The International Jew, was first published as a series of articles appearing under the auspices of Henry Ford (1863-1947) in The Dearborn Independent from May 22 to October 2, 1920, possibly again or continuing from Oct. 9, 1920 to March 19, 1921. It was immediately published in book form under the title The International Jew, the World's Foremost Problem (Dearborn, Mich., The Dearborn publishing co., Nov. 1920; UCSB call no.: DS145.D4 I5; 235p.; Nov. 1921: 255p., DS145.D4 J42), and then again as Jewish Activities in the United States (Dearborn, Mich., The Dearborn publishing co., 1921; UCSB call no.: DS145.D4 J4).

It was translated into German in 1921: Der internationale Jude: Ein Weltproblem. Das erste amerikanische Buch über die Judenfrage, edited by Henry Ford and translated into German by Paul Lehmann (Leipzig: Hammer [T. Fritsch], 1921), with subsequent German editions.

Another English version was prepared in 1921 by John Spargo (1876-1966), The Jew and American Ideals (New York, London: Harper, c1921), 147 p. (UCSB: DS145.D4 S63).

Editions in other languages (French, Spanish) followed through the 1930s. After World War II and into the 1970s and 1980s various antisemitic groups republished the article series, including the Liberty Coalition and the Institute for Historical Review's Noontide Press.

The text below is taken from the introduction of the Gerald L. K. Smith abridged version of The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem (Los Angeles: Christian Nationalist Crusade, [1958]). Smith was the National Director of the Christian Nationalist Crusade.

---

At the apex of his business career Henry Ford, the industrial genius, sensed that a terrific effort was being made to take his business from him and manipulate it into the hands of the money-changers. Mr. Ford had the impression that these manipulators were being engineered by powerful Jewish financiers.

He called to his office the most intelligent research men within his acquaintance. He commissioned them to make a thorough study of the international Jew and publish their findings in "The Dearborn Independent," which at that time was the official organ of the Ford Motor Company. No expense was spared, and it is estimated that literally millions of dollars were spent by Mr. Ford on this project. The original articles were carried first in "The Dearborn Independent," and then published in book form.

When the report on "The International Jew" was originally published it opened each chapter with a text taken from "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion." Every instrument of torture and abuse which could be imagined was carried on against Mr. Ford – smear, character assassination, ridicule, physical threat, and boycott. The pressure was constant, consistent, and endless. The most powerful and enigmatic pressures imaginable were brought to bear on Mr. Ford to stop the publication of "The International Jew." Finally the order came through to cease publication and to destroy the copies which could be found. Sneak thieves were commissioned to visit libraries and steal the report out of libraries. This made the book so rare that it became a collector’s item.