The Denver Jewish news., 1925-01-29
You Critics of "You
Gentiles"
By MAURICE SAMUEL.
Author Of You Gentiles."
Copyright 1875 by Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate

do not intend, i'm this article, to
offer complete review Of my review
ers. or TO answer in detail every one
Of the arguments which have been
brought against the contents of You
GCntiles." either as whole or piece
meal shalt attempt to clarity GER
tain general issues rs raised in rep
rcsentative criticisms. Thus | shall
have nothing to say about the favor
able comment which has appeared on
the book beyond the observation that,
curiously, the comment in the non-Jew-
ish press has been extraordinarily fav-
orablc, with one or two notable eN-
ceptionsl, while that Of the Jewish
press -Iiddish. English, and Hebrew
has been divided, with the Ayes in
the minority.
And l certainly do not intend TO
argue the question Of my personal
competence; it is distressing to have
Johan Smertcnko challenge me with
the statement that am a schoolboy,
while Bertha Wallcrstein in THE Ma
ton implies | am fool for rushing
in where scientists fear 10 tread"
These two, and some others, seem to
be aehast Mt the presumption OF ~
luynmn in taking hold Of subject
which is within the province of none
but scientists. | wish to stress the
word luyman There is certain at
titudc of mind abroad today. and it is
not confined to the rabble. that there
is something esoteric and peculiar
about Science and Scientists.
Now there is nothing either esotcric
or peculiar about science. Science is
merely accurate thought, and all accu-
rate thinking is scienticfic, And in this
matter of racial or group characters
tic there does not as yet exist body
Of automatic information which it is
folly to challenge Social Science" !"
says Professor Irwin Edman. in an
article written at me $50 the editors
state in a circular) in the current is
sue of the MenCrah Journal, is still
largely a matter of elaborate language
and simple. often simple-mindcd.
gucsses. This does not mean, of
course that any fool can come along
and say anything he likes, without
fear of contradiction. 1t means that
here the abdicatiOn of all intelligence
in the face Of the Scientist is par
ticularly ludicrous-that we have no
accepted standard by which TO judge
the competence of an individual he
yOnd the merit of his statements.
Professor Edman, being true
scientist, just talks keen common
Seusc, ana says: "The layman has the
logic of unsophisticated observation ON
his side He Is not measuring skulls
or studying statistical averages. He is
thinking Of the people he has met and
known, Of the races whose stories and
tradition and character he has studied
and detestcd or loved" This was the
plea that | made in "Ou Gentilcs," this
was my protest against the tyranny of
Learned bOres whose sole qualification
is often the inability to write intel,
ligiblc English. Challenge whatever
you like in You Gentiles," but do not
PROSTATE yourself before the threat OF
the hypothetical science of racial char.
actcristics.
It is quite impossible for me to 60
into rCbuttal of all the denials of my
statements. Such n rcbuttal would con.
Sist largely Of repetition Of passages
in my book. But in connection with
these dcniaIs there is TO he found a
widely diffuscd optimism Of partic
ulnry helpless nature. you GcntiIcs'
has been widely criticised in Reform
and Liberal pUlpits for its refusal tc
recognize tn" forward movement of
mnnIund. Rabbi Philipson Rabbi
Schulman, and others plead with thciI
congregations to look forward to tho
. happy day when men will live togcth
ar like brothers when everybody will
be nice TO everybody else, and whcr
prejudice and hatred will have van
ishcd from the face Of the earth. Sucl
plea is perfectly in order-but II
comes with discOncurting consistency
from people who preach the doubl,
principle that Jews should have a mis-
sion and that. at the same time, they
should avoid irritating their neighbors
| Now ! submit in all reason, that it /,
. futile tu give man mission ant
then tell him he must not irritate his
noighbors There is nothing in the
world as irritating as the man with q
mission. In fact, You Geutiles" coulC