The Washington times., 1914-02-28
By 7. R. HILDEBRAND.

By ]. R. HI
Nine. Bella Pevsner. apostle of the
Pack to Palestine movement.
lovingly called by her people the
Jewish Deborah of our time, re-
Gently returned from a tour of the
world. and stirred by the Bells
Trial. which she covered for a
German newspaper. is in Washing
ton this week preaching her gospel
Of new Jewish nationalism to
Jewish citizens of the National Capt.
tai
preaching" is putting it mildly.
Nine. Peysner is an ardent and fer
vent patriot. going about the coun-
try urgirg. pleading. praying with
Jews t. preserve their faith, to keep
alive tEcir ideals. and to turn always
toward Jerusalem as the scene of
the renewal of their national ex-
iStenCe.
But to understand Nine. Pevsner's
patriotism one must know her def
milton OF the word
Il mike every other nation. the
jews are not striving for an inde-
PENDENT country or ar independent
government" she explained. ..AII me
ask is independence of soul. freedom
Of religious thought. the right TO
preserve the characteristics of the
Jewish family, the Oldest family in
the world.
All we strive for in Palestine is
the opportunity tc erect empIes, Ii
bra TfeS rpISeums art "a IIeriec and
those other expressions Of our spirit
ual life. and 10 keep alive the MEM
ory OF great Jews. For these are
the factors that determine the
greatness of a nation. Americas
hisness is measured b. the bigness
OF its great men, its George Wash
inGon. is Abraham Lincoln. and its
natona' culture, not by its Brook
!vn bridge or is New York subway
system.
Race Branded With Iniquities.
Her people themselves, she be-
AeEes. have not been assertive
enough in their achievements. Now
their efforts are merged in the ma
uon they inhabit She would have
some place where their deeds ere
perpetuated in Jewish memory az
the achievements of Jews.
To Illustrate" she said. .DisraeE
Is regarded as an Cnglishman. but
If Ike Rosenstein sets fire to his
store TO collect the insurance he is
called Jew
Germany claims Mendelssohn as
a German, but if German Jew is
caught in a petty theft, he is
branded As a Jew
Maelerlinck is a Belgian and
Mime. Curie is known as a French
woman. and the world forgets their
Jewish extraction. But a bad Jew is
branded as d Jew alone. and his
.Hiquity is fastened on our people"
The Bells trial. Nine Peasner re-
CARDS as symbolic of the sufferings
Of the Jew
To your newspapers the Bells
trial was only sensation: TO me
and I" our people it was a great
p.in.
And the intensity of that great
pain" could be felt by anyone who
heard Nine Peasner describe the
anxious days when, as a German
cOrrespondent-her peoples physical
characteristics entirely lacking in
hex cIeai blu" ewes and wealth OF
2OlGen hair slightly tingeG with au-
hTru-She sat tense and silent. sup
pressing all the emotion she felt, IN
the dirty. stuffy little gallery as
s4sned 1" reporters at the trial.
Slim. 1.-the. girlish. her appear
arc" bellies any hint that she is
woman with Il mission. With all the
VIva"ity Of Il care-free girl. and all
Il g-E-t. N
dancer. sno seems transformed when
hh" begins TO talk of the Dersecu-
lions Of her people
Condition In Roumania.
Not from hearsay, nor from &C
ports, but as an actual witness.
Nine. PevsC"r recounLs the pcrse-
Cutions Of Ter people in many lands.
The sunerinEs Of Ih: Russian Jew
have been widely advertised" she
said, hut, harsh as taeir lot has
born, Jews IN southern Eurupe have
undergone such atrocities that, even
now. they are pra+inS that they
might bc granted even the freedom
and privileges accorded the Jews in
RussiH-
TAX RoImania- There our peo-
lie have dwcit for 80 years Thcy
have meen mistrcatea. ground down.
bounded; but when the Balkan war
opened @0ov0 Of them enrolled undo
The Roumanian colnrs. rney were
ready 20 fight. not for honor. not in
the hope of reward. not for the slory
Of il, because they knew none of
these things would he accorded; but
they gave up their lives for the
slight chance that their services -
Roumania $ protection might induce
Roumania to grant them tie simple
rights Of citizenship.
And the result was almost incrcd-
ible! Those brave soldiers who