The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
LOT OF THE JEWS IN RUSSIA.
ANDREW u. WHITES PICTURE or
EXISTING CONDITIONS.
II Was Drawn in 1898. hut Is Sttll Accurate
--AbJect PO,ert, Common Among the
Hebrews In Decentralization Denied
Thcn,-AnSwcr to Charge OF Csury.


Thcnl-AnSwcr to Charge OF tsury
WASHINGTON, May 23.-In a report made
to the STATE Department lin 1908, Dr. An
drew d. White, The Minister at st. Peters
burg. reviewed the situation OF tho Jews
in Russia in a manner 30 thorough and in
teri sting that the report has come to be
recognized az the best exposition OF the
subject that has ever been written To the
knowld ge OF this Government. Despite
the fact that il is ten years old, 1t Is apph-
cable to the conditions prevailing in Russia
to-day, and ia of particular interest IN con-
lsction with the massacres and p'rsecu-
lions of lsraelitss in B ssarabia.
According to DR. Whit, there were, when
lie wrote, five million Jews in Russia
forming It was estimated. more than half
of the entire Hebrew race These were
hacked together in the cities and villages
Of what was formerly Poland and the adja-
cent political divisions, in a belt extending
along the western border OF Russia from
northwest to southeast. but drawn back
from the frontier about forty miles under
the alleged noct ssity imposed by the ten
denotes Of the lsraelitts In that region 10
conduct smuggling operations.
In other parts Of the Empire they were
allowed 10 r. side only Az a matter OF eS-
CeptionaI favor DR. White says that this
ALE g.d favor, under the more kindly reign
Of Alexander IL. grandfather of the pr s.
ent Gar, was largely developed and ma
tur,d into u sort of quasi right In the case
of certain class g, such as lsraelites, who
had been admitted to the learned profess
eions. or had taken university degree.
or had received TIM, rights of merchants
or ,he fru, or s,oo,d ,r;ld raving th,
~ '"' ''o' W ~ N",'' 49, '"' "e
easy lees rsul.,'" r,;.s susi' cas-, .as aso A
lowed to reside in certain towns outside
the Jewish pale. but their privileges were
very uncertain liable ,o revocation at any
.,.' 49,, w. NV, T., ,,.;a,
time, ana III recent Feafs-'h"t H. PRIOR
to lSa3-had been greatly diminished. Be
sides this certain Israeltes were allowed
NV snecial normi,s m reside "a clerks in
s.o t,,;.,,.s b., ,,rSau 49, ,,,o.,
euiiol! ee.apiish'i'e'''e' ou' ''''1e' '''' "''S'
uncertain tenure
The treatment OF the israeiltes' whe' her
entirely unon anv one ukase or statute:
49,, ~ ';i ~. ~ ~, zoo, ;,,na,, 80
.he'e are s.i. 70 Nc W INV sae' iuiise VI
Wv, y. aws " lhs npiie lnoie '''nn III, one
~, ~ a sita nnu tie ,em.
W len nes,,'es n',iu'ieia ,, ieuit,
or,I
,,a, arsI a, ",,I na ionai' tar,an6 MI ,,
sesai' s!Eoal' enc, io,ni IL, ming euoi :,
$3.50 No GO" =, ~ Lila, e' l., ~, a ia
ie.s c4ii "a "na' ile Jaw 90 "loM
nave any e.r'al' AIo"'eeee 81 h's ''s.'e'
~ ,nor ao. s,ra,co ,h.. o,v nation
may appear slranse ina any Id Ion
s..ouiu w.sll 70 eIlS's peopIe W., ~ otiI'
laf.s OF tne "orIo ne We ains sses 81 inu.n
rsetion Of pe them e IN ' Russia are wsealy
lev even IN coIiiof'n h ciicGi's.a mees
ne vast nle Jorlty OF mem aye III Poverty
a s,.st very col,sioetaoae paie u, 'hise'!-
jus. on inc oorrer OF etar9 tion.
! White was an atache OF the American
tteeatl9n at ot fetelsouIg. Az ina. uine
ne ne made Journey ~ post coach between
o. tetersburS ana Warsaw ana saw much
OF me Jews OF that region.
,o Even the best OF them, ne say ,o were
men treated WIN conteIhpt py the loWes'
or the pure Russians. l myself saw two
lsraelites, evidently OF the weather. class
ana rlchly clad' VINO hao ventured unto
the enclosure IN Itoht OF the posi- nouss
20 look AZ the coach 10 Shien was lasn ,e
WIN coach wmp ana driven out o. tne
enclosure WITH blows by one OF the Posu'-
Serl.
very lew muuohalre IsTaeiltes are 20
n I've 1ou l;,i among me mercnahts OF tne ,
hrst guild IN some OF the larger c'tles, put
men among them as IN the United states
Great Britain, France and Germany In
the smaller towns, in some OF which they
form the majority OF the residents. their
poverty is so ablect that they drag each |
other down, making frequently a runous
competition with each other In such branches
OF business as they are allowed to pursue.
This is now even more the case than
ever before, since recent regulations have
swept the lsraetes living In many rural
districts into the towns.
The restrictions are BY no means con-
fined to residence; they extend into every
field OF activity. Even 10 the parts OF the
Empire where the lsraelites are most Tree
they are not allowed TO hold property IN
land, or to take mortgage on land, or to
farm land. and OF late they have even been,
TO large extent. prevented from living en-
farms, and have been thrown back into the
cities and villages.
Perhaps the most painful OF the re-
strictlons upon them is in regard to the
education OF their children: The world
over. as 10 well known, Israelites will make
sacrifices to educate their SONS and
daughters, such as are not mace, save in
exceptional cases by any other people
They are, as Is universally recognized,
a very gifted rare, but no matter how gifted
young Israelite may be his chances Of
In regions where they are most numer-
out. only 10 per cent. OF the scholars in
high schools and universities are allowed