Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-05
THE JEWS Of WARSAW
They Constitute Over a Third of
the Population.
SHOW GREAT PROSPERITY
Military Officers Friendly Disposed
Toward Them.
FEAR OF THE "INTELLECTUALS"
Apprehensive Lest the Prescribed
Race Wins All the Prizes In the
Learned Professions.
FEAR OF THE sINTELLECTUALSr

=
Learned Professions.
By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence ct The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
WARSAW. August 10. 1906.
Warsaw has a population of between
10000 and 100000. and more than one
third Of them are Jews. This Is the Jew
ish paradise where the members of that
race are seen at their best, and show the
highest degree Of prosperity. There are
twice as many Jews in New York city.
and, indeed. the merchants Of that race oc-
cupy almost the entire length Of Broad
way, but they have no obstacles to over
come there except such as occur to every
body. In Poland the political, social and
religious resistance that has to be over
come makes the degree Of their success
much greater. The gentleman at the bank
where I drew a little money on my letter
Of credit yesterday told me that "the Jews
own two-thirds of the city of Warsaw and
have mortgage on the rest" Nearly
two-thirds Of the capital invested In bank
ing and money loaning belong to them, he
SAID. They control more than half, II not
two-.hirds. Of the factories; they have
very large mercantile interests. and own
the most OF sirable business and residence
property In the city.
The re. triCtions are not severe. They
are not compelled to live within the
pale" and progressive Jews occupy some
OF the finest of the palaces. The ghetto
Is a surprise. because it does not differ In
any way from the rest of the city except
of course. the aristocratic residence streets
and fashionable shopping district. 1t Is not
q narfpCt1y
fords no such scenes Of poverty and dis
tress as may be seen in the ghettos OF
New York, Chicago and other large cities
of the United States. On the contrary.
prosperity, and the gentleman who kindly
acted as our guide assured me, with
bitter smile. that the poorest Jews In
Warsaw are better off than the middle
class Poles.
The Ghetto and the Schools.
The ghetto, like the rest of the city. Is
made I'D of tall tenement houses, fve or
six stories high. surrounding courtyards;
the first story front on the street Is occu-
pied by small shops. and within the courts
are small factories of all kinds-shoemak-
ers. blacksmiths. laundries. bakeries. etc..
etc. and the rear courts are used for sta
bles and storage. The upper floors are
divided into suites of from three to eight
rooms, wll;on rtnt from "a to $2o month.
A great deal of manufacturing Is done IN
the households in which the women of the
family have their share; but up to the age
of eighteen, the children are almost IN
variably lu school. for. like the members
of their race elsewhere. the Jews Of War
saw hav. a high regard for education.
and every one of them can at least read
and write Although they are shut out
of the public schools. they PROVIDE even
better educational facilities for their own
race and l was told that some of the up
per classes hC1e send their children to pri-
yate jewish schools because the teachers
are more competent.
The synagogues occupy conspicuous posi-
TONS The great Tlomazka Synagogue, the
largest in Russia, stands in the center OF
square only few steps from the palace.
and Is one of the most conspicuous build
ings in the city. We attended swell wed
ding there yesterday, having received In
yitations through a friend, and were there
fore fortunate In catching a glimpse of the
upper classes Of Jewish society. l could
not see any difference in dress or behavior
from other gatherings that We had wit
messed in Russia. The women were hand
somely dressed, the men were nearly all In
swallow-tail coats and white ties accord
ing to the European custom, although 1t
was O'Clock affair.
Attitude Of the Military.
The friendly disposition of the military
toward the Jewish society Of Warsaw was
emphasized by the presence of dozen or