CANADIAN  JEWISH  REVIEW
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December 21,  1923
VOLUME V. NUMBER 8
SOVIET RUSSIA SETS A GOOD EXAMPLE!
Of all the news that has come out of Russia   in the last few
�
years, the following item is the most hopeful and encouraging, at least as far as we Jews are concerned:
TRIED AS "ANTI-SEMITES" Trio of Poets Are Censured By Red Court
Associated Press Despatch. Mtwms A court composed of Moscow's literati has tried Sergei Yeshinin, husband of Isadora Duncan, and three companion poets on charges ^rowin^ out of alleged anti-Semitic utterances. The court censured the uriurs, but decided to permit them to continue work in Moscow,
Sergei Yeshinin, who is the so-called "husband" of Isadora Duncan, is the same individual who last summer created a "scene" in the Bronx apartment of one of New York's Yiddish poets, who had arranged a little social evening in honour of Isadora Duncan and her poet consort, which was attended by several of the Yiddish literati ot New York. Sergei Yeshinin. at this gathering, violently insulted his Jewish host, denounced all Jews, and incidentally beat up his artistic wife because she insisted on performing before her Jewish friends. Monsieur Sergei grew so violent that he had to be put into a straight jacket and taken to the police station. It was later explained that he was under t he influence of liquor. But, knowing how drunk Jewish literati can get on Russian tea, we accepted the excuse as a poor explanation to hush up Yeshinin's bad conduct for the sake of Isadora Duncan. In the light of the above we were not surprised to learn that Monsieur Sergei had broken out again. Now we are positixely convinced that it was not hard liquor but just plain downright anti-Semitism.
At the risk of even being suspected of pro-Bolshevism, \ye state that we belie\e the Soviet Government in placing Sergei and his anti-Semitic friends under arrest, and trying them on the charge of anti-Semitism, has set a most laudable example.
Who would have Ixdieved it." The very regime that practically ruined the Jews of Russia now suddenly rises to their defense. The Bolsheviki admit that the Jews have t>een the greatest sufferers in Russia. This, according to the Bolsheviki, was inevitable since the Jews were largely middle-class people whom Communism had to destroy. Communism is the enemy not only of private property, but it repudiates religion and nationalism as well, regarding them both as the "mental dope" used by the capitalistic state to befog and becloud the minds of the masses, and thereby distract them from concentrating on their real interests, which are economic. Consistent with this fundamental attitude of Communism towards private property, they confiscated all privately-owned wealth, carried on a constant orooaeanda of ridicule and hostility to the Church, and
education has been forbidden, and Jewish nationAikts hay* bcten
arrested as counter-revoiutionists, court martialedi and executed. Every cloud, however, has its silver lining. The Soviet Government, true to its principles, has forbidden anti-Semitic propaganda, regarding it as "counter-revolutionary1 v and looks upon anti-Semites as enemies of the state. It must be said to the credit of the Soviet Government that they have used every effort to quell pogroms on the Jews. Excepting for the narrow-mindedness of petty Jewish Coitlrhunist officials, who have been most hostile to their own fellow J6ws�there being no zealot like a Jewish zealot,�the official attitude of Moscow has not been anti-Jewish. The best evidence on Russia attests to the fact that the Jews in Russia have suffered at the haflds of Bolshevism not qua Jews but qw representatives of the middle class and as counter-revolutionists.
The anti-Semitic poets were tried, not because Soviet Russia loves Jews, but because Communism hates anti-Semitism, and regards it as counter revolutionary
The attitude of the Soviet Government which makes anti-Semitism a crime against the state, has created a peculiarly dangerous position for the Jews in Russia. It has embittered all the reactionary and monarchistic elements who are blaming the Jews for the overthrow of the Czar and his Government, and who have wanted to vent their spleen on the Jews. Should the Soviet Government fall and the old regime come back to power, Russia will probably witness the greatest massacre of Jews in history. The JeWs in Russia are between the devil and the deep blue sea. Under the Bolsheviki they cannot exist- a change in government will mean massacre.
In looking upon anti-Semitism as dangerous to the welfare of the state, Russia has set an example to the rest of the countries of the world, who take the attitude that anti-Semitism is a private and personal concern of those of its citizens who indulge in it and not a matter for state interference. This is a narrow-minded and short-sighted policy. Anti-Semitism is a most virulent form of prejudice. All forms of prejudice disturb the harmonious relationships which should exist between citizen and citizen, and is bad. Anti-Semitism, particularly, upsets in a most violent way business, social, political and even political interactions, between Jew and Gentile who, for the peace and welfare of the state as well as of themselves, should live in concord. No state can permanently endure that permits the poison of anti-Semitism to permeate its citizenry. Starting as a private matter, anti-Semitism soon grows, for nothing grows so fast as prejudice whose great ally is ignorance. Before it can be controlled the deadly virus of anti-Semitism infects the government itself and then all law, all liberty and the rights, especially of minorities, cease. When this happens democratic government may be said to be at an end.
The growth of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States is the best proof of our view. Commencing at first as a small private organization, it soon grew. It shoved constituted authority aside, when the government officials failed to do its bidding, and took law and order into its own hands. It perpetrated rtiurder, incited to riot, pillaged, and created chaos. Unless checked, it may lead to another Civil War in the United States, whose issue this time will be not slavery but religious prejudice. Not satisfied with merely promoting prejudice, the Klan has endeavoured to get control of city and state governments. It is a sad commentary on the low ebb of civilization and intelligence, characteristics of many states in the country to the south of us, that the Klan has succeeded in capturing the governments of several of the states and many of the cities. In the next Presidential election, in 1924, the Klan will unfortunately play an important role.   God help the country if the Klan wins.
In view of the danger to the stability of democratic government involved in the spread of prejudice, especially religious prejudice, which history has proved to be the worst form of prejudice, it appears most important for governments to put an end to the private and public spread of prejudice levelled against race or creed. It should be regarded as a crime for any individual or organization to engage in hostile propaganda, which stirs up racial and religious prejudice and animosity. The law should look upon such activity as hostile and inimical to the peace and welfare of the state, and as a disturbing factor to law and order. Such legislation cannot come too soon. Soviet Russia has set in this regard an example which every government would do well to emulate.