GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT

N.B.--All letters to the CRIMSON must be signed by the writer. It is not the policy of the CRIMSON editorial page to withhold signatures in print except when the writer feels that publication of his or her name may result in reprisal or undesired publicity. In these cases, the CRIMSON checks to the best of its ability all statements of fact involved.--Ed.

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, the CRIMSON ran an ad offering a position to a married couple as stewards at a yacht club on Cape Cod for the summer. Because the position seemed inviting and because I thought my husband and I were capable of filling it, I called the number listed in the advertisement to ask for an interview.

The first time I called I was told that the gentleman who placed the advertisement was out, but that he would be very eager to speak to me about the job later that day. The second time I called I gave my name and, after a short pause, was told that the man was in conference and could not be reached that day.

The following afternoon I telephoned again and said that it was in connection with the CRIMSON ad. The secretary said that I might speak with her employer and then asked my name once more. When I had repeated it she spoke to the gentleman for a moment and then told me that the job was "probably filled" but that I might leave my number if I liked.

Since she had previously stated that there had been no other applicants for the position, this sounded rather peculiar to me. On the basis of this unpleasant suspicion, and because our name is distinctly Jewish, I asked my husband to call the same number using an "Anglo-Saxon" name. He did so and was immediately connected with the man who had placed the ad, who told him that the job was open and gave an enthusiastic account of its advantages. To be absolutely certain, I then called again under a non-Jewish name and was given the same cordial treatment and an appointment for the following day.

When my husband mentioned this matter to a friend of his an hour later, he was told that the same thing had happened to a friend of his the year before in connection with this same job and that the same method of verification had been used.

It was of course evident to me at that point that the employer was discriminating against Jewish applicants for the position he advertised in Harvard's newspaper. That this discrimination is all too common we unfortunately know. To attempt to combat every instance of it would be futile.

The noteworthy aspect of the case, it seems to me, is that the gentleman who placed the ad is Mr. Samuel Sears, president of the Massachusetts Bar Association and Commodere of the yacht club. Within the past few months statements by Mr. Sears preaching Americanism have appeared in the CRIMSON, and I feel it may be enlightening to your readers to know what brand of "Americanism" he practices. Name Withheld by Request