Life, 1919-03-13 · page 18 of 42
Life — March 13, 1919 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Jewish community leaders' response to Dr. Simons's testimony about Bolshevik influence on New York's Lower East Side. Simons claimed Soviet communism had roots in Jewish immigrant neighborhoods and warned of potential pogroms against Russian Jews if this association persisted. The text criticizes prominent Jewish figures—Louis Marshall, Jacob Schiff, Mayor Hylan, Governor Alfred Smith, and others—for attacking Simons rather than engaging with his argument. Life's editors argue these leaders are either defending the indefensible or responding to pressure, calling them "mechanical puppets" with "strings pulled." The cartoon (bottom left) shows a small, scraggly dog lecturing a larger dog about grooming before "fly-time," likely comparing this misdirected focus to the Jewish leaders' supposed evasion of Simons's core concerns. The page reflects 1920s antisemitic conspiracy narratives linking Jews to communism—a dangerous stereotype that Life amplifies by framing Jewish defense as suspicious rather than reasonable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
410 majority of Jews, both here and. in Russia, were utterly opposed to. the Bolshevist programe, and ready to fight the red flag. The Bolshevist Jews, he said, were Jews in blood, but not in re- ligion, They were laters of all religion A number of them from New York's lower East Side turned up, he said, last July, before the Bolsheviks made their first bid for power, and he had talked with many of them. He said he did not believe it would sible for Bolshevism to succeed with- out the help it got from New York; that the country had been flooded with proclamations in Yiddish; that hun- dreds of Russians had said to. hin “We know this is not a Russian gov- ave been pos- ernment. It is German first and Jewish next. Very soon there is going to be a big pogrom.” A pogrom! That is the worst of it When the settlement comes with these apostate Jewish scoundrels who have heen leaders in the Bolshevist horrors, there is danger that the great mass of Jews in Russia, who are neither Bol- shevik nor apostate, will be involved. It is a very serious matter. But how do leading Jews in New York deal with this testimony of Dr. Simons? Instead of consulting him, getti help from him, trying to stimulate discrimination — in public mind between decent Jews 4 Bolsheviks, they pitch into him ham- mer and tongs, and with horns and cymbals, hecause he said the East Side in New York had been the cradle of 3olshevism for Russia, Whatever is the Jewish equivalent for “Hey, Rube!” being raised, Louis Marshall comes to the front with an opinion that Dr. Si- mons’ statements are inaccurate, un- “YOU'D RETTER TAKE MY ADVICE, MR. CHIHUAHUA, AND USE SOME ITAIR RE- STORER BEFORE FLY-TIME COMES AROUND.” reliable and unfair; Jacob Schitt gives testimony that “the unwar ranted attack of this Dr. Simons, wha ever he may he, is libelous;” Rev, James Byrnes, « Roman Catholic cler- gyman in the Jews down there are a very good people, and “most of what you hear and read about them are damnable lies.” Governor Alfred Smith, e dently without any definite idea what is and Street, deposes that the matter, says that anyone who doubts the “loyalty, patriotism or de- votion” of the East Side, speaks with- out knowledge. Ex-Candidate Hughes says the thrift of the East Side is a THE ANT—AND tested by savings banks’ deposits, and its patriotism by the boys it sent to the front, and Mayor Hylan finds “the R mons’ testimony * * * plac ing the great mass of law-abiding and America-loving Jews of the East Side in a most unfavorable light is most re- grettable and discouraging.” no sign that any of these witnesses read the story they were called upon to de- nounce, exc shall. Th@ others evidently had their There is » perhaps, Louis Mar- strings pulled, and made the noises called for like so many mechanical puppets. What Dr. Simons said confirms a * grea comicbooks.com