The Riddle of the Jew's Success

by Theodor Fritsch

  One can only learn to understand correctly this particular tendency of the Hebrews, by considering their peculiar relations to their environment. The old-fashioned merchant was not particularly envious of his trade-competitors; his motto was, “Live and let live”; and he knew that if he conducted his business, honestly and conscientiously, that if he served his customers honourably and fairly, a portion of the universal volume of trade would fall to his share, through which his individual existence would be assured. The merchants of olden times did not feel themselves competitors with one another, to the extent which the modern ones do. They were not so numerous; and, through the guild privilege, each was assured of his particular market or sphere of activity. The mania to supplant one another did not force its way to the front, and was kept within bounds by the respect felt for the vocation.

  A feeling of goodwill and of mutual tolerance — an attitude corresponding to the Christian view of life — prevailed amongst merchants and tradesmen, just as it did in other circles.

  The attitude of the Hebrew towards this state of affairs was quite different. He came as a stranger into this kind of existence, which was a new world to him, as a supernumerary, whom nobody had summoned, and whom nobody desired to see. Moreover, he was not united to the native inhabitants of the land, either by the tie of blood, or by a common history, or by patriotism, or by religious and social views.

  [Page 12] He felt himself to be an alien, and regarded the others as strangers, who did not interest him; but he desired to force a place for himself amongst them by any and every means. He did not look upon other competitors, striving all around him, as being either entitled to live, or as compatriots. His view of life, derived from his religion, had taught him that his nation was something out of the ordinary, that it had been “chosen”, and its holy books contained the promise that he should possess himself of all the riches in the world in order to rule over all other peoples. The “Nations of the World” were represented in the law of the Hebrew as strangers and as enemies. He had neither respect nor tolerance for them. All he cared about was to dispossess them, and to make them tributary to him. This is simply what stands written in the books of the Old Testament, which we also have accepted as “sacred books”; and it stands written still more distinctly in the laws, which Hebrewdom teaches within itself, but prudently conceals from the rest of humanity.

  We shall return to these facts later on. At all events, the Hebrew was not content to keep step with the other merchants, and to confine his attentions to those customers, who came to him of their own free will. He considered it as his right — yes, even as his duty towards himself and to his nation, to seize for himself as much as possible out of the total volume of trade, and to deprive his nonJewish competitors of as many customers as he could. He also recognised what a great advantage it was, to attract to himself as much as possible of the money in circulation, in order to obtain, by this means, power and mastery over the economic life.

  This assiduity grew out of his natural disposition, for the sense of gain and the impulse towards self-enrichment have always been very pronounced in the Hebrews. The greed for Gold is an ancient and hereditary evil in the tribe of Judah. But one only half understands the situation, if one forms the opinion, that the Jew is actuated in his business operations solely by the desire for gain, or by the love of money.

  [Page 13] Certainly the Hebrew is fond of money; but the mere possession of the metal is not enough for him; he knows that behind the glittering gold lurks the secret also that the precious metal gives him power over others. In his case, the possession of money is not solely a means for leading an independent and luxurious existence, but is, at the same time, a means for exercising power; he will, by means of money, rule and oppress.

  And, through his intense — one might almost say, artificially forced — business activity, by which he strives to bring back all the circulating money quickly into his hands again, he achieves something further. By gathering up money on all sides, by every means in his power, and by retaining it in his possession and allowing it to accumulate, the Hebrew knows how to cause a scarcity of money in the nation; and the scarcity of money brings him fresh custom — not indeed as a merchant, but as a money-lender.

  If anybody understands how to bring back the money, which is circulating amongst the people, quickly into his own hands again, by enticing, for instance, in his capacity as merchant or tradesman, his customers to make purchases, for which there is no immediate necessity, he withdraws money from the “market”, and money at once becomes scarce if unforeseen wants put in an appearance. Whoever then finds himself in monetary difficulties, is compelled to apply to those, who have known how to attract all the money into their own hands.

  And, in this way, commercial activity, which had been so violently stimulated, became simultaneously an auxiliary to the loan-monger and usurer. It was not chance, nor was it by any means the pressure of circumstances in former times, which made a money-lender of the Jew, but a carefully thought out system. Money is a very peculiar commodity, and whoever trades in money has a tighter grip on the economic life than he who trades in ordinary goods. For this reason, all trade, as far as Jews are concerned, is, strictly speaking, merely a means for gathering together or “assembling” money, again and again.

  [Page 14] For the Hebrew follows the money, which has been lent on loan, also with ever-watchful eyes, and knows well what precautionary measures to take, to ensure that it will soon find its way back into Jewish safes.

  It is not disputed that the Jewish method of doing business produces a showy splendour, both in trade and traffic, in which everybody appears to be prospering. We often stand still, absolutely dazed by the precipitate development, which has overtaken all trade and traffic arrangements during the last few decades. But, — and we labour under no delusion in this respect — this blossom of external life, dazzling in all its splendour, is only produced by heavy sacrifice on the other side.

  2. The Hebrew mobilises slumbering values, lets loose balanced and reposing forces.

  I once knew a man, who could not behold any stately tree, either in garden or park, without indulging in an outburst, somewhat on the following lines;

  “ How crazy the people must be to allow a tree like that still to be standing! What an amount of capital is lying there locked up! What fine beams and planks could be sawn out of it!”

  The man had Jewish blood in his veins, and gave vent to a feeling, which must be keenly alive in many Hebrews, although they do not venture to express it in such a barefaced manner. The Hebrew is incapable of allowing anything to rest in calm peace, which can be turned to some economic use. Instilled into his mind is the urgent impulse to make everything “liquid”, to convert everything into money, to “mobilise” everything.

  And, on all sides, we see Hebrewdom, driven by this impulse, hard at work in order to scoop up with greedy hands the treasures of Nature and of Human Life. Certainly existence is enriched and broadened thereby, and civilisation is enlivened.

  From the common economic point of view it has the appearance of being highly meritorious, when a forest, which has been standing for a hundred years in peace, slowly and laboriously growing up by virtue of the creative power in Nature, and has become a great potential source of value, that somebody should set to work with axes and circular saws to liquidate the reposing capital.

  [Page 15] Hundreds of men are employed to lay the trees low, and to cut up and transport the timber, and thus life springs up in the district; wages are paid, and sales are effected. Regarded from this point of view, the man, who “mobilises” these sleeping values, may well appear to be a benefactor to the neighbourhood where he provides useful work for so many hands. But, not only will the lover of nature be saddened by what has taken place; the serious economist will also be of a very different opinion. Certainly the forest is there, reduced at last to a form, in which it can be utilised by the community as building-timber and fire-wood.

  The wis
e forester, however, goes to work with care and restraint, and does not fell any timber without making provision for afforesting an area equivalent to that, which has been cleared.

  Or, at any rate, he only allows the mature trunks to be felled, and spares all the younger timber. The Hebrew obeys an entirely different principle — his true commercial principle: he clears the ground to the last sapling; the afforestation he leaves to others.

  The above is an example of reality rather than of symbolism. The Hebrews have actually laid low enormous stretches of primeval forest, not only in our Fatherland, but also in Russia and in Poland; by doing so, they have certainly given a stimulus to business and commercial intercourse, and have caused money to circulate, but the reverse side of this activity will perhaps only be appreciated to its full and disastrous extent by future generations. The cut-down forest certainly brings profit for the moment, but, for the more or less distant future, it means nothing less than impoverishment of the district — in many cases, actual devastation. The springs dry up all over the now bare surface; permanent drought sets in, and when heavy rains do come, they simply sweep away the valuable upper layers of soil. The extirpation of great forests means, accordingly, nothing less than the exhaustion of fertility, and the conversion into desert land of vast tracts of country. Italy and the Balkan States furnish a grave enough warning.

  [Page 16]

  As in the case of the forest, so does the Hebrew comport himself in other spheres of activity. He is for ever intent upon mobilising or stirring up sleeping values, and bringing them into circulation, in order to derive an ostentatious and momentary benefit therefrom; but organic breadth of vision is completely wanting in this individual. He does not trouble to consider what the further consequence of this reckless and predatory method of proceeding on his part will be. This is quite in accordance with his nomadic nature. He does not feel himself in any manner linked to the soil; he forsakes the devastated territories, and seeks fresh profit elsewhere in the world. The conception of the Fatherland is altogether foreign to him, and, in this respect, he is true to his nature as a member of a desert and nomadic race.

  3. The Hebrew piles his Predatory Culture at the expense of natural and human resources.

  Once more, as in the case of the forest, the same fate befalls the treasures contained in the bosom of the earth. What has here been slowly formed in Nature’s laboratory by processes, which have taken hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years, are dragged to the light of day with insatiable greed; it must take its part in enriching and adorning life. At first this sounds very plausible — but how long can it last? Careful economists are already asking uneasily how much longer the world’s supply of coal will suffice to shield the human race against the ever-menacing forces of the cosmic cold. Certain geologists have spoken reassuring words: the world’s coal supply is plentiful, and will suffice, at any rate, for many centuries, perhaps, even for three or four thousand years. The foresight of humanity ought to enable it to project its conscience across this span of time, for it will be our descendants, who will — even if it is after the lapse of thousands of years — raise bitter reproaches against us because we have squandered the irreplaceable treasures of the earth, greedily and blindly.

  [Page 17] And there are other treasures of the earth as well, which are not so plentiful as coal. The world’s supplies of iron ore, which are nearly all known, as they can be discovered and marked down by means of the magnetic needle, have been subjected to close calculation with regard to their extent and richness; and the result is, that if we continue to use up iron in the same way, as we have been doing for the last few decades, all the iron-ore fields of the world will be exhausted in from 50— 60 years. And then what?

  Whether such calculations prove true or not, they provide us with a glance into the future, which must arouse apprehension, and cause us to regard the lordly culture, of which we boast so readily today, in a very questionable light.

  The Hebrews are certainly not the only ones who practise Predatory Culture at the expense of the treasures of the earth, but it can be maintained with justice, that it was that class of men, who introduced the principle of ruthless mobilisation of values and of pitiless moneymaking into our economic life.

  And it is precisely that which Sombart wishes to demonstrate, or actually does demonstrate, whether he does so intentionally or not; the Hebrew has made the principle of pitilessly carried out capitalisation supreme in the economic life, and it is not to be wondered at if others try to copy him — or rather, are compelled to do the same, in order to withstand the Jewish competition.

  Not only do we squander these natural treasures, but we are dissipating another treasure as well, which finally is the most important of all, as far as culture is concerned. The mobilisation of the treasures of the earth, and the tremendous activity of economic life, which has risen to an almost morbid degree, impose a terrible strain upon man and his creative powers.

  He may, perhaps, feel a pride in the results of his work, in the thousands of roaring and clattering machines, in the boldly executed constructions, with which he spans rivers, estuaries and mountain ravines, and in the ingenious technical appliances, which convey him with the speed of the wind across the face of the earth. But what does he run down and secure as booty or prize at the end of this wild pursuit? Generally only the loss of his best powers, and an early end to his days.

  [Page 18]

  Who can now refuse to recognise the fact that the harassing hunt after business, which characterises modern economic life, is rapidly leading to an exhaustion of mankind, and that the race itself, in spite of all the technical perfections of the external world, is slowly sinking, as far as its personal constitution and powers of accomplishment are concerned, i.e., is decaying steadily both physically and spiritually?

  In this respect also, the modern economy is carrying on ruthlessly another method of Predatory Culture. Industrialism entices men from the country into the town, and consumes them. It is a well-known fact that the families, born in the towns, very soon fade away, and that they seldom extend to more than three generations, and that the large towns and the industrial areas can only maintain themselves by a constant influx of human beings from the rural districts. But even the reserve of human strength in the country, taken as a whole, is not inexhaustible. It already shows an alarming retrogression.

  Sixty years ago, two thirds of the inhabitants of Germany lived in the country, and derived their livelihood from agriculture and from forestry, and only a third of the population lived in the towns. Today, the proportion is almost reversed. The rural population has now shrunk to 37 per cent of the total, and will no longer be able to make up the deficiency in the births amongst the 63 per cent of the population, who now dwell in the large towns, and in the industrial districts.

  We see accordingly how the magnificence of modern culture can only be produced by the expenditure of powers, which cannot be revived. It requires but a few more decades of this mode of existence, and the German Nation will have used itself up; foreign national and racial elements will stream in from all sides, and make themselves comfortable in the bed, which we, in our excessive and suicidal diligence, have so carefully prepared for them.

  A typical example of the fanatical pressure, which impels the Hebrew to mobilise all values, is furnished by his attack upon the “FideiKommisse”, namely the indivisible family estates.

  [Page 19] The land-owning nobility, in particular, has frequently made the arrangement that the family estate shall descend undivided to the heir, in order to guard against the breaking-up and dispersion of the estate. It is of incalculable value, both for state and community, if, in this manner, strong, independent existences can be maintained; moreover, the community cannot suffer any detriment thereby. Notwithstanding this, the Jewish Press has, for years past, fiercely attacked this arrangement, as if it were an offence and an injury against the majority, and Parliament is overwhelmed, from the Jewish side, with motions to d
o away with the “Fidei-Kommisse”, as if the eternal happiness of the whole nation depended upon this. The innate hatred felt by the Jew towards the nobility plays, in this respect, no small part. The Jew wishes to see this nobility destroyed, which presumes, both by breeding and tradition, to be something out of the ordinary, while the “chosen people”, according to his opinion, alone possess a claim to pretensions of this kind. Do not the Jews, with predilection, refer to themselves as the “natural aristocracy of mankind”?

  Moreover, this aversion to the “ Fidei-Kommisse”, (the indivisible family estates) is only the old Hebrew urgency to mobilise values expressing itself afresh: there must not be anything durable or constant: everything must be cut up and handed over to speculation. — The new revolutionary government, directed by Jews, has no more urgent policy than that of breaking up all the “FideiKommisse”, and of prohibiting the formation of any new family estates. Who can compute today the harm which will be caused by such a policy? The undermining of the economic foundations must also make itself felt in the social and intellectual structure of society. Genuine men of nobility will become scarcer and scarcer: the nobility has already, in many respects, degenerated, and become degraded by the intrusion of the Jewish money- and business-spirit. The Jewish principle of life drags mankind back from the heights, which it has scaled. The final result is: universal vulgarisation.

  [Page 20]

  We hear the ready answer: but wealth has increased enormously! Have we not collected huge quantities of capital, which are a sufficient guarantee for the future? In this respect also the modern idea of economy arrives at a fateful and most erroneous conclusion. Even Sombart represents the situation as if the Hebrews brought riches with them wherever they went, and were continually producing new wealth. Even if we understand under the expression “wealth”, merely the gold and silver treasure of the earth, it certainly cannot be maintained that these are increased by the Hebrew and his economic activity.