The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-04
B'NAI BIRTH ORDER
IN ANNUAL SESSION
Grand Lodge Convention in
Progress in Washington
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT
Kraus Says Tint the Order Must Be
the RaIlying Ground for All the
Jaws-Figit on the White
Slave Traffic

Washington March 3.-"The order must
continue TO be the rallying ground for all
Jews. regardless of political or religious
Principles declared Dr. Adolf Kraus OF
Chicago, president of the Independent
Order of B'Nai Rith, in his message TO
the constitution grand lodge convention
which began here today The president,
when making this statement. was dis
cussing the general subject of common
giound.
tremendous dynamic force. Mr.. Kraus
said, had been at work in the camp of
Israel Passions have been aroused,
schisms have been created. and where
peace and harmony are so essential strife
and discord reign. We have the Zioni3t
and the anti-zionist. the Orthodox and
reformed. with their respective sehisms
constantly widening their antipathies
steadily growing. In my judgment 1t is
the province of the order to continue
in the path which it has pursued from
it's inception 1t must not favor or dis
countenanee movements within our own
ranks on which Jewish opinions are pro-
nounced and varied
Mr.. Kraus message to the convention
contained an account of the 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 be-
sides discussing many questions of impor-
lance to the organization. The total
membership now is 33,123 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 s1.243070, and to charity S.
1918 A brilliant future was predicted
for the order.
The president said the problem what
to do with the newly arrived immigrants
was one of increasingly serious i'm
portance. Something should be done to
distribute the Immigrants in the badly
congested districts in the seaport cities
Before they became permanently settled.
strong ground was taken in opposition
to the white slave traffic and combating
it he declared to be one of the most i'm
pcrt of the organizations undertakings.
The message made plea for high
standard of membership whose sole test
should be character.
Recommendation was made for legis-
Iltion providing for the appointment of
lodge guardian for a deceased brothers
family. such as exists in the Vienna,
Austria. lodges.
A pathetic picture was drawn of the
conditions in Galicia. where the poverty
of the people, Mr.. Kraus said, was in
1t was not strange, he added,
that among the Galician Jews the re-
cru,ting agent finds many not too re-
luctant additions 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. 66S
this year, the president considered the
most important work of his administra-
ton so 1ar as strengthening the order
was concerned.
Argument was made against abolishinS
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 to VISIT
his lodges without having it in his pos
session or travelling card as an evil
dence of membership In good standing.