Evening star., 1938-12-23
Text of Controversial Speech of Secretary Ickes
Esou, the Hairy Man, Delivered Sunday Cleveland Is Talk
Thot Has Produced On international Incident


nomic power. II the Jew wants to
be safe from oppression he must ex-
ert himself as citizen to do what
he can to see that his is a land free
Of oppression. The Jew tradition
ally has been an advocate of social
justice, and this is no time for him to
shrink from the fray.
Every human being wants eco
nomic security and all of us love the
ease, the luxury and the power that
flow from the acquisition Of wealth
IN proportion to the extent of that
wealth. I know that most of YOU
here-most Jews, in fact-are not
rich. But 1t is unfortunately true.
and 1t serves no good purpose to
blink the fact, that. as the result
OF a prejudicial tradition that goes
back to the Middle Ages, there is
more likely to be resentment of a
Jew who Is esteemed to be too rich
than OF a non-Jew who is even
richer. We may deplore this fact:
we may even denounce it as being
lnequitable and unfair and founded
upon unreasoning prejudice, but the
TACT Is there and every friend of
the Jew should face it resolutely.
False Step by Jew Hurts Race.
I am also aware that the behavior
OF rich Jews does not differ a particle
from that of rich non-Jews. Both
types are likely to be afflicted with
the same sickness of spirit, the same
limited social vision, even with the
same social cowardice. Both types
act and react according to their class
interests. Nevertheless the world
doeS not look with the same toler-
ance upon wealthy Jews as it does
upon wealthy non-Jews. Therefore
II seems to me that Jews of wealth
are bound-bound by their oblipa :
TONS to the men and women of their
race-to exercise extreme caution
IN the acquisition of their wealth
and great scrupulousness In their
social behavior. A mistake made bv
non-Jewish millionaire reflects
upon him alone, but a false step
made by a Jewish man of wealth
reflects upon his whole race. This
Is harsh and unjust, but it is a fact
that must be faced.
l suspect that there is no people
IN the world who take as good care
OF their own In times of misfortune
and distress as do the Jews. This
is fine virtue and commendable
one that is worthy of flatterinp
imitation by others. But if great
personal wealth makes the Jew GEN
erous fear that in some cases
II also makes a coward of him.
Indicts Certain Jews.
l have been dismayed to hear that
some Jews of wealth have thought
that their position was imperiled
because some of their fellow Jews
held positions of responsibility and
trust In government. I have been
dismayed to hear that the sugges-
ton has come from Jews of wealth
that the President should not con-
slider for appointment to the Su-
preme Court one of the ablest and
most outstanding legal statesmen
OF his generation because that ap-
pointment might arouse prejudice
against their particular group.
Money that is cowardly enough to
do this is money that should - cast
away. 1t is money that degrades
and debases its possesSor and is on
the way to destroy his very soul.
The once rich Jew of a certain
foreign land is not without RESPONSE
bility for the pitiable state in which
members of his race find themselves
today. Some in that unhappy coun-
try thought it was easier and cheaper
to buy than to brave. Money from
the Golfers Of rich Jews found itself
IN the hands Of the man who was
to use that money to expose their
race to greater degradation and more
refined tortures than Jews were
called upon to endure even in the
days of the cruel inquisition. The
Inquisitors Of Spain might do a Job
OF diabolical cruelty on the bodies
OF the Jews who came within their
power. but they lacked the thor
oughness, the ingenuity and the
super-cruelty Of their prototypes in
modern totalitarian countries.
The LessOn-Fascism.
II he did not know it before, the
Jew today has learned the bitter
lesson that only in a country of
free men under democratic institu-
tlons is he safe as to his life and
secure as to his property. What
does this lesson mean to him? It
ought to mean an instant wiling
ness to devote to the defense and
expansion of the democracy that is
his bulwark every ounce OF gold that
he possesses and every drop of blood
that courses through his veins. OF
course every man who Is devoted to