New-York tribune., 1910-01-17
SPEAKS FOR JEWS
CHARGES OPPRESSION
Edz0ard Lauterbach for Immi-
grafton Changes.

Anti-Semitism is being manifested in its
most virulent form by the Junior Order
United American Mechanics. according TO
Edward Lauterbach. who arraigned the or
ganization last night at the annual meeting
of the Educational Alliance in the Hotel
Gotham. He also commented freely and
vigorously on what he considered grow
ing governmental tendency to place the Jew
in the most unfavorable uossible light as
possible American immigrant.
although the Know-Nothing policy of
lS4O- 90 is dead issue. II has successor in
the almost secret organization of the Junior
Order United American Mechanics whose
loathed principles declare exclusion to the
Jewish immigrant. There are active men
in the organization advocating these doc
trines and l speak by the card" said Mr.
Lauterbach
immigration and Citizenship was the
topic for discussion, and Mr.. Lauterbach
did not mince his words. He continued:
I'm 1881 the imperial ukase drove from
MOSCOW and St Petersburg a tremendous
hegira Into country unprepared to ac-
oept them poured horde of people op-
pressed and ignorant And America was
full of forebodings. But, looking back. we
see ready assimilation. and I venture to
burden in the community, but has helped II.
In 1852 the A. P. A. began to have put
on the statute books laws necessary az
first, but by degrees encroachins on the
rights of the Jew. The progression has con-
tinued until Congress under the Roose-
Welt administration decided TO exclude the
physically unfit. and the immigrant who
comes here without the strength of a
Jenr1eS hears the cry, 'Deport, Deport, De-
port"
To-day at the celebration of the He
brew Technical School for Girls 1 was sur
prised TO hear of cases of trachoma being
daily treated, and that the disease is easily
curable. But thousands are being turned
back at Ellis Island because of it,
Mr.. Lauterbach spoke at some length on
the Hayes bill, which he says includes the
views of the Junior Order, United American
Mechanics, and dwelt on the immigration
fee of $40 which he said grew from an orig
inal So fee, and he said that even then the
government was realizing s3.5OO,OO0 more
than the immigration department cost.
An attack was also made on the clause
providing that no immigrant should be ad-
mitted who could not read the English Ian
guage or some European language. This Is
said Mr.. Lauterbach. docs not largely af-
feet the male Jew. 1t affects another race
the men that dig your subways and build
your railways But il does affect the
women of the Jewish race. for in Europe a
dreadful Orientalism in that particular is
still preserved. a blot on the 'scutcheon of
the Jewish people.
Not so radical in his views was Abram L
Elkus. who believed that while the admin
istration of the immigration laws was
sometimes too severe. the thinking people
of America would not consent TO any forms
of oppression such as those advocated by
the society Mr.. Lauterbach mentioned Mr..
Elkus said:
America is a nation of immigrants
There are no real Americans except the
red Indian, and the country realizes that
we need the immigrant. But there is dis
elimination against one Jew-the Russian
Jew. Two things show this. He is the
only man that is asked 10 state his re-
hgion, and he must have the constitution of
a blacksmith to enter the country One
way to help the Jew Is TO take him out of
New York and make him a farmer. Take
him away from his little commercial trades
and develop his body in the open"
Two other speakers were Jacob H. Schiff
and DIR. NJ. NJ Kaplan. head of the Teach
ers Institute. Mr.. Schiff said that better
distribution of immigration was sorely
needed. The north Atlantic seaports and
New York cannot go on receiving all of
them,' he said.
DR.. Kaplan begged the Jew. in his
Americanization. not TO forget that he was
still a Jew, and be thus swallowed up in
the melting pot. Racial pride and charac-
teristics and tradition should be contin-
ued," he said. 'Of 10000 Jewish children
in New York hardly 10000 know anything
about the Jewish Bible"
Justice Samuel Greenbaum, who pre-
sided in the absence of President Isidor
Straus, who is in Europe. announced the
receipt of a check for $4,000 from Henry
Phipps and q similar amount contributed
by Edward A. Hersheim in memory of his
brother Louis. The receipts for the year
were s10OS34 80.