Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-05
B'NAIB'RITaCONNON GROUND
President AdOlph Kraus Sends Mes.
sage TO Jews Of World.
ORDER SHOULD NOT DRAW LINES
Grand Lodge Convention in session
at Washington 20 Consider oues-
tiOns vital 20 This
Organization.

WASHINGTON. April 4-"The order
must continue to be the rallying ground for
all Jews regardless OF political or religious
opinions" declared Adolph Kraus OF Chi
cago, president Of the Independent Order Of
B'Nai Birth, in his message to the con-
began here today. The president when max
ing this statement was discussing the gem
eral subject Of common grounds.
"A tremendous dynamic force" Mr.. Ersus
said have been at work in the camp OF
Israel Passions have been aroused, schlsms
have been created, and where peace and
harmony are so essential, strife and dis
cord reign. We have the Zionist and the
anti-Zionst; the orthodox and reformed
with their respective chRsms constantly
widening; their antipathles steadily grow
ing. In my judgment, It is the province OF
the order to continue in the path which 1t
has pursued from it's inception. 1t must
not favor or dlscountenance movements
within our own ranks on which Jewish
opinions are pronounced and varied"
Ala TO jews in Many Places.
Mr. Kraus' message to the convention con-
tained an account Of work that had been
done during the last five years in aid of
Jews at home and abroad. of responses to
appeals in behalf OF the suffering and Of
the condition of the order in various parts
OF the world besides discussing many Ques-
tions of Importance to the organization. The
total membership now is 33,123 a gain Of
% per cent in the five years since the last
convention while the amount paid to
widows and orphans during that period
amounted to S1,24SO7O and to charity, R1,145,-
IFS. A brilliant future was predicted for the
order.
The president said the problem what to
do with newly arrived immigrants, was one
of increasingly serious Importance. Some
thing should be done to distribute the i'm
migrants in the badly congested districts
in the seaport cities before they became
permanently settled. Strong ground was
taken in opposition to the white slave traf.
fic and combating It, he declared to be
one of the most important of the orgsniza-
tion's undertakings.
Conditions in GnIicia,
pathetic picture was drawn of the con-
dltions in Galicla, where the poverty Of
the people Mr. Kraus said, was lndescrib-
able. 1t was not strange, he added, that
among the Galclan Jews the recruiting
agent finds many not too reluctant addl-
tions to the army Of white slaves"
I'VE are fighting the white slave traffic"
said the president. Let US help to close
up the markets which furnish the victims"
The formation of London lodge No. 663
this year. the president considered the most
important work of his administration so
far as strengthening the order was con-
cerned.
Argument was made against abolishlng
the so-called secrecy feature of the order.
but the president believed there should be
selected an annual password and that no
member should be permitted in sister lodges
without having 1t in his possession. or
travelling card as an evidence OF member
ship in good standing.
Recommendation was made for an in
crease in the per capita tax.
At tonight's meeting the principal ad-
dress was delivered by Lucious L. Solomon
of San Francisco, second vice president of
the order. He spoke broadly of the aims
of the order and Of the Jews place among
the nations.
immigration Laws had.
Mr.. Solomon criticised the immigration
laws of the United States. The position of
thS immigrant Jew today" he declared, "is
on a par with that Of the early colonists
of the pre-revolutionary period in this
country" He claimed that some Of the
descendants OF those who came to this
country for religious freedom "dishonor
their own proud lineage by fathering imml-
grafton laws aimed at those for whom
they ought to feel the keenest sympathy"
Autograph copies OF photographs of Pres.
ident Faft were presented to each delegate
at the days session. Tomorrow the visi-
tors will make a pilgrimage to Mount
Vernon and place wreath on the tomb OF
Washington.