Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-28
JEWS IN RUSSIA.
Their Lot Described by Andrew
D. White.
An Interesting Report on File in
Washington.
Their AFFECT Poverty and Lack of Cp
portunities.

DR.. Andrew d. White, the minister at
st. Petersburg, reviewed the situation
of the Jews in Russia in a manner so
thorough ami interesting that the re-
port has come. to be recognized as the
best exposition of the subject that has
ever been written to the knowledge of
this government. Despite the fact that
it is ten years old, it is applicable to
the conditions prevailing in Russia to-
day, and is of particular interest in
connection with the massacres and per-
secutiOns of Israeites in Bessarabia.
According to DR.. White there We're,
when he wrote, five million Jews in
Russia, forming, it was estimated, more
than half of the entire Hebrew race.
These were packed together in the
cities and villages of what was form
crly Poland and the adjacent political
divisions, in a belt extending along the
western border of Russia from north
west to southeast, but drawn back from
the frontier about forty miles under
the alleged necessity imposed by me
tendencies of the Israelites in that re-
gion to conduct smuggling operations.
In other parts of the empire they
We're allowed to reside only as a mat
ter of exceptional favor. DR.. White
says that this alleged favor, under the
more kindly reign of Alexander H.,
grandfather of the present Gar, was
largely developed and matured into Il
sort of quasi right in the case of GER
tain classes, such as Israelites, who
had been admitted to the learned pro-
fessions, or had taken a university de-
gree or had received the rights of mer-
chants of the first or second guild pay
ing the heavy fees required in such
cases.
Certain skilled artisans We're also al
lowed to reside in certain towns out
side the Jewish pale, but their priv
ileges were very uncertain, liable to
revocation at any time, and in recent
years-that is, prior to 1S93-had been
greatly diminished. Besides this, Ger
tain Israelites were allowed by special
permits to reside as clerks in sundry
establishments but under the most I'M
certain tenure.
The treatment of the Israeltes,
whether good or evil" wrote DR.. White,
lis not based entirely upon any one
ukase or statute; there are said to be
in the vast jungle of the laws of this
empire more than one thousand de-
besides innumerable circulars, open or
secret, regulations, instructions, extern
\ sons, and temporary arrangements.
general special, and local. forming such
a tangled growth that probably no hu
man being can say what the law as Il
whole is-lenst of al can Il Jew in any
province have any certain knowledge
of his rights.
n ~
ton should wish to expel people who
in other parts of the world have
anassed so much wealth. The fact is
that but very small fraction of them
in Russia are wealthy; few even in
comfortable circumstances. The vast
majority of them are in poverty and
Il very considerable part in misery
Just on the border of starvation
Forty years before the report was
written DR.. White was an attache of
the American legation at st. Peters
burg. At that time he made a journey
bv post coach between St Petersburg
and Warsaw and saw much of the
Jews of that region.
EVEN the best of them" he says,
.wcre then treated with contempt by
the lowest of the pure Russians I
the weather. class and richly clad, who
had venturcd into the enclosure in
front of the post house to look ut the
coach in which | was, dashed with Il
coach whip and driven out of the en-
closure with blows by one of the pos
tillions- evidently a serf.
"A very few millionaire Israclitcs are
10 be found among the merchants of the
4 to- Of ha lnp of 10
but there is no ~'-~h proportion of
wealthy men among them as in the
United States. Great Britain. France
and Germany. In the smaller towns,
in some of which they fern the ma jor-
itv of the residents, their poverty is so
abject that they drag each other down,
making frequently q ruinous Competi-
ton with each other i'll such branches
of business as they are allowed to pur-
sue.
This is now even more the case than
ever before. since recent regulations
have swept the ISraeltes living in
many rural districts into the towns
The restrictions are by no means
confined to residence: they extend into
every field of activity. Even in the
parts of the empire where the Israel
ties are most Tree IneE are ilot li-
lowed to hold property in land. or to
take a mortgage on land, or to farm
land, and of late they have even been
to large extent. prevented from liv-
ing on farms, and have been thrown
back into the cities and villages.
Perhaps the most painful Of the re-
strictions upon them is in regard to the
education of their children. The world
over. as is we'll known. Israelites will
make sacrifices to educate their sons
and daughters. such as are not made,
save in exceptional cases. by any other
people. They are, as is universally
recognized, a very gifted race, but no
matter how gifted a young 1sraelite
may be his chances of receiving an ed
ucation are small.
IN regions where they are most
numerous. only 10 per cent. of the schol-
ars in high schools and universities are
allowed to be Jews, but in many eases
the number allowed them is but 5 per
cent. and in st. Petersburg and Mos
COW only 3 per cent. Out of seventy
five young Israelites who applied for
IN IF