THE JEWISH QUESTION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3013, 21 February 1881, Page 2

THE JEWISH QUESTION.

[To the Editor of the Daily Telegeaph.] Sir,—lf Mr Weber had not said that he had been absent from the land of his birth " three decades" he would have been deserving of severe censure for misleading your readers with respect to the alleged causes of the persecution of the Jews now going on in Germany. During the last thirty years the laws of Germany have been greatly altered, and Mr Weber must be excused if heexbibits an ignorance that could be hardly be forgiven in a younger man. Mr Weber will doubtless shelter himself under the cloak of Dr. Treitschke, but bad he been better acquainted with the motives actuating that literary hack he would scarcely have had the temerity to flaunt that man's articles as gospel before intelligent people. Briefly stated Dr. Treitschke's arguments against the Jews are: (1.) That in the course of ten years they have increased in number in one city from two to four per cent; (2.) that by industry and thrift they have greatly increased in wealth, and might some day lend their money to the enemies of Germany ; (3) that they did not furnish a very large contingent to the army during the Franco-Prussian war. Now, sir, these three very frivolous charges against the Jews can be disposed of easily enough. (1). The total population of the German Empire is about 43,000,000, of which 600,000 only are Israelites, or about 14 per cent, of the whole. (2). Treitschke is alarmed lest at some future date the Jews should hold 14 per cent, of the total wealth of the Empire. Ido not see, if there be a fair distribution of wealth, why the Jews, being 14 per cent, of the total population, should not hold 14 per cent, of the total wealth of the country. (3). By the law of Germany every German subject must serve in the army, and the Jews could no more have escaped that service that any one else. Such being the case, I make no doubt but what, on investigation, it would be found that the Jews numbered 14 per cent, of the whole army.—l am, &c, A Jew. Napier, February 21, 1881.