Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-15
A JEWISH CONGRESS
TALK WITH MR.. J. DE HAss ON
THE SUBJECT.
A Million Affected by the Recent Mas
sacre-Gathering of all Jewish
Organizations Needed.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star
NEW YORK. November 15.-"I know OF
two Jews, one apostasized to Christianity In
order to advance his position in Russia
When these massacres occurred he rusheo
back to his people and was shot down IN
their defense. The other, his friend, VINO
told me the story, was crying because ne
had not had some foresight, and thus nau
chance of dying in the same cause. ms
is a specimen of the current ATTITUDE Oh inc
Jews on the situation" said Mr.. ]. de Haas
in an interview the Russo-Jewish silua-
ton accorded the representatives of Inc
Evening Star. Mr.. de Hass has for thir-
teen years specialized on the Jewish ques-
tion is n well-known exponent of Zionlsm,
was the secretary of the late DR.. Theodor
Herzel and until recently secretary OF tie
Zionist organization in TINS country. SD
tistics, facts. stories, details are at ms nm
gers ends. Asked as to the present sltua-
ton and it's possible remedy, he SAID:
There s nothing and everything to be SAID
I have been trying to keep TAB on the re
ports, but they rattle me. So FAR IL is cleaI
that the figures of the dead and Wounaeu
will approach that of the massacres In the
seventeenth century, when Chiemlnlckle
let his Cossacks loose upon the jews. me
Russian Jews still speak of him with d
shudder. Three hundred children are re-
ported as remaining parentless about
Odessa, and 1t is omlnous that cables 10
well-known Russian Jews In the southern
provinces remain unanswered
Affected by the Massacre.
cat the lowest computation one million
Jews will be affected by these massacres.
Much of the Jewish wealth in Russia was
invested in the Bessarabian trade. All this
has been swept away. Many Jews have not
recovered even from the 1SSl-2 outrages,
when the pillage exceeded the personal bru-
tally. \ million dollars will not meet the
need and more than chat was collected in
Europe in 1872. l calculate that fully ten
million dollars of charity were sunk into
the Russian sink prior to kishineff. Mr.. w.
T. Stead seems to me to be right we are
along way from the end. The Jews have
been the Wallets of the Russian people and
clothed them with freedom: the next thing
is to get rid of this useful servant. we
foresaw this: never hoped anything from
Russian emancipation. there is nothing to
hope from 1t now. The Russian is divided
from the Jewsby fear of the latters aolI-
ity which is not exceptional, but in huge
contrast to that of the normal Russian
Two years ago the Jews were told to stand
and flee not. They were compelled to stand
and they did better than was asked of Them
and they came out of the battle ruined
What do you suggest as a remedy|
Mr.. De Haas hesitated for a moment. Il
cannot conjure one up. | proceed from
logical basis. l believe that we Jews share
to an extent in the guilt of these crimes
shame The Jews must leave Russia. OF
course, that cannot be done In an hour, but
1t must be done. The need for that eman-
cipatiOn out of Russia was foreseen in
1882. The measure by which We have not
accomplished this is to my mind the meas
ure of our guilt-our responsibility. Beyond
that | throw up all my pet plans This is
no time for hobby riding Before Mr..
Wftte came here | was a party TO a pro-
posal to hold d conference on the situation.
The Simultaneous action of Jewish bodies
renders this more possible now. We want,
first, a public congress of all the great
Jewish organizations in the United States
and Canada. That congress will define a
policy and elect a governing body that will
have universal respect. An international
congress must follow in Europe, and that
policy accepted universally. This is not
money question. If we will get together,
subordinating all attitudes to the issues
we will come out with a real policy one
that will maintain the morale of the Jews
IN Russia and assure them of salvation.
The day of disa greement has gone by, and
/ think even the day of indifference has
passed. The peril is so real that the pos
sibility of our coming together has arrived
and on that we must stake the Jewish
future. If we miss ii the Jews will be over
whelmed. That sounds a silly prophecy.
but my prophecies as to what would
happen have. unfortunately, all proyed
true. One of the men who wrangled with
me for year fell faintng in nv arms on
election night because his third cable to
Odessa failed to elicit a reply and his mes
sage went through"
What Would Be Accomplished.
what would you expect such a congress
to accomplish"
at would decide where to emigrate the
Jews and to organize the emigration
There are Palestine Mesopotamia Mexico
Manchuria. Texas, and even Queensland
Australia. ] have met my idea. but set
II TO one side and would obey the majority
decision of such congress as l have
sketched, and | believe that every Jew
from the most orthodox to the ultra-rad-
fcal revolutionary. will do as / would do
work with the majority. Such a congress
means that all the necessary money exists
The political negotiations would not occupv
six months. The RussO-Jewish question
could be brought to a satisfactory end in
ten years and that without creating a