The Denver Jewish news., 1925-08-20

Nihrr IN the sun Tor the sons OF the
expelled. No doubt Spain will benefit
very much by attracting TO her useful
and honest people, and also OF the good
viii Of the Jews the world over
Needless to say, those ScphardlcI
Jews who enjoy full citizenship rights
In other lands, and particularly In the
united States, of which they are proud
OF being loyal citizens, will change
their nationality. II was not intended
that they should do so, and Spain will
not insult them by thinking TINT they
would. But ther. are mnlltutdes Of
Scphardlm In Europe, who for one
reason or other, owing to political
vicissiiudes and changes In tho matter
Of the world, find themselves without
any legal status. and are practically
men without n country" Many OF
them did not want to remain or be
come subjects Of nations which are
acting toward them MS step mothcrs,
and some Of them have already been
NlNtsi'h ~ wv IllNltE's tI titlHHsnlp
by their former fatherlands, and are
being driven from frontier to frontier
For them the new law comes as sal
vntion. II they cannot go to Spain.
all they have 10 do is to present them
selves to the nearest Spanish Consulate
or Embassy, with their documents prov
ing that they are born of parents be
longing 10 the great hispanic family
and fuldll certain simple formalitics.
This noble action Is the result Of long
years of campaigning liberal Span
lard. called the apostle" of the Sep
hardin. Senator Doctor Angel Pulldo
Fernandez, who has been at the head
of the movement of reconciliation he
tween Spain and her dispersed sons.
The movement was one of sentimental
ism and never went any farther than
bringing moral and spiritual adhesions.
The whole Spanish press, whether lib
cral or conservative, have acclaimed
and endorsed the senator's campaign
unanimously.
Credit must he given also 10 "A mum
her Of writers and journalists, Rafael
men de Burcos, Gabriel Alomar, Ra
fael Aliamira. Frances Rodrigucs, who
have contributed 10 the bringing out
of this epoch making event.
The Sephardim living In the Spanish
zone of Morocco have already become
Spaniards. long ago. There were in
Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, n few
thousand protected Spanish subjects
inscribed In the registers of the Span
ish consulates since hundred years
ago. but not enjoying full citizenship
The Spanish Government had shown
some interest in them, at the inception
Il the establishment of the capitula
tions in Turkey. Their situation now
Incomes normal by the proclamation of
the edict in question.
There are some sephardim, however,
who demand the revocation of the edict
of expulsion of 1892 which they con
slider still in force. Let me answer
them, that IL same has not been de-
clared null and void, subsequent laws
have made ii so. No edict has been
issued. for instance TO abolish the In
qusition, and everybody knows that
that infamous Tribunal Of the faith
has long been dead and is only night
mare in history since 1890.
On more than one occasion, in the
past hundred years, Spanish statesmen
have understood the adyisahility of
bringing back to Spain the descendants
of the eXiles. Most prominent among
them was the Count Duke Of Olivcras
who wanted TO repatriate en- masse the
Scphardim of Salonica. The project
| failed. but the Count Duke entrusted
to many Sephardim diplomatic missions
| in the Spanish possessions in Africa.
His Majesty Alfonso NH has always
taken personal interest in the fate of
the Spanish Jews, and during the world
war he protected their lives and inter
ests in many lands. His Majesty once
said to DR. PulidO Fernandez: "Pnlido,
don't abandon my Spanish Jews, keep
up your good work, il is highly ap
] Il t,.I