This book, edited by Mr. Sidney Salomon, Press Otucer of the Boara of British Jews, with an introduc-non by Mr, Marry Samuels, Chair-mah ofthe Publications Committee, consists of a compilation of facts relating chiefly to we Jews of Great Britain, but to some extent to those living outside its boundaries, in an endeavour to allay a large number of allegations against the Jews which igation. Tar some reason the editor cannot bg substantiated on invest-
cares to devote his opening chapter to the Jews of Britain in relation to world politics, It perhaps would have been better had he started with the Jews of England since the Resettlement, The claim that the Jewish community plays a very big part in English public and social life oes not stand very much examination, For example, there are 20 Jewish Members of Parliament, of which 9 are Conservatives, 5 Liberals, ind 6 Labour, showing no definite racial bias in favour of any one particular British political creed. Of the 20 Cabinet Ministers, only one, Mr. Here-Belisha, is of the Jewish faith, though it is true that another, Sir Philip Sassoon, occupies a post in the Government, that of the First Commissioner of Works. Of the 300 Privy Councillors, only 5 are Jews. The first of that race to be a Minister of the Crown was the late Sir George Jessel, who was Solicitor General, but whose real fame was as one of the greatest. of English judges and the real founder of the modern Chancery Court.
A general review of Jews in public life in Great Britain shows a very close relationship with the number of that race living in the British Isles. The actual figure, so far as can be reasonably obtained, is about 330,000, or something in the neighbourhood of 0.6 per cent of the total population of the country, In London there is only 2.8 per cent, and the only city which contains a larger Jewish population in proportion is Leeds with about 30,000 to a general population of 480,000, or, say 63 per cent,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.