I tried posting this earlier, but it hasn't gone through, so I'm taking
another shot.  I apologize if it shows up twice.
 
I would like to suggest several titles re: antisemitism:
 
Leon Poliakov--A History of Antisemitism (4 vols.)
Joshua Trachtenberg--The Devil and the Jews
Norman Cohn--Warrant for Genocide
 
Trachtenberg's work, which examines the medieval depiction of Jews in
theology, literature, and art (both "high" and "folk"), suggests that by the
end of the Middle Ages, the European definition of the "Jew" as demonic,
avaricious, and conspiratorial was firmly established. Although this "type"
was formulated according to the terms and needs of Christian theology, it
proved to be quite adaptable. After Christianity's cultural significance
waned, the type remained available to subsequent generations of scholars and
politicians. The rise of race theory in the 19th century provided a new,
"scientific" context for the type, thus renewing its cultural power. Cohn
covers these points.
 
I do not think it's necessary or even desirable to separate Pound's "racial"
antisemitism from his "economic" antisemitism. He was looking for the root
cause of evil, a conspiratorial evil that manifested itself through usury. I
don't to say it's only natural that he would look to the Jews, but his
culture provided a ready-made face (with lots of pseudo-scientific
justification) for the faceless conspiracy he thought was running and
ruining the world.
 
Michael Alleman