The Wilmington morning star., 1944-01-17
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK, A bill has been introduced in
the New York Legislature to punish individuals
who promote racial and religious hatred.
bill of similar intent is pending in Congress.
Both are unwise and more likely to provoke
than to abate such propaganda, because at
tempt to enforce them would surely raise I'M
portant questions of freedom OF speech and OF
the press. Truth is a good defense and If
propaganda should present truths about In
divduals in a hateful way, artfully calculated
to arouse hatred OF whole group, We would
simply have to acquit him. Opinion also is
privileged, so such efforts seem not only futile
but dangerous to their own purpose.
The better APPROACH is that of Joseph NJ
Proskauer, who has proposed pledge for all
Americans to refrain from spreading runors
of ISLANDERS against any Sect and to condemn
no whole element of the population for often
sive conduct of individuals. Archbishop Spell
man has endorsed Mr.. Proskauer's effort as
all real Christians should.
To my mind there is more talk of anti-semi-
tism than anti-sernitic talk and the most dis
turbing propaganda as between the White
and Negro Americans is found in the Negro
press, which may honestly believe that it is
promoting inter-racial anity but goes much
too far and succeeds in arousing hatred of
the whites among the negros. The conmu-
nists, always on the prowl for issues which can
be famed into devouring fires, also have had
a part in these hate-campaigns and no est-
mate of the provications could eliminate
Marshall Field and his New York and
journalistic whatizzit which gives an impress
sion that in New York and Boston horrible
nersecutions are being inflicted on the Jews.
The Christians of New York and Boston are
doing nothing of the kind. They are. IN the
main, friendly and tolerant but MT. flelo
presents his propaganda in such way as 10
anger people who feel that they deserve creo't
for decent conduct. | think the "hoie eiiect
of Mr. Fields material is to aggravate relatlohs
but done by his method, whatever his motlve
may be. it certainly could not be made the
basis for prosecution under any law. however
wisely drawn.
This is not to contend that there is no pre-
iudice against Jews among persons VINO CAN
themselves Christians and honestly oeneve
themselves to be respectable and rlsht-Haino
ed. There are some who smirk and say tha1
.the chosen people, have taken over this or
that neighborhood or club, forgetting that IT
was the chosen people of the master race
of Hitler who frankly did put forth the propo-
sition that they were chosen to rule the world
and employed in their relations with other
countries every foul and treacherous device
and deceit in the long catalog OF sins wnlch
they had charged against the Jews. No law
can touch any such person for remarks OF
this kind but he might be reached by the
pledge of Mr. Proskauer; for many who speak
so are not really hateful but only carelessv
prejudiced and unconscious of the hurt they
do.
To those who are fighting anti-semitism
! too, a word of admonition seems due.
| There is altogether too free use of the term
anti-semite or Jew-hater and decent men have
been prosecuted and put under boycotts for w.
| terror motives who have been scrupulously
fair in speech and conduct. A man so victlnlz'
ed is sorely tried and only his true Christian
! ty and his horror of Hitlerism keeps him
| steady. 1t is not anti-semitism to abandon the
principle of Mr.. Proskauers pledge, for
thereby all Jews are Jumped together and
placed under condemnation when the critic S
! intent is to deal with the individual as such
and not as a representative Jew or even Jew
at all.
The exclusion of Jews from clubs has been
deplored and for fact it is ungenerous and
SNUG, but the Jews shouldn't really mind.
They are excluded also from some horrible
boredom and long-winded and mirthless
| Jokes.