The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-30
A GRAND SCHEME.
How Baron Hirsch Proposes to Rescue the
Jews of Russia.

| Jews OF Russia
We have not yet obtained from Russia
| the full official details of the very great
scheme recently laid before the Gar by
Baron de Hirsch for the organized exodus
of the whole body of his Jewish subjects,
numbering more than 100000. There
have, been semi-oficial reports printed in
| st. Petersburg that the scheme has re-
ceived the approval of the Gar, and that
| it will be executed in systematic way,
according to orders promulgated under
his authority. Its execution is to be
| commenced as soon as the necessary ar
rangements therefor are made, and is to
extend over period of twenty five years.
| 1t is said that the exodus of this year
| will be limited to 10000 souls, that it
will be greatly increased next year, after
the business of transportation and settle
ment has been regulated, and it will be
enlarged each suggestive year until all
| the Jews in Russia are removed there
from. It is further reported that this
unprecedented exodus will be under the
direction of the Ministry of the Interior
and a Jewish Committee chosen by
Baron de Hirsch; that the Government
will not incur any pecnniary RESPONSE
| bility ON account of the exodus, and
| that the Jewish Committee must keep
| 100000 roubles always on deposit in the
Russian treasury to cover any expenses
| to which the imperial officials may be
| subjected in its behalf.
| The projects one of SURPRISING magni-
tude and of an extraordinary character.
| 1t is of importance not only to Russia,
| but to other countries.
The exodus of the Jewish people from
Russia will be of larger proportions than
| the exodus of the same race from Egypt
$500 years ago. 1t will be a Jewish mi
grafton greater that which took place in
| the early period of the Christian era, and
| far greater than that which took place
| 400 years ago, when the Jews were ex-
PEELED from Spain.
In the eyes of the Jews the Gar of
Russia is the modern Pharaoh and the
millionaire Baron de Hirsch, is the COM
ing Moses.
About one-half of all the Jews in the
world are under the Government of the
Gear, and they are compelled to reside
in certain specified regions of the terri
tory over which he rules; a large portion
of them have dwelt for ages in Poland.
By some Russian statisticians, the num-
Der of Jews under the Gear is put as high
as 5000, 900, or even higher; but perhaps,
if we take into account the number that
have been expelled within recent years,
the whole body now left there may be
under 100000.
| We are not informed whether Baron
| de Hirsh, who has carried on the negotia-
lions with Russia for the exodus, and
| who is reported to have declared his
| willingness to expend $100,000,000 for
| the benefit of his Russian co-religionists,
has yet completed his arrangements for
| their settlement in other countries.
From the fact, however, that he has ,pur-
chased broad tracts of land in the Argen-
tine Republic, and other tracts in South
Africa, and has disbursad great sums of
money for the service of Jewish immi-
grants to the United States, it may be
presumed that his purpose is not to con-
eentrate the whole body of Russian Jews
in any one country, but to divide them
among several widely separated coun-
tries of the world, directing them especi-
ally to those countries in which they will
be Hospitality received, and in which
they have the best assurance that they
| will possess those rights and secure that
success which they are especially de-
sirous of.
The organized exodus of 100000 Jews
from Russia to foreign lands is to be be-,
gun this very year, if we can give credit
to the semi-official publication in the
press of St. Petersburg. It will be an
exodus unlike that from Egypt, unlike
any other Jewish migration since the
time of Abraham, who migrated from
Ur to Canaan.
Baron de Hirsch is man of organizing
genius, man of prodigious wealth, and
a philanthropist. In CONJUNCTION with
odus as Pharaoh opposed the Mosaic ex-
odus, he may yet do great things for the
unhappy Jews of Russia.-New York