The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1911-11-18
MON D,
ROCK HILL
ACCUSED
Of DEAL
j. II. Schiff Charges Former
Ambassador and Promoter
Aided Car to Evade
Jewish Passports
WORKED AGAINST JEWS
TO GET TRADE, HE SAYS
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

N EW YORK, Nov. 17.-At
M meeting OF some of~fhe most
u prominent Jews in America.
held today in the Offices of
Senator O'Gornan and attended by
Senators O'Gorman and Root, Jacob
H. Schiff, the noted banker, made a
speech in which he attacked William
w. Rockhill, former ambassador at
St. Petersburg, and John Hays Ham
mond. charging that both had aided
the czar in evading the Jewish pass
port issue in order to get Russian
commercial contracts.
SchifPs attack on Hammond was
particularly bitter, the speaker refer
ring to Hammond's supposed infu-
ence with President Taft He de-
clared that after Hammond's visit to
Russia the czar's officials thought they
could even buy the president OF the
United States.
Second Meeting
Today's meeting followed one held a
week ago of the national citizens COM
mittee, when Edward Lauterbach and
Louis Marshall reported they had a con-
versation with Senator Root on the
passport question, in which he told
them the eastern situation was so
grave it might turn disadvantageously
for the United States if any act pref
udicing Americas friendship with
Russia should be committed just now.
Thereupon today's meeting with Sem
ators Root and OGorman was arranged
Louis Marshall in his address told
the two senator's that New York had
more than 100000 Jews in its popula-
ton, and declared that for 40 years
Russia had violated the treaty of 1882
by refusing to recognize passports is
sued to representatives of various re-
ligions.
Sought Schiff's Aid
Schiff in his speech displayed much
bitterness. He said:
a year and half ago Gregory Wi
lerkin, official agent of the Russian
government. came to me and asked me
to try to obtain a financial footing here
for the Russian government.
Il have formed a syndicate of Amer
lean manufacturers and merchants to
export their products and manufac-
lures to Russia" said he.
81 asked him who is the head of the
syndicate? He replied, John Hays
Hammond
quite surprised at this information
told him that Mr.. Hammond was not
manufacturing man or merchant. but
mining engineer, and not a very
successful one at that. and asked
him why he had selected Mr. Hammond.
81 chose Mr. Hammond was his
answer, because of the great influence
he has with President Taft"
Got the Contracts
Mr.. Hammond went to Russia, came
back with number Of contracts, and
reported that the car of Russia was
the most liberal monarch in the world.
You see how Russia now comes out
and unhesitatingly shows her hand.
Russian officials think they can buy
even the president of the United States.
Think of the insult to our country
Hammond, at Gloucester, Mass. to-
night said to The Calls correspondent:
IF Schif is correctly reported. I would
emphatically state that he utters an un-
qualified falsehood-a cowardly lie.s
"Schiff has done more than any one
man to accentuate the troubles of his
coreligionists in Russia because of his
boast that the money of Jewish bank
ers enabled Japan to wage a successful
war against Russia