PAGE FOUR
THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Great War Aid Given by Jews
issues before the American peuple to
get their appros al. During the early
ears of the war both the German ra-
It was gratifying to read in the daily press of the past week a state-
tio nand the Allied powers pleaded
(continued From Page 1.)
Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Puhlishing Co.. Inc.
ment issued at \Vashington showing the great Jewish participation in
their cause in .Ninerica, and when the
the war. The outstanding facts in the \Vashington report arc, first of land tonight. God alone knows how sentiment of the .American people
JOSEPH J. CUMMINS
many orphans and widows wander finally was directed in its full force
President all, that the files
the American Jewish Committee show at the present through the bleak, desolate streets in
against Germany, the German cause
NATHAN J. GOULD -
-
Secretary-Treasurer
time 120,000 Jewish soldiers in the army and navy and that the Com- the foreign lands.
was doomed, even while the Germ a n
Organized
Protest.
branches
of
armies Were winning victories on the
Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Postoffice at Detroit, mittee expects to bring this total up to ',!00,000 men in all
are here to protest against battlefield of Europe.
"
\Ve
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
the service. Secondly', that there were more Jewish men in the Nlarint.
this barbarism, against this injustice.
.
Justice
Corps than there were in the Quartermaster's Department or in the Today three million Jews in the
"We make
appeal
all .Nineri-
Navy. These figures are astounding When. we -realize that the Jewish United States are protesting to Presi-
cans in the interest of justice and in
population of this country is approximately f1 t•r cent while the statis- dent NVilson and through him to the the interest of humanity. NVe make
Telephone Cherry 3381
powers at the l'eace Conference. \\le
tics show that the Jew s furnished ii per cent of the actual lighting men
want to awaken the American press. this appeal as erect, free men who in
the United States and everywhere else
Subscription, in advance
$2.00 per year in our army and navy.
to remind them that oar IWITIC who
It would be well for all Jews to bear these facts in mind, for the have made such inestimable contribu- have (lone our full duty during the
four terrible years just ended. \\'e
To insure publication, all correspondence and news matter must reach non - Jewish population is all too prone after each war to hurl into the tions to culture and art and commerce
should be given equal justice with all have earned the right to speak to
this office by Tuesday evening of each week.
teeth of the Jews the accusation that they have been u n patriotic and
America, and we are safe in punting
people of the earth."
RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN
Editorial Contributor have shunned their rightful share of lighting. Of course, we know that Charles C. Simons Thrills Audience. our trust. faith and confidence in the
fairmindedness and justice of the
Charles
Simons,
former
State
we do not shun and that we gladly assume more than our rightful pro-
Hon.
Senator, who followed Rabbi Aishish- American people."
Protest Meetings.
MICHIGAN'S JEWISH HOME PUBLICATION
or
OFFICES, BOOK BUILDING
portion of burden in trying our utmost to aid our country in times of
peace or in times of stress but we must not be hesitant in letting the
world know that the Jews—especially in this great \Vorld \Var—have
beyond doubt done full quota of service and have given complete meas-
ure of sacrifice in the struggle for democracy over the tyrannous rule
of autocracy. .‘ges to come shall read our record with pride and shall
Few are the chapters in the tragic history of the Jew that are so full point to it with a sense of satisfaction and joy.
of sorrow as those which have been written in the blood and the tears
of Jewish martyrs during the period of the war. Beside the sufferings
of the Jews in practically every country of war-stricken Europe, those
The Safety First movement inaugurated this week deserves our
of other peoples well nigh pale into insignificance; It is, we believe, no
exaggeration to say that even the woes of stricken Belgium are not earnest and respectful consideration. When we look back over the
greater, perhaps not even as great as those of the millions of Jews in number of accidents which officials tell us total 7)(100 for the last year,
Poland; in Roumania; and in Galicia—to say nothing of those uncounted we readily understand the necessity fur just such a movement. The
hundreds of thousands of our co-religionists in Russia of whose fate in difficulties of transportation in Detroit are notorious throughout the
country and it is to be expected that a certain number of accidents will
these times we dare not even dream.
normally happen through the year. Indeed, it is easily conceivable that
Nor has the situation of the Jew since the declaration of the armistice there are accidents which for one reason or another cannot be avoided.
been appreciably bettered. From neutral sources come to us constantly But the great majority of accidents occurring are entirely unnecessary
reports of massacres and pogroms of the Jews. And even hearts of and could be prevented with a little intelligence and carefulness on the
stone would bleed at the reports of the Jews' suffering brought by the tart of those who injure and those who are injured.
representatives of the Joint Distribution Committee and published in
It is our observation that in many instances pedestrians are greatly
detail in the Jewish press.
responsible for the harm that comes to them on the city streets, There
are those who rush across thoroughfares without proper caution. There
But the surprising and startling fact about this situation is that except
are those who permit their children to play in the streets, jumping on
through the medium of the Jewish press, practically no publicity is given
to the fate of the Jew at this time. At best, one finds in some out-of-the- moving vehicles and dashing in front of them. For those who do these
things, it is not surprising that accidents should happen to them, and
way corner of our great newspapers an inconspicuous article of a few
while we must do our share in seeing to it t h at reckless drivers of
lines telling of the massacre of thousands of Jews. Even the recent
vehicles are properly punished for their carelessness and for the danger
pogrom at Pinkst was not given as much prominence in most of the daily
newspapers as would have been given to some street brawl that might in which they place the public at large, We souse Inn (011(1e11111 them alone.
While we are trying to teach them to practice caution in driving, we
have occurred anywhere in Detroit,
must educate the public to be more careful in using the streets.
Now, what is the actuating cause for the public press to deal in such
We believe that the recent bill passed in the Legislature licensing all
The Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on subiects of interest to
the Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorsement of the
views expressed by the writers.
The Public Press and the Jew
Safety First
niggardly fashion with matters that are vital to the very existence of
millions of Jest's in the world, many of whom,have offered their all upon
the altar of human freedom in the great World War?
Can it be—as has been fremwmtly hinted—especially as relating to
the Jew in Poland, that the newspapers of this country arc to such an
extent obligated to the Polish propagandists that they dare not speak out
the truth? We hate to believe that such a condition can possibly exist
in this time and country.
Or is the vaunted humanity of Christendom which the war is sup-
posed to have deepened and intensified, of such delicate fibre that it
breaks when it touches the Jew?
Or is it possible that in the minds of those who shape the policies of
our great newspapers the Jew is of such small concern in the modern
world that whether he lives or dies is of such little interest to the vast
majority as to be without news value?
kin, delivered a thrilling address. giv-
ing a vivid and impassioned picture of
1 stricken,
existing
conditions in the
101 '-11 1 t 5, is my purpose oil this program,
said ND. Simons, "to interpret in
some small way to the English-
speaking people in this audience, and
through them to the general public, a
little of the great sorrow that wells
in the hearts of all Jewry today. In
one sense it is impossible to fully ex-
press the deep pain and anguish which
is in the hearts of all those who have
relatives and kinsmen ill any of the
lands in which Jewish massacres and
Jewish persecutions have prevailed
during the last few months.
"Today has been set apart by you
and by the other Jewish people
throughout the United States as a
day of sorrow and of protest, a day
of prayer—sorrow for the innocent
victims of murder and pillage in Po-
land and Ukrania and Roumania and
other lands. But it is it (lay not only
of sorrow, but a (lay of righteous pro-
test against the injustice and indiffer-
ence which in an enlightened age can
permit the atrocities that we can but
vaguely realize.
Day of Prayer.
"Today is a day of prayer, too,—
prayer to the Lord of Hosts to stir
the conscience of enlightened peoples.
to appeal to the indignation and sense
of justice of righteous nations, and to
move to action all those who love
humanity and believe in justice every-
where throughout the world.
"This great audience of grief-strick-
drivers of automobiles will have the desired effect ill giving a weapon ell Jews is composed, I know, mainly
by which the courts and the police may deprive an irresponsible and of those who have come to America
reckless person from driving on our city streets, and through it undoubt- with an abiding faith in the soundness
edly many accidents will be averted. We must not let the Safety First of American institutions, with a love
for .Nmerican ideals and with a trust-
campaign be a mere formal thing in this city. It must assume a deep ing confidence in the fairmindedness
to
exist-
n
and kindliness of the American pen-
and meaningful significance because the facts which called it i
ence merit a determined resolution to prevent, in so far as possible, all ;de. You have placed yourselves and
your future and the (inure of your
accidents and to make our streets not only safe for drivers but also for
children trustingly in the lap of
pedestrians. Children must be taught by their parents that they risk America.
their lives when they pass in front of moving machines and when they
"But you are tied by cords of sym-
try to "steal rides," and adults must learn that streets should not be pathy. by ties of a common ancestry.
of a CO111171011 faith. Your hearts are
crossed except at corners and not then until they have ascertained by
bleeding for emir unfortunate breth-
looking up and down that it is perfectly safe for them to cross. We ren that you left behind in war-torn
believe that all right-minded people, both those who ride and those who and devastated Europe. You must
walk, will do their utmost to make the Safety First campaign not an ery out our grief your pain and your
anger that all the world may hear.
affair of a month but one which Will for all time lease its impress upon You must
give voire to protest.
the 'midi(' so that at the close of the next year we may read with satis- must express your sorrow and indig-
faction that because of the awakened sense of caution and of respect nation that all the world may hear.
Or is it thinkable in this twentieth century and in free America, that
Appeal to Sentiment.
for human welfare accidents have been reduced as far as it is humanly
the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Jews and their constant
"IVe in this audience and the Jew-
ish people elsewhere throughout the
spoliation makes no such impression upon the minds of the newspaper possible to lower them.
United States have not the !tower to
writers as would the murder of a similar number of non-Jews?
We know how column after column was devoted day after day—as
it should have been—in our great newspapers, to the Armenian outrages.
\\'e know how Belgium's fate was given unceasing publicity in every
great American newspaper. We know how every outrage committed in
these last years against any pe(ple by our Teutqn enemies has been
heralded in the columns of the press so that this American people might
fully sense the inhumanity that dictated such cruelty.
But the Jew has suffered as perhaps no other people in the world has
suffered, and the matter has been dismissed in a few lines. There has
been practically' no protest through the editorial columns of our great
papers. The rights of Poland have been exploited on every possible
occasion—editorially, and in the news columns—but what of the Jews
of Poland who have been trodden under foot again and again and in
behalf of whom no Christian voice has yet been raised? These are
questions the public press of America must face and answer. It does
not seem consonant with the spirit of America that the public press—the
greatest opinion making agency in all the world—should be silent when
the woes of millions of Jewish men, women and children who have never
failed or flagged in their duty to humanity, cry out fur a hearing at the
door of public opinion.
JACOB DE HAAS SPEAKS
(continued From Page 1.)
at the Itynai Britt luncheon on his ob-
servations at the l'eace Conference
Mr. De Haas said: " \Vhen the his-
tory of the Peace Conference is writ-
ten ill detail the world will know that
the Jew played a tremendous part in
the world gathering," said Mr. De
Haas. "There were practically no
delegations that did not have Jews
on its staff or seek the counsel of a
Jew. NN'hile there were no Jew's on
the 'Big Four' or 'Big Six,' with the
exception of Baron Sonnino, of Italy,
who is partly JeWish by birth, Jewish
experts of economics, commercial af-
fairs, social conditions. etc., held high
positions in the inner councils of
every national group.
Valuable Advisors.
"The Jew was found peculiarly ca-
Jews Are
Double Your Membership
world had exjerienced a great awak-
enisg through the war, that they had
developed a new consciousness Which
was intensely Jewish, not merely re-
ligious, but national. The fact that
over 1,000,000 Jewish lives had been
sacrificed in the war for the cause of
a better world had intensified and
justified this desire for equal recog-
nition and self-expression.
Oppose Plans to Forbid
Meetings of Aliens.
NEW YORK.—The Federation of
Galician and Bukowinian Jews in Amer-
ica has sent a letter to Mr. Moran,
president of the board of aldermen, pro-
testing against the proposed ordinance,
forbidding meetings of non-citizens, and
prohibiting the use of foreign languages
at meetings in New York.
pable to clarify many of the national
problems that arose between tlw di-
verse groups. Before the war the dis-
tinctions that separated the Lithuan-
ians. the Livonians, the Ukrainians,
the Clizeko-Slovaks, the Jugo-Slays
and the other small groups were very
little known. The Jew, by reason of
his linguistic ability and his studious
nature, was found to be admirably
conversant with the 111111W facts that
so confused the average statesman.
There Weft. Jews Ohl every important
sent through Europe.
COMIlliSSiOn
The .Nmerican Food Administration,
under Herbert Hoover, contained
among its most active members many
Jews, one of them it young American
officer who headed the commission to
Into! by education and by character, by enthusiasm and by interest, must
The pulpit, too, must become increasingly virile and courageous. Its
message must be forceful and timely. It must touch life at every point
and not content itself with dealing in generalities. A "Double Your
.letilliership Campaign" is very well in its way but something must be
done by the congregations themselves to maintain the interest of the
people, once it has been awakened.
•
Three
Phases
of "Jewish Question."
The Jewish question resolved it-
self into three divisions, said 11r.
De Haas, namely, the subject of Pal-
estine, the "equal rights" for the
Jew in ever land, and "national
rights" in those countries in which
the Jew was an integral part.
In the matter of "Jewish equal
rights" and "Jewish national rights"
it was hoped that clauses covering
these important provisions would be-
come . a part of the separate treaties
which will be made every national
Jewish Statistics in
War.
To emphasize our right to an an-
peal to American sentiment, Mr. Si-
mons related some interesting statis-
tics of the Jewish soldier during the
war.
"User 2.00,009
Jewish boys
served in the United States army and
navy during the past two years:" Mr.
Simons declared. "Already 400 of
these boys have received citations for
unusual bravery upon the field of bat-
tle and 10,15111 have shed their blood
and laid down their lives in the cause
of humanity at the call of America,
furnishing 5 per cent of the total
army, although they represent but .1
per cent of the population.
entity.
A
Great Jewish Awakening.
Mr. De Haas stated that it was very
evident that the Jews throughout the
OWN A HOME
SAVE RENT
SECURE COMFORT
For the Wife and Kiddies
iamo
ttocif,
further
"Resolved. That a copy of these
resolutions be forwarded to the Con-
gress of the United States, through
the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tis es."
At the conclusion of the meeting
the iimItitude stood in a body While
Rabbi Blinn read a prayer for the dead.
The people then dispersed quietly. .A
tnarked and unusual orderliness for 0
mass meeting of this kind was evi-
denced throughout the afternoon.
The ushers at the meeting were all
issue an ultimatum to the nations of rewisli boys in uniform who served
Europe that these massacres should during the war.
Shaarey Zedek Meeting.
cease. \\'e cannot send an army or
navy to the nations of Europe and
Hundreds of Jew s, refused ailm;s-
rescue oppressed Jews from brutalized sion to Arcadia hall, gathered at the
soldiery,
Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, where an
"Our only appeal." said Mr. Simons. overflow meeting was held.
"is an appeal to public sentiment and
Rabbi Hershman. who addressed
to the conscience of the world. And the meeting. declared that he had
we have earned the right to appeal to received advice , Monday night that
the world's sentiment and to the another horrible massarre took place
world consciousness. During the last at Chitomir, Poland, Saturday, and
four years the Jewish soldier has that 2,1100 Jews were killed.
fought bravely on every front and tin-
"Under a pretext of sonmessing
der every flag to which he owed alle- bolshevisin." said Rabbi Hershman.
giance, and we in this city of Detroit "the vengeance of the Polish army in
and in this country have earned the Lithuania is being directed against
right to appeal to the public senti- the Jews, while the real Bolshevists
ment of the American oeonle."
are being allowed to escape.
In this letter. the Galician Federation
says that it has about 250 branches
where l'iddish is used at the meetings.
The Union of .\inerican I lebrew Congregations through its Depart-
The proposed ordinance would make it
ment of Synagog and School Extension has inaugurated a country-wide
impossible for these societies to continue
campaign to double the membership of congregations affiliated with
their activities. The letter assures that
the Union. In many communities such a campaign aggressively carried
these societies are no less patriotic be-
Appeal to Public Opinion.
" \\*hen we make this appeal to
cause they are using Yiddish at their
on under the auspices of a national organization will unquestionably
meetings. As a matter of fact, the Fed- American public opinion." continued
result in good.
eration, speaking (nt behalf of all these MI r. Simons, "We are calling to aid
societies at the beginning of the war the mightiest force that today moves
'flue results of a study of the proportion of Jews non-affiliated with
declared its loyalty to America and in a in all the world. American public
synagogues throughout the country would unquestionably he Startling to
telegram to the president assured hint opinion, the public sentiment of a
those not familiar with the fact that less than 4o per cent of the Jews
of the support of all Galician and Buko- free, righteous and a justice-loving
winian Jews of America in the war people is able to do more and has
of this country are identified with religion , organizations of anv kind.
against the Central powers. In this pro- (lone more in checking the poisons of
It should therefore not he a very difficult task to double the enrollment
test it is also pointed out that in the Enrope than all the armies of Europe
in most of our existing synagogues.
Galician quarter there are many voters put ttgeth
whose anger it does not pay to arouse
"I cannot exaggerate the influence
110WeVer, What need,: to he illlpreSSell 111 ■ 011 people is that the mere Roumania."
by passing such foolish and harmful iol .Nmerican public opinion. Every
payment of dues does not constitute one ' s whole obligation as a member
Mr. De llaas stated that the Amer- ordinances. ostensibly for the purpose Illation of Europe and every cause in
of a religious organization. \Vhat our congregations need, if they ;ire ican Jews attending the conference of preventing the spread of Bolshevism. Europe has placed its purposes and
were treated with every courtesy by
to live and not merely exis't, is the whole-hearted moral support of the
every delegation and all showed a
people whose names appear upon their roster of membership. The lack hearty spirit of co-operation in the
of interest in the congregation is unquestionably' due in many instances solution of Jewish problems with (tile
to the narrow policies of the congregations themselves. Our synagogues exception—the Poles. This group dill
not seem to evince any desire to ne-
--as has frequently been pointed out in these columns—need above all gotiate on any reasonable basis with
eke to he democratized. \Vealth must not control them. Nlen who are the Jewish delegations.
be given places of leadership.
Resolutions Read.
The text of II r. Simons' speech Was
amplified in Yiddish for the sake of
those in the audience who did not
fully understand him by Joseph Chagy
and Mr. J. Krattkofsky. At the con-
clusion of Mr. Kraukofsky's address.
Mr. Simons read a hastily-drawn-up
set of resolutions conned from the
various sets submitted which embod-
ied the formal protest to be submit-
ted to President 1Vilson.
The resolutions adopted follow':
" \Vhereas, Certain reports convey
the information that organized po-
groms against Jews take place in
Poland, Roumania and Bessarabia,
and that these outbreaks are precur-
sors of a series of anti-Jewish massa-
cres contemplated again on a large
scale: and.
"NN'hereas, Such brutal and unwar-
ranted treatment of Jews violates ev-
ery elementary known as right, out-
rage our moral sense and challenge
our .American spirit of fair play;
therefore be it
"Resolved, it' this mass conven-
tion of more than 3,1)18) people, assene
bled ill Arcadia, representing 70,11011
Jews in Detroit, that it protest
against these massacres, and that we
request our government to use its
good offices to stop them now., and
to prevent their recurrence; and be it
"Resolved, That President NVilson
and the peace conference be requested
to take such steps as shall provide to
the Jewish inhabitants of l'oland,
Roumania and Bessarabia enforce-
able guarantees of full civil, religious,
political and such other rights as are
enjoyed by the other inhabitants of
these countries: that a copy of these
resolutions he forwarded to President
NVilson and the .Ninerican peace dele-
gates through the State Department.
and that we respectfully request the
State Department to convey the con-
these resolutions to the ex-
tents
the it
isting Polish government.
NIITIED
" \\'hen Premier Pailerewski was
asked to take steps against the perse-
cution be at first denied its existence,
but later admitted that the condition
of the Jew in Poland was precarious.
Ile has done nothing to stop the
butcheries.
Judge Jeffries Speaks.
"NN'llen America learns the truth we
know she will intervene to save the
Jews from destruction. America
knows the Jess as a citizen who has
done his full duty to his country in
time of peace as well as in war."
fudge Jeffries was one of the speak-
ers at the Shaarey %edrk . Rabbi Sam-
uel S. Mayerberg addressed the Te-
pie Beth El gathering. Parade plans
were canceled as being out of sym-
pathy with the spirit of the gathering.
All Jewish plaCei of business were
closed NVednesday afternoon. All fac-
tories and stores allowed their Jewish
employes a half-holiday to permit
their attending the protest meeting.
Bernard L. Sheintag, of New York
City, has been appointed chief coun-
sel to the New fork State - Industrial
Commission at an annual salary of
1$7,000. Mr. Sheintag was assistant
counsel to the State Factory Investiga-
tion Commission from 1911 to 1915.
OWN A HOME
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(=141171:117:1CS