Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-01-07

For some time it had been my am
bition to have the opportunity OF
meeting the veteran Jewish states
man who, first as Minister of Finance,
and then as Italy's Premier, came in
to contact with all the problems that
affected the world; who had met the
rulers and leaders of most European
countries and parties, and who had
become acquainted with the practical
and theoretical aspects Of every polit
ical, social. cultural, and spiritual
movement that had swept over Eu-
rope during the last fifty years.
When l arrived in Rome, however.
learned that Senator Luigi Luzzati,
now eighty-two years old, was ill in
bed. My best friend in Rome, DR..
Dante Lattos, editor of the only
Italian-Jewish newspaper, wrote to
Luzzati, saying that should like to
meet the Senator. That same day
Luzzati's secretary got in touch with
DR.. Lattos, informing him that as
soon as the Senator recovered some
what, he should like to meet me.
Striking in Appearance
Several days later, was cordially
received by Luzzati, although he had
not yet fully recovered from the
severe cold he had contracted.
| Luzzati is just above average
height, thin, bony. He has long,
white Van Dyke beard. l was re-
minded strongly of the late Professor
Max Mandelstamm, although the
features of Mandelstamm were finer,
milder and more expressive. To some
extent also was reminded of the late
Professor Moses Lazarus. The many
wrinkles on Luzzati's face were illum-
mated by an inner fire and energy
that shone from his eyes, bringing
out in telling, almost biographical
strokes his history rs = cultured, ac-
tive, influential man.
After some preliminary discussion,
| plunged into the heart of matters
which l had especially desired to
speak about. asked his opinion OF
world politics as they affect the sta
tus of the Jew, inferring that his in
innate contact with International af-
fairs had surely forced him to form
ideas as to the Jewish problem.
must admit that we discussed the
matter not in the relation of inter
viewer to subject, but as two Jews
interested sincerely in Jewish mat
ters, sometimes jumping from one
thing to another without regard to
chronological order. These notes must
therefore be looked upon only as
notes, without literary or even jour
nalistic pretensions.
By way of prelude, Luzzati began:
"Some time ago Polish minister
asserted that | had been converted to
Catholicism. l Immediately made it
known that this was a brazen lie. In
/ the second volume of my collected
writings, which are now being print
ed, ! give all my views regarding re-
ligion in general, and especially the
Jewish religion. am very explicit
as to my meaning and attitude with
relate what | have done during my
lifetime to combat anti-Semitism and
the poisonous hatred which is drench-
4 ing many countries" And Luzzati,
the Italian statesman, receded to the
background as Luzzati, the Jewish
/ fighter, revealed himself.
He went on to tell me, citing facts
and dates, how, in 1878, ut the Peace
Congress in Berlin, he had exerted
himself that Clause A might be in
cludcd in the Peace Pact. This Clause
bound the Rumanian government to
give the Rumanian Jews equal rights.
As time went on, however, he realized
that unfortunately paragraph Al was
never brought into execution, for des-
pitc compromise and agreement the
Jews in that country were robbed of
their personal rights. Then again,
some time later, Luzzati turned to
the Rumanian government, reminding
it of this paragraph. In the mean
time the World War broke out.
In his account of the various con
facts which he had made with Jewish
life and the efforts which he had
made TO aid the Jews, never once did
Luzzati refer to his own activity in
personal manner. When he spoke
of compromise that had been
reached between governments where
by the Jewish minority rights were
protected, his own participation was
merely reproach to the government
which had robbed the Jews of their
rights.
His Mauifpstp \vaiust Rumaniau