pointed out a glaring headline ilar action had been taken in half-inch display: "Shake- at Hoboken and elsewhere, speare's Shylook a Slander, and the Anti-Defamation Says Education Board," 66 'Jewry," said my visitor, "has declared war on Stratford-on-Avon." Now the Man with the Crooked Brain, while nearly sane on some matters, is madly over-earnest on the subject of the peril to the human race of Jewish domination. His road to En-Dor leads him through a maze of sinister combinations of financiers, of subversive Sanhedrins, of diabolic secret protocols, of theories on the organised undermining of Christian virtues, of tales of Lenin's alliance with the Tedeschi - Ashkenazi, of arguments on how the strings of war and peace were pulled from London, Frankfurt, Rome, and Alexandria by Oriental millionaires. These and other monstrosities he had rammed down my throat until I was sick of the taste of them. Hearing the word "Jewry," therefore, I tried to head him off his obsession by telling the story of the nice young man named Smith. League intended to continue its campaign until Shylook was ousted from every school in the United States of America. Moreover, a letter to the Press from one Dr Benjamin Marcus praised the action of the Newark Board of Education, and suggested that a portion of the New Testament should undergo the same censorship as "The Merchant of Venice.' While disagreeing very heartily with most of Crookbrain's fantastic beliefs on the subject of a Jewish worldperil, one could not but stagger under a Jewish indictment of Shakespeare. The Jews have given us Spinoza, Disraeli, and many another great man, head and shoulders above his fellows; but Shakespeare certainly did not invent the attributes of Shylook. As Crookbrain pointed out, if one asked a Russian peasant, an Albanian mountaineer, a Dago sailor, a Bedouin of the desert unlettered people who have never heard of Stratford-onAvon, much less less of "The Merchant of Venice "-for his idea of a typical Jew, the reply would suggest the character of Shylook, virile flea on the back of humanity, a middleman who grows rich on his neighbour's needs and difficulties. 8 But Crookbrain would not be diverted, and began to read what underlay the headline. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League had induced the Board of Education of Newark, New Jersey, to withdraw "The Merchant of Venice" from the school cur- But Shylock qua Shylook riculum, 80 that Shylook had little to do either with should no longer prejudice the hallucinations of CrookChristian children against brain or with the views of the their Hebrew brethren. Sim- no-doubt learned members of the Irish are suspected of native wit, and if Irishmen had discovered a grievance against Shakespeare the Englishman, the public might have kept its feet firmly on the ground, so that its leg should not be pulled. the Newark Board of Educa- Ireland are in arms"? But tion; for he was not conceived as a typical Jew, but as the most notable character in a great play, a perfect part of a magnificent mosaic of passion, wit, revenge, friendship, hatred, nobility, drollery, intelligence, trickery, and charm. It is unnecessary to show how, if Shakespeare slandered Jewry through Shylook, he likewise slandered England, Venice, the Man in the Street, and the National Union of Textile Workers, through Falstaff, Iago, the orowd soene in "Julius Cæsar," and Nick Bottom the Weaver. "If I were a Dane," said I, "I'd do it and keep the ball rolling." "Let's be Danes," suggested Crookbrain, inspired by second glass of prohibited whisky. And thus was born an idea that caused many a man in many a land to seribble an article or set up type or tap a telegraphic transmitter. But the Danes, we decided, were rather too neutral for war against the creations of genius. The Irish would have done well enough, for is not Captain Macmorris ("Henry V.") a sourvy rogue, and is it not announced in "Henry IV." that "the uncivil kerns of "Stands Sootland where it did?"" quoted Crook brain suddenly. "The very thing," I agreed. "Macbeth" shall be the password, and we'll stalk the censors of Shakespeare under cover of Birnam Wood." And, indeed, no better screen for a tongue-in-cheek purpose could have been found, for of all national labels that of the Scot inspires the most confidence in reliability and serious intention. "My name," I announced, "is Ian MacTavish." "Mine's Malcolm MacPherson," said Crook brain. "And we claim redress for an ancient slander. I believe there's an Hotel MaoAlpin?" Crookbrain said there was. I sat down and wrote the following, which may have been a resolution passed at the Hotel MacAlpin that same evening by the League of Scottish Veterans of the World War, but but probably wasn't, since no such League existed : "In view of the action of the Newark Board of Education in barring 'The Merchant of Venice' from the school curriculum because of alleged slander of the Jewish race pointed out a glaring headline ilar action had been taken in half-inch display: "Shake- at Hoboken and elsewhere, speare's Shylook a Slander, and the Anti-Defamation Says Education Board." League intended to continue 'Jewry," said my visitor, its campaign until Shylook "has declared war on Stratford-on-Avon." Now the Man with the Crooked Brain, while nearly sane on some matters, is madly over- earnest on the subject of the peril to the human race of Jewish domination. His road to En-Dor leads him through a maze of sinister combinations of financiers, of subversive Sanhedrins, of diabolic secret protocols, of theories on the organised undermining of Christian virtues, of tales of Lenin's alliance with the Tedeschi - Ashkenazi, of arguments on how the strings of war and peace were pulled from London, Frankfurt, Rome, and Alexandria by Oriental millionaires. These and other monstrosities he had rammed down my throat until I was sick of the taste of them. Hearing the word "Jewry," therefore, I tried to head him off his obsession by telling the story of the nice young man named Smith. was ousted from every school in the United States of America. Moreover, a letter to the Press from Press from one Dr Benjamin Marcus praised the action of the Newark Board of Education, and suggested that a portion of the New Testament should undergo the same censorship as "The Merchant of Venice." very While disagreeing heartily with most of Crookbrain's fantastic beliefs on the subject of a Jewish worldperil, one could not but stagger under a Jewish indiotment of Shakespeare. The Jews have given us Spinoza, Disraeli, and many another great man, head and shoulders above his fellows; but Shakespeare certainly did not invent the attributes of Shylock. As Crookbrain pointed out, if one asked a Russian peasant, an Albanian mountaineer, a Dago sailor, a Bedouin of the desert unlettered people who have never heard of Stratford-onAvon, much less less of "The Merchant of Venice" for his idea of a typical Jew, the reply would suggest the character of Shylook, virile flea on the back of humanity, a middleman who grows rich on his neighbour's needs and difficulties. But Crookbrain would not be diverted, and began to read what underlay the headline. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League had induced the Board of Education of Newark, New Jersey, to withdraw "The Merchant of Venice from the school cur- But Shylock qua Shylook riculum, 80 that Shylook had little to do either with should no longer prejudice the hallucinations of CrookChristian children against brain or with the views of the their Hebrew brethren. Sim- no-doubt learned members of the Newark Board of Educa- Ireland are in arms"? But tion; for he was not conthe Irish are suspected of ceived as a typical Jew, but native wit, and if Irishmen as the most notable character had discovered a grievance in a great play, a perfect part against Shakespeare the Engof a magnificent mosaic of lishman, the public might have passion, wit, revenge, friend- kept its feet firmly on the ship, hatred, nobility, drol- ground, so that its leg should lery, intelligence, trickery, and not be pulled. charm. It is unnecessary to show how, if Shakespeare slandered Jewry through Shylook, he likewise slandered England, Venice, the Man in the Street, and the National Union of Textile Workers, through Falstaff, Iago, the orowd soene in "Julius Cæsar," and Niok Bottom the Weaver. "The best way to stop this foolishness," commented Crookbrain, "is to carry it further. The Danes were given some nasty whacks in 'Hamlet'; they should be the next to hit back at Shakespeare." And he spoke truer than he knew. "If I were a Dane," said I, "I'd do it and keep the ball rolling." "Let's be Danes," suggested Crookbrain, inspired by second glass of prohibited whisky. And thus was born an idea that caused many a man in many a land to seribble an article or set up type or tap a telegraphic transmitter. "Stands Sootland where it did?'" quoted Crook brain suddenly. "The very thing," I agreed. "Macbeth' shall be the password, and we'll stalk the censors of Shakespeare under cover of Birnam Wood." And, indeed, no better screen for a tongue-in-cheek purpose could have been found, for of all national labels that of the Soot inspires the most confidence in reliability and serious intention. "My name," I announced, "is Ian MacTavish." "Mine's Malcolm MacPherson," said Crookbrain. "And we claim redress for an ancient slander. I believe there's an Hotel MacAlpin ?" Crookbrain said there was. I sat down and wrote the following, which may have been a resolution passed at the Hotel MacAlpin that same evening by the League of Scottish Veterans of the World War, but probably wasn't, since no such League existed :— But the Danes, we decided, were rather too neutral for war against the creations of genius. The Irish would have "In view of the action of done well enough, for is not the Newark Board of EducaCaptain Macmorris ("Henry tion in barring 'The Merchant V.") a sourvy rogue, and is it of Venice' from the school not announced in "Henry IV." curriculum because of alleged that "the uncivil kerns of slander of the Jewish race pointed out a glaring headline ilar action had been taken in half-inch display: "Shake- at Hoboken and elsewhere, speare's Shylook a Slander, and the Anti-Defamation Says Education Board." 'Jewry," said my visitor, "has declared war on Stratford-on-Avon." Now the Man with the Crooked Brain, while nearly sane on some matters, is madly over-earnest on the subject of the peril to the human race of Jewish domination. His road to En-Dor leads him through a maze of sinister combinations of financiers, of subversive Sanhedrins, of diabolic secret protocols, of theories on the organised undermining of Christian virtues, of tales of Lenin's alliance with the Tedeschi - Ashkenazi, of arguments on how the strings of war and peace were pulled from London, Frankfurt, Rome, and Alexandria by Oriental millionaires. These and other monstrosities he had rammed down my throat until I was sick of the taste of them. Hearing the word "Jewry," therefore, I tried to head him off his obsession by telling the story of the nice young man named Smith. League intended to continue its campaign until Shylock was ousted from every school in the United States of America. Moreover, a letter to the Press from one Dr Benjamin Marous praised the action of the Newark Board of Education, and suggested that a portion of the New Testament should undergo the same censorship as "The Merchant of Venice." very While disagreeing heartily with most of Crookbrain's fantastic beliefs on the subject of a Jewish worldperil, one could not but stagger under a Jewish indiotment of Shakespeare. The Jews have given us Spinoza, Disraeli, and many another great man, head and shoulders above his fellows; but Shakespeare certainly did not invent the attributes of Shylock. As Crookbrain pointed out, if one asked a Russian peasant, an Albanian mountaineer, a Dago sailor, a Bedouin of the desert unlettered people who have never heard of Stratford-onAvon, much less of "The Merchant of Venice" for his idea of a typical Jew, the reply would suggest the character of Shylock, virile flea on the back of humanity, a middleman who grows rich on his neighbour's needs and difficulties. But Crookbrain would not be diverted, and began to read what underlay the headline. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League had induced the Board of Education of Newark, New Jersey, to withdraw "The Merchant of Venice" from the school cur- But Shylock qua Shylook riculum, 80 that Shylook had little to do either with should no longer prejudice the hallucinations of CrookChristian children against brain or with the views of the their Hebrew brethren, Sim- no-doubt learned members of |