2
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
Or
ary circumstances, is so immense
that it throws its reflex on every
province of social activity. Says
Dr. Lee K. Frankel : "The prob-
lem of Jewish charitable societies
of the United States today is the
problem of the care of the immi-
grant. . As such it passes beyond
merely local lines. In some of its
manifestations it is national in
character, and in few it has an in-
ternational significance." In our
present social institutions there
is neither foresight, planning, ad-
justment, nor is there a vigorous
idea, the motive power, as it were,
that \\'0111(1 generate a quickening
revelation.
Now, this is the crux of the
whole matter—the facilities to
handle a large immigration have
nut been provided. It is a com-
plex matter, but certain aspects of
it and certain methods by which
it can be attained arc very definite
and simple, and it is these \\itll
which we must first of all be con-
cerned. I shall at present discuss
in brief the advisability of the es-
tablishment of an immigrant
bank, which, by the way, is not
the outcome of a chance idea or a
fugitive thought, but the result of
a studied effort in the field of so-
cial amelioration. '1 he sugges-
tion of the establishment of such
an institution raises, I believe,
several salient points which seem
to admit of useful discussion. Its
present usefulness, and particular-
ly its value as a means of prepared-
ness to meet any future contin-
gencies that may arise .after the
European conflict, accelerating,
as it certainly must, the rolling
stream of immigration under the
weight of economic pressure,
should invite painstaking and ex-
pert discussion.
Such an institution, while hav-
ing a large radius of activity,
should aim to accomplish the fol-
lowing results:
1. To encourage the immigrant
to invest his money in legitimate
enterprises and to keep him away
from fraudulent schemers.
2. To educate him to a higher
standard of thrift, and thus act-
ually increase the working capital
of the immigrant class.
3. To make the deposits earn
as large an interest sum as would
be consistent with reasonable se-
curity. This point must he insis-
ted upon if we have to advocate
such an institution as a part of an
educational scheme. In propor-
tion as the saving power is weak,
should the pecuniary inducement
to save . be high.
4. TO educate him to the eco-
nomic value of banking institu-
tions and to the important part
which the bank plays in maintain-
ing the prosperity of the business
world.
5. To make credit more acces-
sible to the small man, who is too
often hampered by a foreign lan-
guage and bizaw business meth-
ods.
6. To facilitate the safe trans-
mitting of money to ovcrsca
countries and to encourage the
more .intelligent contingent of
immigrants to engage in export
and import by giving out in the
respective foreign tongues useful
and reliable information, such as
extracts from United States con-
sular reports, pertinent news
items bearing on the commerce
of the sundry countries„ etc.
7. To initiate and maintain a
propaganda of useful information
of an economic, civic and social
character, thus relieving the new-
comer from much unnescesary
strain and anxiety, at the same
time contributing to his civic de-
velopment and material well-be-
•
ing.
well
aware
that to
am very
advocate and explain banking to
a Jewish audience is, to say the
least, like carrying coal to New-
castle. I would, however, invite
expert opinion to indicate on what
legal and financial basis such an
enterprise should be launched
without impairing its significance
as a popular agency.
"lhe problem of Jewish immi-
gration should be placed in charge
of an expert body of the highest
kind, capable of patience and de-
tachment from prejudice, in order
to formulate all the facts and pur-
poses the practical solution as to
the type of the new organization;
to be brought into being, how and
where to distribute the newcom-
ers, the way by which similar
European agencies may be util-
ized, etc. 'Io our leading Jews
the conviction should be brought
home that material wealth and
knowledge must be harnessed to
great use of the Jewish people,
that it constitutes responsibility,
and, consequently, must serve.
The problem before us is im-
mense, but there should be no
room for despondency. We must
put our trust in the new Jewish
solidarity, in the growing realiza-
tion of the reciprocial obligations
of the Jewish people and bear in
mind that every difficulty in the
line of a people is a challenge.
These are the dynamic forces
pushing the imagination, stirring
the wills of men. And where
there is a vision the people cannot
perish.
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"The Salim Corner"
BRITISH JEWRY UNITES.
National Union Formed to Se-
cure Rights Where Now
Denied.
From London, under date of
March 12, comes the informa-
tion that in order to unite all the
forces in the Anglo-Jewish com-
munity in a movement to secure
the rights of Jews after the war,
THREE RARE COMMOD-
the National Union for Jewish
ITIES.
Rights has been formed. It
held its first meeting on the 12th.
When peace was to he nego- Lucien Wolf said that through
tiated between Russia and Japan, the triumph of the Allies great
the representative of the latter transfers of territories would
country said he was willing to take place and that these would
waive all claims for indemnity, involve the fate of large aggre-
if Russia could furnish three ar- gations of Jewish people.
ticles, a government's official,
The union demanded equal
who had never taken any bribe, rights with its members' fellow-
a pope who never was drunk, citizens in all countries in which
and a Jew who never had been they might be living after the
beaten up. In spite of the most war. Israel Zangwill said he al-
diligent search, it had been pro- ways thought they might get a
ven impossible to find an official piece of Canada or a piece of
who never was 'corrupted. After Australia. The Premiers of dif-
long search, however, a pope was ferent colonies were in London
found who never was known to now, and perhaps it might be
have been drunk, and a Jew who possible to make a bargain with
never had been assaulted. Both some of them to give the Jews
the land free.
were taken on board of a ship and
England was the country,
sent to Portsmouth, N. H., in
Zangwill
said, that would have
the expectation that Japan might
the
say
at
the close of the war,
be satisfied with the fulfillment
and upon England, therefore, fell
of two conditions instead of
the responsibility of doing its ut-
three. On board the ship, how- most for the Jews of the world.
ever, the pope got drunk and If England got Palestine, Zang-
beat the Jew, and so the whole will hoped a Jewish governor
scheme fell through.
would be appointed.
It has just been made known
that the Yiddish lagnuage was
practically interdicted by the
Austrian censor for the past six
months. During all this time, no
Yiddish letters are permitted to
pass through the mails and no
.Yiddish paper was allowed to be
issued.
The Warsaw Yiddish papers
arc carrying on a propaganda
against the designation of Jar-
gon . for the Yiddish language.
They urge that in all government
circulars and in the press, the
word to designate the language
spoken by nearly one-half of the
world's Jewry and having an ex-
tensive literature, should be
known as Yiddish and not as Jar-
gon.
From the Vienna Juedische
Korrespondenz we cull the fol-
lowing: "What is the difference
between Pharaoh and the czar?"
"Pharaoh was given the Makkes
(plagues) first and then he sent
the children of Israel out of his
land. The czar, however, first
sent the children of Israel out
of his land and then he received
his Makkes."
A few months ago the muni-
cipality of Novotcherkask decid-
ed to appeal to the government
to allow Jews to reside in the
Don district, which is under the
control of the military. The au-
thorities, however, stopped the
petition. The municipality was,
however, determined to make it-
self heard and has accordingly
resolved to appeal to the senate
to forward the petition.