Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-04
NARROWED IN PALESTINE
Former 0mshan Robbed by Turks
and Unable to Get Money.
SAYS MUCH SUFFERING EXISTS
Letter from Morris stcinberE Writ
ten Mt saffed, Palestine, Dated
More Than Month Ago, ne
ceived In Omaha.

/ Steinbcrg. a former resident OF Omaha,
as related 70 his family in belated let
! ter received by his son. Joe NJ. Steinberg
| city salesman for Paxton & Gallagher
/ residing at 2Ol9 California. His father
/ Morris Steinberg. writing from Saffed,
| Palestine. under date OF August 81. gives
! a vivid description OF the suffering prov
alent there as result of the war.
/ on receipt OF the letter Mr.. Steinberg
/ attempted to send funds to his father,
! but finding that the ordinary channels
I were vain appealed to Victor Rosewater,
editor Of The Bee, who had Congressman
! G. o. Lobeck take It up with the Treas
ury and State departments at Washing
| ton. Congressman Lobeck wired in re-
turn that Uncle Sans efforts to transmit
! money to Palestine had been fruitless,
! In Mr.. Steinberg's letter. received Sep
! TENDER 25, which has been circulating;
1 among the members OF his family. he
says:
! Il am unable to describe to you ONE
| thousandth part of the suffering and
misery that exists in the Holy land.
| Jewish soldiers have never before been
called out by the Turkish government.
! but now they are conscripting every male
between the ages of 20 and d years,
grandfathers as well as grandchildren.
Two Hundred Leave Saffed.
Two hundred persons men. women
and children. left Saffed at midnight on
their way to Tapfa, where they expected
to board trains which would take them
to Akki. the port from which they conld
leave the country. Mules are generally
used to convey travellers. the cost for
this journey usually being 80 cents. Now
the charge had been raised to 66 cents
but since everyone could not afford to
pay that price, only fifty people rode,
and the remaining $50 walked the entire
journey.
The following day the people who re-
manned in the city made a collection OF
bread for the travellers who had gone on
ahead. Those who remained in the city
were themselves almost at the point of
starvation. but the necessity for those
travelling in the desert was even greater.
The travellers were too feeble. how
ever, TO carry the provisions so the city
hired four mules 10 carry 1t to Tapfa.
where they left for the port. Now, what
do you suppose the Turkish government
did? They took away the mules and the
food, too. When the people reached
Tapfa they expected to have food. having
tasted two days. but there was not even
q piece of dry bread to be secured. Here
they were in the desert, even those hav-
ing money being unable to buy food.
They sent a message back 10 Saffed
to tell of their plight, but in the mean
time the ship sailed away and they were
left in the hot desert until the next day.
Only such a government as the Turkish
would permit food TO be taken from so
many people and permit them to starve.
No Mail Received.
| mo mail is received because no ships
come into port The Dardaneles are
closed and no goods come in. Flour Is
three times as high as formerly and
sugar and kerosene oil are not to be OBJ
tanned The banks have been closed for
three weeks and no money is paid out
at all. Even the wealthy are starving
as we'll as the poor. The well-to-do have
their money invested in business and dis
tributed, so even that is not available to
them. The stores do no business on
credit, for they have very little goods
and will be unable to receive further sup
plies. For what little money they have,
they want cash Drafts received from
America or other countries are not
cashed for no one has any money. They
cannot even be sold at a 50 per cent dis
count They tried to cash a check from
Baron Rothschild OF Paris, but no one
could cash It,
This stringency Is due to the fact that
the Turks were called out first and drew
their money out of the banks, leaving
the banks without funds. The largest
store in Saffed does only so cents bust
, ness day
For 5000 military service can be
| avoided, but those who can afford the
5000 are unable to secure the money from
the banks. People would like to sell their
property for any price but, of course,
that is out of the question. One OF the
wealthlest men of the city offered price
, less Jewels in order to secure the 500
hut he was only able TO raise mone than
81
, Poor Beg at House Doors,
1.-THE poor people go from house to
house begging for food, but those who
. have been In better circumstances are
:. too proud and would rather starve thar
= beg for food II this keeps on one week
more. people will die in the streets OF
hunger
mo coal can be bought, as It must be
carried into the city by camels, and nc
one will send them out for fear the gov
eminent will take the camels away. The
government takes away all provisions
and shoes because there is such short
age
Mr.. Stelnberg who was a resident OF
Omaha for twenty-eight years, left
Omaha to make his home In Palestine
nine years ago. He came back TO Omaha
for a visit with his three sons and
daughter about five years ago. but re-
turned to the Holy Land shortly after
ward.