National Affairs: Christian Per Inch

That there is a rising tide of anti-Semitism in the U. S. comparable to Europe's is the contention of many U. S. observers, especially Jews. Last week the American Jewish Congress, an organization to protect Jewish civil and economic rights headed by Manhattan's patriarchal Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, published a survey specifically charting the effects of Depression and world-wide anti-Semitism on Jewish job prospects. Devoted mainly to New York City, which has a population 28% Jewish, the survey showed:

> Employment agency ads specifying "Christians" (variants: "Gentiles,""Anglo-Saxons") are more frequent than at any time since the War. Rare in the boom years of 1917-18 and 1928, they were more than twice as frequent in the 1932 depression as in the 1921 depression. In 1934, after Hitler's rise, they "occurred at the amazingly high rate of once in every column inch of advertising matter—five times as frequent as in 1932." Until 1934 "one of the great New York papers"† banned the specification, but today "Christian" appears once in every 6½ column-inches, "Anglo-Saxon" once every 29. Another paper runs "Christian" once every half column-inch, "Anglo-Saxon" once in 4½.

> Discrimination in occupational advertisements is sharpest against Jewish salesmen, white-collar workers, women stenographers. To combat it, many Jewish girls have taken to wearing crosses "as a protective charm."

> Of 90 major employment agencies, 35 ask their employer clients for "religious preference."

> Although 45% of Jewish children get through high school, compared to 30% of Protestants, unemployment is higher among Jewish youths (31%).

> Pressed to explain why New York Telephone Co. does not employ an "equitable number" of Jews, one official replied that Jewish girls could not operate equipment "because their arms are too short." A restaurateur alibied that Jewish waitresses do not like to serve nonkosher food.

> "One of the gravest elements of our very difficult problem is the discriminatory attitude of some Jewish employers toward Jewish employes." A Jewish-owned Miami hotel with over 95% Jewish patronage had only four Jews among 600 employes.