetic. / hope that
shall not be under the necessity OF
writing a similar article with a changed
viewpoint. I hope. too. that the regula-
ton which has unhapply stirred up so
much unpleasant publicity for Harvard
does not find its origin In the fact that
Jewish students. numbering perhaps 10
per cent. of the student population at
Harvard. are the successful contestants
for perhaps so per cent of the prizes and
scholarships.
Ask Only Equal Rights.
students of the Jewish faith neither
demand nor expect any favors at the
hands of the university, but they do ex-
pect, and have a right to demand. that
they be admitted upon equal terms with
students of other faiths, and that
scholarship ana character be the only
standards for admission.
II am still hopeful that the newspaper
reports are not based entirely upon fact
and that I may hear from you soon
true statement OF the situation.
Very respectfully yours.
ALFRED a. BENEscH."
Or. Loweil's reply follows:
DEAR Mr.. BENEscH:
There is no need OF cautioning you
not TO believe all that YOU see In the
newspapers. As a colleague said to me
yesterday. there is perhaps no body sof
men In the United States, mostly Cen
tiles, with so little anti-scmitic feeling
as the instructing staff OF Harvard Uni
versity. but the problem that confronts
this country. as its educational institu-
tions. Is a difficult one. and one about
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Continued on Page Fifteen.
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