The Denver Jewish news., 1923-01-17
Untermeyer Speaks On
Ku Klux Klan
(continued from Page one0

and n keen scent for persecution and
slander, unless it be due TO hopeless
ignorance and bigotry.
To think that these words should
have been uttered only four years after
the Armistice, after the successful
achievement of a struggle that enlisted
the blood and treasure of all the classes
of citizenship of our country. and,
among the foremost. of the Jews of
America. To think that any creature
who miscalls himself an American
would have the hardihOOd to utter such
words only four years after war
that could not have been won but.for
The enthusiastic and harmonious Co
operation of all the citizens of America,
and among the foremost among them OF
the Jews of America.
What do the records Of the War dis
close? quote from the official report
Of the Director Of the Office of War
Records of the American Jewish com
mittee. DIR. Julian Ieavitt After an
alyzing thel5O.OOO individual records
of Jewish men In the service which he
was able to secure, he reports rs fol-
lows:
The best available evidence indi-
Gates that there were from oOO,OOO to
100000 Jews in the service, or from
to . percent of the total forces of the
United States, which numbered apprOxi-
mately 4.SOOOOO men. How does the
percentage of Jews in the service com
pare with the percentage Of the Jewish
population in the United States? The
entire Jewish population Of the coun-
try, according to the latest estimates, is
about 3 per cent Of the total popu-
latiOn The Jews in the military and
naval forces OF the United States. how
ever, have constituted from to . per-
cent OF the total personnel. On the
face OF these figures 1t would seem that
the Jews OF America contributed Mt
lease one-third more than their share
to the armed strength OF the United
States There is reason to believe. how
ever that the final figures when avail
able, will demonstrate that the Jew
ish contribution has been even greater
than this. :.
But the principal reason for the
high percentage of Jews in the service
rests elsewhere. 1t is to be found In
the remarkable number OF Jewish vol
unteers. The evidence as to this is
definite and conclusive. -. The normal
Jewish quota OF three percent seems
to have been contributed through the
draft and the excess to have been sup
piled by volunteers"
Hundreds OF them were decorated
and cited for extraordinary valor and
thousands Of them made the supreme
sacrifice. And now, only four years
later men who have the impudence to
call themselves Americans heap SIAN
der upon their memory by slandering
the people with whom they are identi-
fed.
Thus, only four years after our coun-
try has gone through the crucible Of
the war which, horrible us 1t was. left
us at least the consolation that II
served to cement with the bonds Of
common loyalty and a common suffer
ing the different classes creeds and
races which make up our great demo-
cracy, comes this excrescence upon our
civilization. and in the name of Ameri-
canism and Christian idealism reck-
lcssly undertakes to destroy the very
In xx-hinh rpnrhIir
has been erected. Theories, as vet, no
full and authentic account OF the me
chinations Of this body in order to per-
petrate Its conspiracy against American
liberty and American institutions.
hope the time has come when 1t will
he subjected to complete and
thorough exposure that will unmask its
masQuerading purpose and reveal Its
true visage to all fair minded Ameri-
cans.
Meanwhile, evidence is not lacking
to confirm the worst fears that are
being entertained by leaders of Ameri-
can public opinion with regard to the
Klan. The accounts published in the
press, the reports of eye witnesses, and
in some instances the unconsciously
frank confessions of fanatic members
of the Klan, have furnished over
whelming evidence of the truth Of the
following specifications Of these
charges:
The Klan is exclusive not only in the
positive but also in the negative sense:
1t is avOwedly and bare-facedly anti
Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-Negro.
Not content with passive hostility to
classes, races or groups other than its
own, the Klan has been actively foment-
| ing racial and religious antagonism (;