Sta,—I regret that Mr. J. H. Mallon should have thought
it useful to criticise our religious brotherhood because of the flagrant miscon- duct of a small percentage of its number.
I u:11 leave to experts the task of correcting Mr. Mallon's statistical statement. Not 90 per cent., but a small percentage of men and women of Jewish origin are convicted for perpetrating " fraudulent dodges to evade their responsibilities under the defence regulations."
However small the percentage, does Mr. Mallon not realise that we Jews are heartily asnamed of their conduct? Does he think that we are waiting for him to tell us that our co-religionists' behaviour annuls their allegiance to their faith, because Jews live by their belief in an
omnipresent God who requires the highest standard of human be- haviour in work and in recreation, in thought and in deed? We believe moreover, that our calling is that of service, and we live to serve God by serving. Society as a whole The Jewish Trades Advisory Council is doing all in its power to eradicate the civic crimes to which Mr. Mallon draws attention. Judaism is not responsible for the dishonesty of renegade Jews any more than Christianity is responsible for a deplorable increase in drunkenness which is observable m certain police returns during war time. Moral degradation occurs in defiance of religious teaching, and the remedy lies in the revitalisation of religion in all sections of the population. It is certainly not anti-semitism, which is contrary to all religious principles, which can secure the redemption of the criminals.—Yours faithfully, LILY H MONTAGU. " The Red Lodge, sz Palace Court, W.2.
[We have received many letters on this question, which it was entirely proper to raise. With the letters published today the question has been adequately ventilated and both sides fairly stated. The correspondence will therefore not be continued.—En., The Spectator.]
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