The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-02

Secretary of Treasury Foster yesterday
sent the following interesting letter to Simon
Wolf, chairman, and Lewis Abraham, secre-
tary, of the Union of American Hebrew Con-
gregations:
GENTLEMEN: / beg leave to acknowledge
receipt of your communication of the 9th
ultimo with its Enclosures as stated.
You call my attention to the bitter hardship
suffered by many thousands of Hebrews by
reason of their foreible expulsion from their
homes in the Russian Empire, and you state
among other things that there is no organiza-
ton in the United States, which assists or
encourages destitute Hebrew refugees to come
to this country; that you deplore this form of
immigration; that the efforts OF the several
Hebrew societies represented by you are con-
fined to ameliorating the condition of these
unhappy people after their arrival at Ameri-
can ports by relieving those in distress and
aiding all to avoid massing in the seaboard
cities and to distribute themselves to widely
separated localities, where they may as soon
as possible become self-sustaining. You state
that you have no complaint to make in con-
nection with the official treatment of refugees
who have already arrived, and that you do
not apprehend any future cause for complaint
in this regard; but you urge the consideration
that practically enforced immigration of this
nature cannot be classed as ''assisted'' immi-
grafton within the meaning Of our laws and
finally you declare the readiness of the people
and associations for whom you speak give
to the Government in all cases a satisfactory
bond guaranteeing that none of these refugee
immigrants shall become public charge.
Be assured, gentlemen, that l fully concur
in your estimate of the magnitude of the
present calamity which has befallen so many
of your race, as well as in your hope that an
early mitigation or cessation of the current
measures of expulsion may render unneces-
sarY any general migration Of Russian He
brews to America or elsewhere. Unquestion-
ably great and sudden influx of expatriated
and destitute aliens of any race would be
grave misfortune to any country, and Ameri-
can Hebrews act both patriotically and
humanely when they advise Jewish refugees
against coming hither, but at the same time
endeavor to render self-supporting those who
finally come. Obviously the support of great
numbers OF dependent persons is tax upon
the resources of the countro, even though
paid from private funds, and, quite as
plainly, industrial conditions here might be
seriously disturbed by the sudden arrival and
the enforced competition of a multitude of
needy people.
Hence it is important to the last degree that
the volume of this expected refugee immigra-
tion be not excessive or threatening, and that,
with entire certainty,it be promptly and widely
distributed, so as to supply real want in
scattering communities, and interfere as little
as possible with existing and normal indus
trial conditions The apparent scope and
thoroughness of your plans for securing this
immediate and wide distribution of the ex-
pected refugees are most gratifying, and upon
the success OF your associations in carrying
out these plans will largely depend the possi-
bility of the Government meeting your views
in other respects.
While the immigration laws of the United
States must and will be enforced, agree with
you that those laws were never enacted in
derogation OF the plain requirements of hu-
manity, and no worthy immigrant, who in all
other respects meets the demands of our stat
utes should be excluded from the country
because, through the action of Others he is
Tor the time being homeless and without prop
erty
shall rely upon your voluntary assurance
that you will actively urge upon your brethren
in Europe the attitude of our laws toward
assisted immigration. / also beg to remind
you that any tendency abroad to defect
toward this country the movement of desti-
tute refugees, or to stimulate their migration
hither. would be distinctly hostile to the
spirit manifested in your letter, and to the
spirit in which the Government of the United
States desires to treat this difficult and deli
cate problem.
Thanking you for your expressions of con
fdence that this Department, while executing
the immigration laws efficiently, will also
execute them humanely, am,
Respectfully yours,
CHARLES FOSTER, Secretary.
RUssIA's POLICY TOWARD THE JEWS.
Copyright by Associated Press.
BERLIN, Aug. Ia fresh decision of the
Russian Government concerning its polio,
toward the Jews debars the children of He
brews not having the right of sojourn in Rus
sia, or the residents of any Russian district
without a permit, from admission to th
middle and higher schools. The Moro
Vremlya to-day, in announcing that this orde
will take effect at the commencement of tn
next scholastic year. praises the regulation a
assisting to reduce the Jews to their natura
social level. The influx of Jewish emigrant
into Germany is rapidly abating This 1
ion. Hundreds of these emigrants have beer
sent back to Russia on the ground that the
had fraudulent passports, or that they did no
possess means to proceed to their destination
Ontsida of Gernnanu