The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1939-09-15
Review of The Year In The

the protest organized in America
was credited with forestalllng
this development. At that tlme'
10000 kilograms descended on
Washington to urge intervention
with London. Rallies were held
throughout the country. Secre-
tary of State Cordell Hull ana
President Roosevelt made public
reiteration of this nations interest
in the Jewish national home.
This unprecedented mobilization
of public opinion which proved
effective in October did not sue
coed in May when the White
Paper providing for establishment
of an Independent Palestine state
was issued. Nevertheless, Amerl-
can indignation was expressed.
At the Jewish Palestine Pavilion
of the New York Worlds Fair
100000 Jews massed in demon
stration against the White Paper.
The convention of the Zionist
Organization of America in New
York reaffirmed the American
Zionists' determination to proceed
with the upbuilding of the Jewish
homeland.
INCREASE IN ANTI-SEMITISM
Partly as a reaction to foreign
events, there was a marked IN
crease in anti-Jewish agitation in
the United States. The Indictment
in some cases took the form of vi
olence. In New York there were
a series of attacks on Jews by
Coughlinites in some of which the
victims were stabbed and wound
ed. Damage to Jewish property
was reported in Philadelphia. In
Baltimore and Delaware educat-
ional institutions there occurred
incidents IL which Jewish students
were allegedly branded.
The various anti-Semitic leaders
became more open in their incite-
ment. Charles E. Coughlin, 1.-The
radio priest" abandoned his yelled
inuendos and charged Jews with
financing communism. His organ,
Social Justice, which became a
model of a Jew-baiting sheet, was
peddled on street corners. In
New York, his hackers formed a
Christian Front" which began or
ganizing a boycott of Jewish
stores. His supporters also pick
eted Radio Station WMCA, which
had barred his speeches. The or
ganizer for the picketing, one
Allen Zoll, was indicted for at
tempting to extort $500 from the
owner of the station.
The investigation of the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities, headed by Martin Dies of
Texas, brought to light many of
the Vaccinations of anti-Semitic
groups. Figuring in this probe
was Major-General George Van
Horn Moseley, retired, who emerg-
ed during the year as one of the
leading Jew-baiters. In addition,
Jacob Thorkelson of Montana be-
came the new spokesman for anti
Semitism on the floor of Congress.
There was a small undercurrent of
anti-Semitism in last November's
elections, but it was repudiated at
the polls. Herbert H. Lehman was
reelected Governor of New York,
albeit by narrow margin, in an
election in which anti-Semitism
played a part. Payne Rather, the
butt of an anti-JeWish campaign
| because he is half-Jewish, never
theless was elected Governor of
Kansas. The Rev. Gerald Winrod,
Kansas anti-Semite, was trounced
in his contest for the Republican
senatorial nomination.
There was no doubt that anti
Semitism was increasing in this
country. Fortune Magazine found
that one-third of the American
voters believed anti-Jewish feeling
was growing. Observers pointed
out that this feeling was partly