They confronted the President’s proposal on the subject of religious inequality, and, in particular, the odd motive alleged for it, with the measures for the protection of minorities which he subsequently imposed on the lesser states, and which had for their keynote to satisfy the Jewish elements in eastern Europe.  And they concluded that the sequence of expedients framed and enforced in this direction were inspired by the Jews, assembled in Paris for the purpose of realizing their carefully thought-out program, which they succeeded in having substantially executed.  However right or wrong these delegates may have been, it would be a dangerous mistake to ignore their views, seeing that they have since become one of the permanent elements of the situation.  The formula into which this policy was thrown by the members of the Conference, whose countries it affected, and who regarded it as fatal to the peace of eastern Europe, was this:  “Henceforth the world will be governed by the Anglo-Saxon peoples, who, in turn, are swayed by their Jewish elements.”

It is difficult to convey an adequate notion of the warmth of feeling—­one might almost call it the heat of passion—­which this supposed discovery generated.  The applications of the theory to many of the puzzles of the past were countless and ingenious.  The illustrations of the manner in which the policy was pursued, and the cajolery and threats which were said to have been employed in order to insure its success, covered the whole history of the Conference, and presented it through a new and possibly distorted medium.  The morbid suspicions current may have been the natural vein of men who had passed a great part of their lives in petty racial struggles; but according to common account, it was abundantly nurtured at the Conference by the lack of reserve and moderation displayed by some of the promoters of the minority clauses who were deficient in the sense of measure.  What the Eastern delegates said was briefly this:  “The tide in our countries was flowing rapidly in favor of the Jews.  All the east European governments which had theretofore wronged them were uttering their mea culpa, and had solemnly promised to turn over a new leaf.  Nay, they had already turned it.  We, for example, altered our legislation in order to meet by anticipation the legitimate wishes of the Conference and the pressing demands of the Jews.  We did quite enough to obviate decrees which might impair our sovereignty or lessen our prestige.  Poland and Rumania issued laws establishing absolute equality between the Jews and their own nationals.  All discrimination had ceased.  Immigrant Hebrews from Russia received the full rights of citizenship and became entitled to fill any office in the state.  In a word, all the old disabilities were abolished and the fervent prayer of east European governments was that the Jewish members of their respective communities should be gradually assimilated to the natives and become patriotic citizens like them.  It was a new ideal.  It accorded to the Jews everything they had asked for.  It would enable them to show themselves as the French, Italian, and Belgian Jews had shown themselves, efficient citizens of their adopted countries.