THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

PAGE EIGHT

THE DESTRUCTION OF
JEWISH TRADE IN POLAND

CLEAN UP and PAINT UP

BY DR. JOSEPH TANNENBAUM

Poland is a rich country. God has: sessions, the soil, have risen enor-
endowed the Polish soil with great mously in value, while the worth of
natural riches which make possible a money has fallen very low. It is the
magnificent development. Yet, the peasant who is now rich—and the
economic position of the country is Jew who is poor. And anti-Semites
difficult enough, because, itt general. incite the rich against the poor. The
Polish production and trade are still role of middleman between the city
in a transitory state. They are not and village, long occupied by the Jew,
adapted as yet to the modern, large is disappearing. What should the
scale, capitalistic forms. Formerly, Jews do now? Their industry is
when Poland was, part of Russia, ruined. With the paper money which
where industry and trade stood at an is almost valueless no merchandise
even lower level, she could send her can be imported, and without goods
products there. Against the compe- no commerce is possible.
tition of other lands she was well
Such is the real situation, although
able to hold her ground, since no many Jews are still engaged in com-
tariff was levied upon her products. merce and some have even become
The boundary between Poland and rich. These are only singular and
Russia was free and open.
temporary phenomena that have no

Now'
the
situation
is entirely
changed, and the new state will have
to compete with neighbors who are
much more powerful economically
than she and better developed. Po-
land will now be compelled to rival
German, Czecho-Slovakian and Aus-
trian industry, all of which are or-
ganized for the East-European mar-
ket. If Poland wishes to be the vic-
tor in this struggle, if she wants to
remain economically and politically
independent, if she desires not to fall
under the sway of German capitalism
she has only one recourse; to give
the Jews economic freedom. The
Jews have created Polish industry
and trade; they arc the pioneers and
chief workers in this field; and they
will also make Poland victorious in
competition with her neighbors, if
the Poles cease persecuting them.
Poland may become a paradise for
all, when it will cease to be a hell
for the Jews.
Thirteen per cent of the population
of Poland is Jewish; of Galicia-11
per cent. Statistics of these two
lands show that the majority of the
Jews were engaged in trade. Of the
871,804 Jews who lived in Galicia in
1910, 462,004 earned their livelihood
through commerce.

Moreover, the statistics for the
sante year show that GO per cent of
the whole trade of Galicia was in
Jewish hands and only 40 per cent
in the hands of the other peoples
who inhabited the province. Both
figures adequately show the impor-
tant role played by the Jews in mite
economic life of the land.
In the last few years before the
war it was attempted to drive out
the Jews from the commerce of the
country. Special co-operatives were
established for the peasants, and
specific laws enacted such as the Ale-
house Law, directed against the Jew-
ish merchants. They did not have a
general effect, however. The number
of Jew ish trailers did not decrease;
they merely became even more con-
centrated than before in a few com-
mercial branches and overfilled these.
Then came the war which brought
a catastrophe upon Jewish trade.
Seeking to safeguard the country
against hunger and the profiteers, the
government took over all trade. She
did not consider the human experi-
ences of many centuries, and admin-
istrators who were not business turn
and knew nothing of commerce were
pm ill charge of the exchange and dis-
tribution of commodities. As a re-
sult the country was not saved from
hunger, and the prices of food prod-
ucts and clothing did not remain
normal, but soared to the highest
possible stage.
These high prices were not official
The government did not recognize
them: they were beyond the law'.
There was created an illegal, illegiti-
mate trade—the so-called "Schleich-
Handel."
At the market of the "Schleich-
Handel" everything could be pro-
cored if the high price was paid. All
took part in it, not excluding the
Jews.
Anti-Semites insist that the Jews
and the Jews only were and are
guilty in the "Schleich-Handel." This
, charge is as absurd as it is false. The
Jews are just as much the victims of
this "order" as the other sections of
the population. Often the Jews are
the only ones to suffer through it.
But all sections have a share in the
trade. Its origin is not a Jew ish one.
It begins with the land owner and
peasant. therefore—not Jews. These
sell their food products to private
persons at very high prices, which is
contruy to the law, and so the com-
modities often pass through a num-
ber of hands before reaching the
Jewish petty merchant. And if the
pate' does become active and seek
these "criminals," who is it that is
arrested and branded before the
w hole community ?--t he Jewish small
merchant. of course. But the first
culprits, the landholders and peas-
ants, are never punished. neither do
they lose their extorted profits. The
money remains in their pockets.
So it continues to this day. Conl-
on rev is still controlled by the gov-
ernment. For the smallest business
a permit from the government is nec -
essary. The Polish anti-Semitic bu-
reaucracy now has the means of per-
secuting the Jewish trailer, and the
Jewish merchants of Galicia are dis-
turbed in their initiative and enthusi-
asm for useful activity. But this is
not the only catastrophe which has
overwhelmed the Jewish businessman
in Galicia.
Still other momentous causes op-
pose the revival of Jew ish trade after
the world conflagration. Before the
war the Jew was financially better off
than the peasant. Regardless of the
boycott 1110venlelit, the co-operatives,
and the so-called self-aid societies,
the peasant still came to the Jewish
trader, because the Jew offered hint
better goods more cheaply, and again
the peasant could buy front him on
credit. These conditions enabled the
Jewish merchant to hold out against
the boycott movement and similar
organs that were directed against
him.
Now the situation is quite changed
The peasant has been enriched by
the war. His debts were easily paid
Ile needs no more credit. His pos-

14 Points
of Cleanliness

1. CLEAN UP

2. PAINT UP

3. SWEEP UP

significance for the general condition.

4. RAKE UP

There are hardly any goods in the
land. The country is flooded with
paper money whose value is constant-
ly dropping day after day. The fewer
commodities in the country, the less
worth has the money. And the in-
dustry of the region is as yet incapa-
ble of production. So it becomes
clear that however great may be the
profit made through a business
transaction at the time of the sale, it
soon dwindles into a loss, because
the money received for the article has
dropped in value during the inter-,
mittent period.

5. SCRUB UP

6. SHINE UP

7. SPADE UP

8. SCREEN UP

9. CHEER UP

And the number of "happy" pos-
sessors of even this worthless money
is insignificant in comparison with
the terrible poverty of the great
masses.

10.DRESS UP

p

Cleanliness is essential to health — stagnant
water breeds mosquitos — mosquitos convey
malaria —dump piles breed Ilies—flies carry
disease germs — so keep your garbage cans
covered and see that your neighbor does the
same.

Your duty in this campaign is to wage a relent-
less, unyielding war on dirt—no matter where
you see it — clean your home — your yard —
make everything spick and span.

Your co- operation is needed to make this
campaign a success.

11.BUILD U1

Ilow to aid the Jewish petty liter-
chant of Galicia is a most perplexing
problem. We hope to consider this
problem in a second article. Mean-
while, we simply wish to establish
that Jewish commerce is now under-
going the heaviest crisis in Poland in
general, and particularly in Galicia.
It is in a life and death struggle for
its existence, which deserves the sup-
port of all Jewry.

Dr. Tmi nrnhawu ia I he author o f ser-
er al scot ks
on
Polish Jewish economic
lit e.
Ile has been the delegate of the
Galician J ews to the l'aris Peace Con.
Terence. At Present he is our guest as a
r of the Commission sent here by
the Gaticianl ens.—The Editor.

ut- into practice the 14 points of cleanli-
ness and make Detroit a clean city.
Detroit needs a clean up just as much as
the . individual home — particularly after the
very severe winter we have just experienced.
Vacant lots should be put in order and all ob-
jectionable piles of refuse removed—it is plainly
YOUR DUTY to help.

12.GLAZE UP

13.FIX UP and

The Big Week

c May 11-22 Inclusive

14.KEEP IT UP

Under the Auspices of
DETROIT BOARD OF COMMERCE

•

ANNOUNCEMENT

Pennsylvania Passenger Service Starts
In Detroit, Sunday, May 23rd, 1920

Union Depot--Third and Fort Streets

The Pennsylvania System announces' hat on and after
Sunday, May 23rd, it will operate its own trains between
Detroit, Pittsbur ffh and the East on the following schedules:

Departing

Arriving

Morning Train No. 128

L.. Detroit
Ar. Toledo
Ar. Pittsburgh
Ar. Baltimore
Ar. Washington

10:45 A.M.(C. T.)EQUIPMENT
12:35 P.M. (C. T.) Coaches—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
8:50 P.M.(E. T.) Parlor Car—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
7:15 A.M.( E. T.) Sleeping Car—Detroit•Washington.
8:40 A.M.( E. T.) Cafe Diner—Detroit-Pittsburgh.

Noon Train No. 117

L,. Pittsburgh ....12:15 P.M. (E. T.) EQUIPMENT
Ar. Toledo
_ 6:05 P. M. (C. T.) Coaches—Pittsburgh-Detroit.
Ar. Detroit
8:05 P.M. (C. T.) Parlor Car—Pittsburgh-Detroit.
Cafe Diner—Pittsburgh-Detroit.

Midday Train No. 1450

1:00 P.M.( C. T.) EQUIPMENT
Lv. Detroit
2:50 P.M. (C. T.) Coaches—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
Ar. Toledo
10:55 P.M.( E. T.)
Parlor Car—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
Ar. Pittsburgh
8:18 A.M. E. T.) Sleeping Car—Detroit-Washington.
Ar. Baltimore
9:28 A.M. ( E. T.) Sleeping Car—Detroit-New York.
Ar. Washington
Ar. North Philadelphia 7:29 A.M.(E. T.) Dining C•r—Mansfield•Pittsburgh,
9:30 A.M.(E. T.)
Ar. New York

Evening Train No. 1405

Lv. New York . . 11:04 A.M. (E. T.) EQUIPMENT
Lv. Philadelphia
1:11 P.M.(E. T.) Coacher—Pittsburgh-Detroit.
Lv. Washington .. 11A0 A.M. (E. T.) Sleeping Cars—Washington•Detroit.
L.. Baltimore
1:00 P.M.( E. T.)
Sleeping Cars—Philadelphia•Detroit.
Lv. Pittsburgh
. . 10:10 P.M.(E. T.)
Ar. Toledo
5:00 A.M.(C. T.)
Ar. Detroit
%iv(
7:00 A.M.(C. T.)

Night Train No. 126

Le. Detroit

Ar. Toledo

kr. Pittsburgh

10:00 P.M. (C. T.)EQUIPMENT
Coaches—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
11:50 P.M. (C. T.)
Sleeping Cars—Detroit-Pittsburgh.
8:15 A.M.(E. T.) Dining Car—M•nsfield•Pittsburgh.

ii

Late Night Train No. 127

Lv. Pittsburgh
Ar. Toledo
Ar. Detroit

11:30 P.M.(E. T.) EQUIPMENT
5:30 A.M.(C. T.) Coaches—Pittsburgh-Detroit.
JO A.M.(C, T.) Sleeping Cars—Pittsburgh-Detroit.

All trains arrive at and depart from

Union Depot, Third and Fort Streets

Central Standard Time

Tickets and information can be obtained from Agents, Union Depot or Consolidated Ticket Office

Pennsylvania System