The Riddle of the Jew's Success
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[Page 101] It is reported from Nikolsburg in Austria that they — the Jews — have possessed themselves of all the trade, all the money, and all the material. They lie in wait for customers outside the town, force themselves upon the travellers, and endeavour to keep them away from the establishments of Christian tradespeople. They listen to every conversation, keep watch for the arrival of strangers, and know how to derive benefit immediately, from every kind of disaster, by hastening to the homes of those concerned with their offers and quotations. Yes, their importunity is sometimes carried so far that it becomes physical compulsion; they attempt to drag reluctant customers by force into their shops, a mode of operation — the so-called “tearing” at a person — which was in full swing on the “Mühlendamm” in Berlin during the “seventies” and “eighties” of the last century. The Hebrews lay in wait at their shop-doors, like spiders in their webs.
They stopped any passerby, who appeared to show the slightest interest in their goods, which were spread out even up to the pavement, and tried either to entice, or to tug him by force into the shop. This progeny of Jewish business enterprise has been called “Vermin-picker” business, a fact also cited by Sombart. Yes, the Jewish street-dealers even went so far as to erect their stalls, or to push their barrows, straight in front of the shop of a Christian competitor, in order to deprive him of his customers.
To attract customers to himself, by any and every means, is the sole aim and object of the Jewish dealer, and, in doing so, he does not allow any consideration of decency or shame to stand in his way. The Hebrew was the first to force hostility, as a principle, upon our business life; that pernicious principle, which asserts that the most important task in trade is to alienate the customers of other men, and to regard any and every means as permissible, which can be utilised for trampling under foot all business competitors.*
---------------------* If there was only some way of making all this known throughout all classes of our community! Then one might indeed expect that the displeasure of all honest people would be directed against such conditions, and that the pernicious stranger would be turned out of our national life for once and all. But, in this respect, the public press fails completely; in fact, it places its services with preference at the disposal of the Jews.
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[Page 102] The Hebrew has also carried advertising and soliciting in the newspaper to a stage where it is not only offensive to good taste but outrages public decency as well. Some years ago, the title, “Down with all competition!” was the favourite cry of the Jewish advertisers. The degeneration of newspaper advertising brought yet another disadvantage in its train, and that was that the public press became more and more dependent upon Jewish mountebanks and quacks, in order not to lose the advertisements of these people, it placed itself completely at their service. And today no public newspaper of importance dares to publish anything derogatory to Jewdom, if it does not wish to lose all Jewish advertisements on the spot, and to be boycotted by the whole Jewish community — a consequence of the unholy alliance between what should properly be the political newspaper, and the advertiser.
Thus, under Jewish influence, trade has completely lost its original, sound motive of acting as intermediary between producer and consumer, and has degenerated into laying cunning snares for customers. And it is on this account that the complaint of all sound business people in all ages, bears always the same refrain: the Jew ruins trade, because he disregards all rules and refuses to recognise any principle except the acquisition of money.
1. Certain Jewish trade-tricks.
An especially questionable kind of trade-tactics, practised by the Jews, consists in taking undue advantage of the difficulties which beset the producers of goods. Thus, the Jews know well how to utilise the occasional embarrassments, both of workman and manufacturer, to force the goods out of them at exceptionally low prices: yes, they also know how to prepare a difficult situation for the producer, and to lead him into the same by all manner of tricks. This complaint is an ancient one. Thus, a report of the wholesale-traders of Augsburg in the year 1803 reads as follows:
[Page 103] “ The Jews endeavour to profit out of the universal distress; they force goods out of the man, who happens to be in urgent need of money, at scandalously low prices, and upset and ruin the regular trade by selling these goods again at absurdly inadequate prices.” (Sombart page 168).
Unfortunately, even the authorities, since the decay of the trade-guilds (beginning of the 18th century) have been short sighted enough to support this essentially Jewish policy. They allowed themselves to become corrupted by the cheap offers of the Hebrews, and never asked by what means the Jew came into possession of the goods, which he could offer so cheaply. A memorandum of the Chancery of the Court of Vienna, dated May 12th 1762, states bluntly:
“it is advisable to make military contracts with the Jews, as their quotations are much lower.”* It is a remarkable fact that, in spite of this, the Jewish army contractors have always become rich. It stands to reason that they must have over-reached someone, whether it was the State, or the unfortunate manufacturers.
The ways and means, by which the Hebrew obtains possession of cheap goods, are many; we have already mentioned the spoliation of the producer, who happens to be in difficulties. But the Hebrews also utilise the collapse of business concerns to get hold of parcels of goods very cheaply; they even know how to bring these collapses about purposely, by scheming amongst themselves, in order to transfer the goods from one to the other at a very low price. Levi, who has just opened a new business, knows how to obtain goods on credit. For several times in succession, he fulfills his obligations to the merchant, who supplies him, conscientiously, and by so doing, gains the latter’s confidence. Gradually he increases the quantity of goods ordered, and keeps on taking longer and longer credit. The supply-merchants, obviously impressed by the apparent development of the business, are loath to lose such a good customer, and continue to give longer and longer credit.
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* We know only too well, from our experiences in mobilisations since that time, what has been the result of following this advice. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, belonging to the various European Powers, have had to sacrifice their lives or their health in order to satisfy the profiteering greed of Jewish contractors, who supplied clothing of inferior quality, and adulterated food and medicaments.
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[Page 104] Levi, however, with the help of his compatriots, sells the goods far under the proper price, that is to say, he becomes the middleman for other Jewish businesses, which “cut” prices. He sells the goods to these businesses, at a price, which is actually lower than what the factory charges him; when he has stretched his credit as far as he dares, he declares himself a bankrupt, and the supply-merchants, who have been under the impression that their customer held a large stock of goods, discover an empty nest, and have to satisfy themselves by agreeing to accept from the debtor a meagre percentage of what he really owes them. There is no particular skill or art in delivering goods, or, in other words, selling cheaply, if such means are adopted. The Hebrew, who knows only too well how to reverse the order of things, has, in this case also, reversed the normal business principle: sometimes he does not try to make a profit out of his customers, but makes his gain at the expense of the manufacturers and supply merchants. He sells the goods actually cheaper than he buys the same, and ends by never paying for the greater part. This peculiar method of carrying on business has actually procured for the Hebrew the reputation of being a philanthropist, because he “helps” poor people to obtain cheap goods — that he makes presents, in fact, to the purchasing public; but only a few are aware that he does this out of other people’s pockets. Since time immemorial the Hebrew has been a master of the art of doing good at somebody else’s expense.
It is a matter of common knowledge that he is always ready to receive goods, which have been acquired in an un
derhand and illegal manner. He buys pledged, attached and stolen goods whenever the opportunity presents itself. For preference he endeavours to acquire wares, which are cheaper, either because they have flaws, or, because they have been rejected for some other reason, the so-called “job-lots”, which the genuine business-people will not accept on account of small imperfections. The Hebrew reckons on the shallow nature and general lack of any expert knowledge on the part of the public, and knows well how to dispose of such articles to his customers under the guise of genuine wares, which are worth every penny of the price charged for them.
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2. Lowering of the standard of production. (Cheap and bad)
Sad to say, owing to the influence of Jewish machinations, the manufacture of many products has degenerated. Any notion of quality in goods, has, for the most part, disappeared, and a great demand has sprung up, on the contrary, for the production of cheap and trashy goods. The genuine business people do their best to protect themselves against this unclean traffic, and endeavour to take proceedings against the “cutter”, when he tries to pass off his inferior wares as being equal in value to those of better quality. The trade protection associations have frequently brought actions against the “cutters” with satisfactory results; but, in many cases, trade experts have been obliged to concede that differences in the quality of the material, and of the labour are extremely difficult to establish, even when they are responsible for a reduction of from 10 - 15 per cent of the value of the genuine article. And thus the Hebrew is enabled to keep on reducing the quality of the goods, and to injure the producers as well as the purchasing public.
Our average purchasing public of today is unfortunately far too frivolous to attach value to genuine goods. The Hebrew has carefully trained it, before all things, to seek for and find its satisfaction in “Modernity” and “Appearance”, instead of insisting, first of all, on appropriateness and durability, which, in all cases, allow themselves to be combined with a pleasing shape. Most people desire to possess what glitters and dazzles for the moment, quite indifferent as to whether it soon loses its value, and has to be thrown on one side, only to be speedily replaced by some new and equally cheap and showy trash. Thus, not only does the national political economy enter upon a dangerous road, but the national mode of living, and the national morals follow. The delusive arc lights of the great “Stores” are not only destructive to genuine business but are ruinous to the nation itself.
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As Sombart concedes, the Jew is the author or originator of the substitute in its most extensive sense, i.e., in plain English: the Jew is the author or originator of adulteration and falsification in trade.
Many goods of inferior value, which have been produced according to the Jewish principle, have actually received the name “Jewgoods.” Thus, one speaks of “Jew-linen”, “Jewcotton” and other “Jew-stuff”. A particular trick in Jewish business circles, consists in giving less than the proper weight or measure, in the case of goods where weight and measure are difficult to check.* When the new system of weights was introduced, purchasers, according to custom, still demanded an extra “quarter of a pound”, or whatever the extra amount might be, and the Hebrew knew only too well how to utilise the opportunity by giving only a fifth instead of a quarter. It is also a matter of common knowledge that a “Jew’s Gross” is only about 100 instead of 144. If it was formerly customary to maintain in justification of the Jewish method of trading that the Jew could afford to sell and deliver more cheaply, because his way of living was more unpretending and he could subsist on very modest means, this argument is no longer valid. It is notorious that the Hebrews of the present day maintain a most luxurious existence, and their womenfolk especially endeavour to surpass all other classes — even Royalty and the aristocracy — in luxury and ostentation.
One point must be conceded to the Jews; that by increasing sales for cash to the utmost possible extent they accelerate the turnover. A quick turnover, at any rate, makes it possible for the merchant to content himself with a smaller profit, and yet to maintain the standard of his existence. It is the methods, by which the Hebrew procures the quick turnover, which are for the most part questionable, and which disclose their injuriousness in other branches of the economic life.
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* Women, in particular, are victims of this practice, for, they allow, for instance, “English thread”, which is measured by the yard instead of by the metre, to be forced upon them.
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[Page 107] For, in the last analysis, trade is not the sole aim of trade; the mission of human life is not to produce as much as possible; for enhanced consumption can be injurious to the individual as to the community. Just as excessive nourishment and excessive enjoyment are detrimental to the individual, so are the stimulation and enhancement of the economic functions by no means beneficial in all cases.
The Hebrew turns gladly to the maxim: “ Quick turnover and small profits”, and utilises it as an advertisement for his particular methods. And, in this case also, it is essentially a matter of discovering a means wherewith he can dazzle and infatuate.
3. Deviating mode of thought.
The nature of the Jewish mode of thinking is such that it functions quite differently to the normal understanding. The Hebrew thinks, as it were, round the corner; his thoughts travel by the opposite path to the natural one. Whilst the Aryan intelligence directs itself towards production and building up, the Hebrew is meditating everywhere on confusion and exhaustion, on ruin and dismemberment. He seeks his advantage in the injuries of others, his advancement in the oppression of his fellow-men, who do not happen to be Jews.
Jewish thought is always of a negative nature; the Hebrew is the born bacillus of decomposition. Hence it is that a healthy human mode of thinking can only follow the Jewish speculative machinations with great difficulty; and for the same reason, the Hebrew remains an incomprehensible being to the majority of mankind. The Jew is well acquainted with our mode of thinking and feeling, but we know nothing about his. The Hebrew reckons with certainty upon our straightforward conclusions, but we are quite unable to keep step with his crooked thoughts. The Jew, therefore, seldom makes a miscalculation when dealing with a German, but the German almost always, when dealing with the Jew. The Hebrew tries to guide our thoughts into a direction where he can follow their sequence closely — so closely that we are bound to fall into the trap laid for us.
[Page 108] He has learnt to think the thoughts of other men in advance; we, however, have not practised the art of following the zig-zag workings of his mind. And thus the Hebrew has acquired an apparent superiority over us which, however, in the final analysis, is only based on a habitual perversion of the natural way of thinking and feeling. His whole endeavour has but one aim, namely, to direct the impulses and activities of others in order to misuse the same. The Hebrew is not a natural being with straightforward impulses; everything in him is diverted and perverted. His warped mind is simply a machine for provoking and harassing. Anyone, who has not gradually learned to know the eccentricity and subtlety of the Jewish mode of thinking by long personal intercourse with Jews themselves — and naturally very few Christians have the opportunity to gain this experience — is quite incapable of pursuing the Jewish train of thought unless he has obtained insight into the true Jewish spirit by reading the Rabbinical writings.
Everything there — based on direct denial of reason and morality — is turned topsy-turvy, and is directed against the natural feelings and disposition of humanity. He, who has not studied, in some measure, the books of the Talmud, will never come to a right understanding concerning the Jews.
All the motives and activities of the Jewish brain are directed towards obtaining advantage and material gain. And, in spite of this, the Hebrew imagines that, especially with regard to morality, he is a very exalted being. No one speaks more effusively about ethical values than the Jews, but whoever takes the trouble to exam
ine what they understand by that expression, discovers that they mean the art of seeking their advantage by means of the understanding, under the pretext that they are engaged in some praise-worthy and unselfish effort. If one wished to sum up Jewish morality in one concise phrase, it would read as follows:
“All is moral which brings advantage.”
The Jew is incapable of applying a higher standard to the values in life than that of advantage or profit.
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The Jewish perception can be formulated in yet another way: “ Morality is the art of over reaching other people, and of creating, at the same time, the impression of a benevolent disposition — in fact, of representing what is in reality an offence against others as an act of charity.”
(During the recent war, we had ample opportunity of admiring with what masterly skill this doctrine was put into practice by the English statesmen, who had graduated in the Talmudic school.)
Sombart quotes one passage from the “ Universal treasure house of Commerce”, which presents the sound morality of a merchant of the old school in the most striking contrast to the present-day Jewish perception.
“ If you happen to be the sole possessor of a particular class of goods, you are entitled to a fair and honest profit, that is to say, your conscience must be satisfied that you have not exceeded what is Christian like, and your mind must be at rest upon this point.”