Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1918-09-13

              PUT YOUR NAME ON THE VICTORY LISTf
;Histori<iai Gdminisslo of Ohio
A WEEKLY DEVOtEI^ TO tHE INTERESTS OF JEWISH iPEOPLE OF COLUMBUS AND viciNITY
W. S.S.
AND AiCTORY
VOt. 1
COLUMBUS, OHIO, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.3, 1918.
No. 19
SAMUELMASON DESCRIBES AWFUL SUFFERING OF RUSSIAN REFUGES
Special Commissioner of Hebrew Sheltering nnd Immigrant So¬ ciety Submits Report of His Six Months Labor at Harbin and Vladivostock.
Describes  Relief Work  Among 20,000  Russian  Refugees Have Been Compelled to Travel Thousands of Miles to Escape the Enemy.
Who
¦JERUSALEM'S RABBIS
WELFARE WORKERS DO
SHOPPING FOli SOLDIERS,—;—;----^-r--;'-^ cut in sunder the bars
Needlesand pins, razorblades!DO.HOMAGETO ENGLAND of iron.    And I ^^ill give you and   candy,  buttqn, and  tooth-j '    _^ ; the treasures of darkness and
Sepher Torah in Silver Casket; the . hidden   riches    of   secret
Presented lo General Allenby     places,  and  then  thou   niayest
by Zionist Organization. j^„^v^ ^^^y j- the Lord, which
calls thee
In a report to the director of the Hebrew Sheltering and Im-
' migrant-TAW-Society, !JVIr. Samuel Mason, who went to Japan and
Russia as f^pecial commissioner for the organization, tell the story
of the terrible hardships endured by Jewish war refugees from
Russia. , The report describes the havoc the war has caused among
-the six million Jews of Russia.'   Driven by the invading armies,
the Jews have been compelled to flee from their homes; tens of
¦   thousands have traveled thousands' of miles amidst the greatest
hardships to escape the enemy.   Over 20,000 Jewish war refugees
^ ai-e scattered east of the Urals.
The relief organized by the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society of America came none too soon. The work is only in its inception, but what has been accomplished thus far shows that American Jewry must make strenuous endeavors to rescue these war refugees, the vast ma.iority of them women and child¬ ren from the jaws of death. .
Mr. Mason Arrived in Yokohama on January 1.   From that day until July 5, when he left to return to New York for the purpose of reporting Upon this work and discussing the needs of the '   future, his whole time was occupied in organizing relief agencies in Yokohama, Harbin, Valdivostock, Tokyo, Kobe and Nagassaki. ' The reslilt of the work is embodied in the report to the board of
directors of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid. Society ¦«- of America, now made public by Mr. John L. Bernstein, the pres¬
ident.
Among'the refugees were one hundred and six non-Jews, Poles, Slavs, Armenians, Syrians and Persians. It goe3 without saying that they received every care. As previously stated, more than ,20,000 refugees- are scattered east of the Urals. This' is a con¬ servative estimate. Driven by the enemy, thousands of miles from their homes, they went eastward in their flight,^ because their nearest of Jcin are in the United States. They, too, are stranded, but their position is made more precarious by a hostile regime, < augemented by the setting loose of thousa^nds of German vi^ar
prisoners, who look upon the Jewish victims as the easiest prey for exercising their ill-concealed desire for vengeance upon their ene- *5. mies.   Thus the plight of the 8,000 Jewish refugees from Kowna
and Suwalke Gubernias now in Tomsk was,for a time indescrib¬ able,, owing to the persecution of the' ionier German .prisoners, whom the Bolsheviki permitted to administer and control that city. n
The condition at Vladivostock is deplprable, the main trouble there is with the male refugees who are not given any assistance by the local community. Says Mr. Mason: "They are actually picking up crumbs of bread wherever they can find them and they sleep in any shed they can- find along the railroad tracks. Their • number is very large. , In the course of my investigation in Vlad¬ ivostock I came across several hundreds at the raijroad station at ~i o'qlock one morning. Their pitiful pleas and the recital of their .   horrible plight nearly broke my heart.
From the vei*y inception of the work, even before Mr. Mason 'Palled for the Far East, the United States Government evinced a ^   ' deep interest in the fate of the refugees, and "ha^ it not been for,
the broad humanitarianism that actuates the administration in Washington, our efforts," Mr. Mason reports, "might have been frustrated at the very outset. War conditions made it necessary for the promulgation of a new policy in regard to the visa'of alien passports and the American Consuls in Japan naturally had-to guide themselves accordingly. However, due to your prompt ' action in advising the State Department of the character of our work and thanks to the thorough comprehension of that ,work by our Government officials, some of the greatest' difficulties Were overcome after the State Department had issued special instruc¬ tions to the American Consuls at Harbin, Vladivostock, Kobe and Yokohama relative to the passports of women and children—war j-efugees—who are destined to male relatives in the United States. The consuls not only followed the letter of the modified instruc¬ tions of the State Department, but they evidenced too a willing- 1 ¦* ness to reflect the liberal spirit of President Wilson's administra¬
tion. , Having satisfied themselves as to the worthiness and the I eligibility of the applicant, they promptly visaed the passport.
PRESIDENT WESON'S NEW YEAR'S "^ GREETING TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE
The celebration  of the New i Palestine of a national home for
paste—all these make up the shipping list of the man in uni' form. When the soldier needs them—-he rieeds them badly, and he just can't wait until he gets leave of absence to go shopping. The men at the barracks of the University of Pittsbui-gh Train¬ ing Detachment had a long stony hillrclimb into town, and their
.... ¦     - '    .- ¦    ¦       I
shipping lists grew in length and urgency, until the Field Repre¬ sentative of the Jewish Welfare Board .initiated the shopping service. Evei'y morning at re¬ veille, he takes their orders. At the community center a group of women, who drive their own cars, ai'e waiting. The shopping lists are handed to them and at noon mess, the Jewi-sh Welfare representative is able to dis¬ tribute the purchased articles.
This plan has proven so suc¬ cessful at Pittsburg, that other
Dr. Chaim Weilfcman, Head of ""'«^"*^'^ ^^ "''^"^^ '^"^ ^^^ ^"^^
Zionist Administrative Com-   ;of Israel; for Jacob, my serv-
mission. Makes Presenta-      ifint's sake and Israel mine elect.
tion Address. I have raised him iip in right-
¦ ¦~.—"" eousness, and I will direct all
General Allenby, liberator of
w„, ...ea. .n piec.,:t>,e .ates .jioFFENSIVE ADVERTISING ORDERED
STOPPED BY CHARLES M. SCHWAB
Eniergency Fleet Corporation Heads Take Action After Disscrimi-
nating, Adviertisement is Brought to Their Attentiori
by Louis MarshaU.
Palestine ,was the contral figure of a unique event, when he paid an official' visit to the Jewish community of Jerusalem, and re^ ceived a small Sepher Torah (scroll of the law) in a silver, casket from Dr. Chaim Weitz-j man, head of the Jewish Admin
his ways; he shaU build my city and he shall let go my captives'." General Allenby replied: "It is with humility, as well as with pride, that I I'eceive this beauti^ ful gift.   This city in which we
President of American Jewish Committee Secures Complete Satis¬ faction From Charles M. Schwab, Who Reprimands Offender Severely.
Through the efl'ort^ of Mr. Louis Marshall, president of the
American Jewish Committee, an advertisement published in the
New York Times, very offensive to the Jewish people, has been
stand is the fountain and origin i stopped and the author severely reprimanded.   The advertisement
of  the  great  religions- of  the I which was in.serted in the name of the U. S. Shipping Board, 115
I world.    Though we are of dif-' Broadway contained  the word  "Christian."    The iriatter was
istrative Commission, who made' ^^^.^j^^ faiths, ' our creeds all {brought to Mr. Marshall'si attention, by Mr. Louis Wiley of the the presentation on behalf of the ^^^.-^^^ y^.^^ ^^^ ^.^^^ source, i "Times" and was then taken up with Mr. Bainbridge Colby of the Zionist organization. ^^^^ ^^jg g^.^.^^^ ^y j^^^^, j^ ^^ ^^^^,^^, u, g. shipping Board-
The Jewish  quarter was  en ^^ ^^ .^^ ^^ ^^^ . j ^^^^y, ^^^J     jj, ^ letter to Mr. Colby, July 25,.Mr. Marshall said in part: fete, and a guard of honor com
you. 'i Dr. Weitzman, and
Jewish Welfare Board branches i in the Bokharan section, where
posed of Jewish boy scouts m, ^^y,^,^^^ f^^. ^^^,^, gjf<-
blue and white costumes escort-1^^, ^j^^ for the.kind words you
ed him-to the prmcipal mansion ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^    j ^g^^^^ .y
a pride and a privilege to have
you. Chief      "This is a matter of vital importance.   It cannot be blinked or
I thank disposed or by the ordinary platitudes.    Mr. Hudson will, of
course asseverate that he meant no harm and that "some of his
best friends are "Hebrews."   Nor will a rosewater reprimand fit
such a disregard of the very genius of American institutions.   Not
and women volunteers through-1 the presentation occurred. The; ^^^^ ^^^^ y^ do-what I have done,! because of any desire for infficting punishment, but for the Sake •out the country are planning to; chief Rabbi of Ashkenasic and j ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^, ^.^j^ jj^,y ^.j^^ y^ ^y example and the establishment of a necessary precedent, this ^^'^«^<^"P-' jSephardic   communities.  Rabbi' .^^^ satisfaction and delight of!
In the evening when the "mo-lNachum and Rabbi Lli.iahu, de-,^,i .y^ inhabitants, and I wish vies" and soda fountains of the,livered stirring addresses whichi^^^,  ^,j  progpeHtv  and  happi-l city  are tempting, the  Jewish ! made a profound impression on! '
offense should be followed by a dismissal from the public service of the offender, and the public should be informed of the reason.
Welfare Board provides free General Allenby, especially since auto service for the soldiers, AI these two religious leaders had squad of motor cars travel from I been chosen to be the spokesmen
ness.
the barracks into the city, and hundreds of boys are transport¬ ed each evening.
CALL TO GREATER SERVICE SOUNDED
of the Jewish community.
"Your Excellency, the Jewish community of Jerusalem, the crown and the glory of: the world's cities, has charged me.
Mr. Colby's reply follows:
August 8, 1918. Dea!r Mr. Marshall:
When your letter of July 25 was received I referred it to the Director General of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, Mr. Charles M. Schwba, who in a letter received yesterday advises me that the Members of the British and' iT^atter is receiving his personal attention, and that I may be as- Canadian recruiting mission and I •''ured of a definite report on the subject.   Just as soon as I am told members of the Zionist Organ- what actiofi has been or is proposed to be taken, I shalj be glad to
ZIONIST RECRUITS MAY BE
ALLOWED LAND TO
SETTLE ON
as one of its oldest Rabbis, to bid \ ization of the United States had! write your .further, you welcome to Jerusalem and'luncheon  together at the  City-
Jewish   Welfare   Board
Rosh Hashonah Message to ^ American Jewry.
Expresses  Fervent, Hope  That
New  Year  May  Dawn  on
American Triumphanl.r
A call to greater patriotic service was sounded by the Jew¬ ish Welfare Board in a Rosh Ha-* shonah message to its commun¬ ity   branches   throughout   thfe
to express to you its warm re- Sends gard for the great British peo¬ ple whose mighty and victorious army your .Excellency conti- mands" ' said Rabbi Nachum. "For the Jewish people—the vic¬ tory of England is a-victory of
Faithfully yours,
BAINBRIDGE COLBY,
, Commissioner.
Club and discussed means for| (Signed)
recruiting   the   Jewish bx-igade,
now  fighting with the British \
army under General Allenby in I ;viy dear Mr. Marshall: '       -
Palestine.     Two   battalions al-|     xhe Emergency Fleet Corporation has sent a'circular to its
August 23, 1918.
ready   have   been   recruited   in! New York and vicinity.   The re-.i
humanity and the' means of its cruits are sent first to Canada
progress along- the I'oad. of free¬ dom, ' Therefore, as one of the most persecuted of peoples, which is yearning for a life of
country and to all-the'Jew§ ojf j its own, the Jewish people eager- America,
for   preliminary   training   and l then to England for thfe finishing before going to the Holy Land,    \ It is understood between these! recruits and the British govern-;
Year by the Jewish people hats been given unusjial importance by the jfollowing communication from President Wilson.
"The White House, .
"Washington, "August 31, 1918. "My dear Rabbi Wise:
"I have watched with, deep and* sincere interest the recon¬ structive work which the Weiz¬ mann Commission has done in Palestine at the instance of the British Government, and I wel¬ come an oppoHunity to express the satisfaction I have felt in the progress of the Zionist movement in the United States and in the allied countries since the decla,ration by Mr. Balfour on behalf of the British Govern¬ ment, of Great Britain's ap¬ proval of the establishment in
the Jewish people, and his prom¬ ise that the British Government would use its best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of that object, with the understand¬ ing that nothing would be done to prejudice the civil and relig¬ ious rights of non-Jewish peo¬ ple in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by the Jews in other countries.
"I think that all Americana will be deeply moved by the re¬ port that even in this time of stress the Weizmann Commis¬ sion has been [able to lay the foundatioh of the Hebrew Uni¬ versity at' Jerusalem with the promise that bears of spiritual rebirth.
"Cordially    and    sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON.'
Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year, coming this year on September .7th and 8th found the Jewish youths under arms in France and in this country. This most solemn of Jewish re¬ ligious observances this year as¬ sumed greater significance. Spe¬ cial services were held by the Jewish Welfare IJoard in .'the camps and naval training sta¬ tions throughout the country for men who 'were unable to avail themselves of the three day fur¬ lough granted by the War and Isfavy Departments. The com¬ munity branches provided hos¬ pitality and services for men on leave.
The following greeting ex¬ pressed the sentiment of all Am¬ erican Jewry r
! "On the occasion of the New Year, the Jewish Welfare Board extends warm holiday greetings to the Jews,'of Anierica.so gen¬ erously sharing with it the lab¬ ors of a great task.   ,    ;'
."This .Board sincerely wishes Qur people the fruits of a happy and prosperous., year. In this hour of national trial, howe-v^r, its profound trust is that bieyond material blessings, the year that is being born will vouchsafe to them the zeal, and strength, and Resolution to coritinue to per¬ form well the office of patriot¬ ism.
"With fresh comprehension of our duty and with renewed de¬ termination to play a worthy part in the natiqnal purpose, may we not hope that the dawn of another year Will rise on America triumphant?
"In loyal devotion to the un¬ derstanding of serving the fight¬ ing forces of pur country, may American .Jewry find abundant happiness duHng the coming year!"  .'        ¦'',
\y awaits the day when the Eng-1 ment, when the war is over, they lish people will come but of the i may remain in Palestine, if they
various department heads, of which I send you a copy. From this it appears that there can be no'mistaking the disapproval with which the corporation looks upon any intrusion of a religious test in the selection of its employes. I beg also to include a copy of Mr. Schwab's letter to me on the subject, I sent him your letter, which had his careful (Consideration,
. Yours faithfully (Signed) ., BAINBRIDGE COLBY,
Commissioner.
world upheaval with the crown of victory on Its head • and the charter of freedom for enslaved peoples in its hands. In the ¦name of my brethren whom I represent, I offer you hearty greetings. Success attend your arms, may 'your work prosper and bring glory to our people which has reposed its trust in you. And may the words of our Prophet" Ezekiel be fulfilled: 'In the mountain and on the height of Israel will I plant; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and be a goodly cheer and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing, in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell'."
Rabbi Elijahu spoke as fol¬ lows: "Your Excellency, in the name of the community of Jews, whose fortune it has been to re¬ turn and settle in the Holy City of Jerusalem^ our beloved city, I have the honor to extend to your Excellency, a heartfelt wel¬ come. Providence, whose ways are.the best arid know no crook¬ edness, has choosen the mighty and magnificent British people to be the savior of pieoples and the herald of freedom to the na¬ tions, and has choosen you one of its noblest sons to proclaim the message of liberty from the heights of Zion's mountains — those mountains at which the same message was proclaimed thousands of.years ago by the Prophets of Israel, the seers of God. I rejoice on this happy oc¬ casion of your Excellency's visit to Jerusalem to express those feelings of love and affection to- W.ards the great English nation which have long been a tradition of the Jewish people. In. the words of our Prophet Ii^aiah spoken in the name of God, *I
choose, take up land, and make l'    Fpllowing is Mr. Schwab's letter to Mr. Colby:
new homes for themselves in the i ^y dear Mr. Colby:        '    /   ^ ^
ancient land of their fatliei-s. So i    Referring again to your letter of August 2, and also to yours of
far the" recruiting has been done among those who would not be taken in the United States draft.^ It was -the opinion of those who atteftded the luncheon that noth¬ ing should be done that might interfere v\rith filling the United States army under the prospec¬ tive new draft lawj
ALEX. BRIN BECOMES EDITOR OF THE BOSTON JEWISH   ADVOCATE
Mr. Alexander Br in, for the past fourteen months associate editor of the Boston Jewish Ad¬ vocate, has becpme editor and controlling owner, to succeed Mr, Jacob de Haas, who was editor since 1908.
lyir. Brin is president of the new co'Hipany, known as the Ad¬ vocate Publishing Company. The other officers are J^mes D, Glunts, treasurer; Morris D. Waldman, James Solomon, Leon Strauss, Miss Lina H. Franken-
August 7, and returning herewith letter from Mr'. Louis Marshall of the law firm, of Guggenheimer, UntQrmyer & Marshall, dated July 25, regarding an adveivtisement of an objectionable character which was placed in the New York Times.
As promised you in my letter of August 5, I have had this mat¬ ter thoroughly investigated and beg leave to make the following report:
This advertisement was placed in the New York Times by a clerk in charge of the files in our New York office, without the knowledge or approval of our district supervisor, although it was called to hijs attention later.
In a vast organization like ours, it is sometimes difficult to pre¬ vent occurrences .of this kind, bu/t it may be stated to Mr. Marshall in most positive terms that this is not the policy of the corpora-. tion, as no recognition whatever of religious' principles is con- sidei'ed in the employment of our people. The person' placing this advertisement has been severely reprimanded and positive instructions issued to prevent a recurrence.
Mr. Marshall suggests that the person who inserted the adver¬ tisement be discharged and a statement published as to why this nischarge was .made. In view of tie fact,'however, that the person who placed this advertisement is a woman, it seems to me that if we give Mr, Mairshall'pur assurance that the incident willnot occur again, he should feel satisfied to let the'matter rest as it is. While I agree vvith you that her action was thoughtless, I believe a discharge in this particular case wpuld be too severe an, action.   ,    ¦ - i
In this connection, I am attaching copy of a mertiorandqm issued to the heads of all departments by Vice-President Coonley under
stein and Alexander B.xun, direc¬ tors.    The company is capital- date of July 26, calling spceial attention to ,the fact that religious
principles ai'e to haye no bearing whatever in the making of ap-
ized at $50,000.
Mr. Brin reported the Frank case for the Boston traveler in 1915. ¦ He began his newspaper career as reporter for the Traveler before it consolidated with the Herald. He later re- pbrted for the Boston Journal and still later for the Boston Post and also for the Boston American. At the time of the famous Bellis case he edited a special section for the latter pub¬ lication.
Before becoming assbciaite editor of the Jewish Advocate, Mr. Brin successfully managed arid   edited   the   Cosmopolitan
pointments.
I trust this will enable you to adju.st the matter to the satisfac¬ tion of all concerned.
If you wish, however, I shall be pleased to see Mr. Marshall, on the subject. ,  ' ,   ' ' •,'.'
Very truly yours.
(Signed)
1
C, M. SCHWAB, Director General.
Press Syndicate, tie was cor¬ respondent for the Jewish Com¬ ment, Baltimore; the American Hebrew, New York, and a num¬ ber ot secular and non-secular dailies and .weeklies for whom he wrote regular and special feature articles.'.
V When Justice Brandeis was at the head of the New England Jewish Relief Committee, Mr. Brin served as its publicity man¬ aged. During the campaign of the Federated Jewish Charities he served as secretary of the "Wind-np" Committee.
f^
¥--¦