Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-18
MUST BE FAIR TO RUSSIA
National President Deprecates Hasty
Criticism for Jewish
Massacre.

NEW HAVEN, Conn, May 17.-During
the course of the days proceedings at the
annual convention of district No. 1, Inde-
pendent Order of B'nai Birth, subscrip-
tions were called for to aid the Kischinen
sufferers and more than 5000 was secured
among the delegates, about 14O of whom
were present
President j. B. Plein presented a state
ment to the meeting by National President
Leon N. Levi of New York concerning the
Kischineff affair. The statement from
President Levi was as follows:
The recent massacre of Jews at Kisch-
inen has aroused great excitement, and
as usual when excitement prevails, errors
of lasting influence are likely. To the end
Jewish
ton, may not hereafter be embarrassed or
crippled in its usefulness by mistakes in
this crisis, | beg, through you, to lay
before the subordinate lodges the following
facts and considerations:
When the massacre was first reported
the executive committee, through one of
Its members, Samuel Woln, applied to our
government for an ofiicial report OF the
event, containing a list of victims, a state-
ment of the relief required and the manner
In which 1t could be afforded without Civ
state cabled for such a report and fur
nished a copy of the cable received from
Ambassador Mccormick at st. Petersburg
''it is authoritatively denied that there is
any want or suffering among Jews In
unnecessary. While the spirit in which IL
is made is appreciated, 1t Is gratefully de-
clined."
1t will be seen that this is contrary to
newspaper reports; the Russian government
does not deny the outrages perpetrated 1t
is further to be remembered that an official
report of the massacre has been published
by the Russian authorities, according to
Moreover we must not overlook the order
of the car to his officers to suppress and
punish any outbreaks against the Jews.
Petersburg has been misinformed as to
affairs in Bessarabia, but after making all
allowances for the Russian view of the
Jewish question, we must not concIlISs
| that the government is in sympathy with
| the murders disorders and pillage simply
because the victims are Jews. 1t is not
fair to execrate the government OF Russia
because Of the murderous brutality of a
to treat with disdain any Criticisms snUfsf tbat z
| are directed against II. II Is not likely 10
| justice, when 1t Is coupled with denuncia-
| tion.
The situation demands permanent as well
/ as immediate relief. Let us be careful 10
not render the latter impossible.
Cash Already Arranged.
The immediate relief required by the suf-
| ferers will be supplied from funds already
provided and now being raised by other
| Organizations, committees and individuais.
| Each member Of the order as an individual
| will determine for himself whether and
| how much to contribute in that direction
, The certain result OF the unsettled state
| OF aftairs In southwestern Russia will b.
l OF increasing immigration of Jews TO the
| United States. To aid them TO independ-
| ence along lines now considered practice bie
| will. be the duty Of the order as long ne
| that immigration continues IL will prob
! ably be for years. The lodges should
/ gravely consider this aspect OF the prob
| lem and in addition to strengthening the
| hands OF the executive committee by Civ
| ing Il moral support should raise money
| to be used locally for the relief OF refugees
| who may come or be sent to their respec-
| tive localities
| All the Jews IN Russia, however, cannot
! or will not immigrate Their status there
| Will always present a grave problem. Their
| fate will depend finally upon the ruler OF
| the Russian empire. To his sense OF Justice
and TO the humane spirit which he has so
often manifested the Jews must look for
protection when ignorance, prejudice and
| lawlessness assail them
| In the prevailing excitement let US pre-
serve our calm, keeping in mind the future