JEWS AND SCOTSMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1921, Page 7

JEWS AND SCOTSMEN.

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE’S REPROOF “A Jew, I suppose?” This questio.n, put by Sir Ernest Wild, K.C., to a witness at the Central Criminal Court. London, drew a reproof from the Lord Chief Justice (Lord , Reading), when the case came before the Court of Criminal Appeal. The question referred to a money-lender. “It creates on me,” said the Lord Chief Justice, “an unpleasant impression that it was not in the appellant’s favour that it was put.” Sir Ernest Wild: I did not intend to be insulting to Jews generally, lordship knows there are Jews and Jews just as there are Christians and Christians Some Jew money-lenders are not people one would care to deal with if possible. The Lord Chief Justice: My experience is that that remark applies to all moneylenders. (Laughter). Mr. Justice Darling: Only the other ‘day in a case I was trying counsel asked a man whether he was not a, Scots'man obviously with the intention of discrediting him. (Laughter) I took occasion to help him by saying Well, so am I!’ (Laughter.) (Mr. Justice Darling’s father was a Scotsman who settled in Essex.) The Lord Chief Justice: Speaking for mvself, I don’t think that question was understood in the same way as the question I am referring to. To ask a man it he is a Scotsman does not reflect on him, but there, are people who imagine that when the question is asked, “Are you a Jew?” it is intended to be prejudicial. This observation caused some applause • in court. . [The Lord Chief Justice was formerly Rufiw Jiaac*.]