Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-31
THE SUFFERINGS OF THE JEWS
IN THE RUSSIAN WAR ZONES.
Extracts from the report Of the
American Jewish Committee.

The American Jewish Committee
yesterday issued report on the suf-
ferings Of the Jews in the Eastern
War Zone, describing their condi-
tion as appalling beyond all pre-
cedent
The American Jewish Committee
is body or representative Jews
organized In 1916 ito prevent In
fringement of the civil and religious
rights Of Jews and to alleviate the
consequences Of persecution" It's
Executive Committee consists Of
Louis Marshall, President, New
York.
Cyrus Adler Chairman Executive
Committee, Philadelphia.
l. w. Bernheim, Louisville.
Harry Cutler, Providence.
Samuel Dorf, New York
Jacob H. Hollander, Baltimore.
Julian W. Mack, Chicago.
Judah l.. Magnes, New York
julius Rosenwald, Chicago.
Jacob II. Schiff, New York.
Isador Sobel. Erie. Pa.
Oscar S. Straus, New York.
Cyrus l.. Sulzberger, New York.
Mayer Sulzberger, Philadelphia.
A. Leo Well, Pittsburgh
The report shows that the seven
million Jews affected who consti-
tute one half of the Jewish popula-
tion of the world, have, because Of
their unfortunate geographic posi-
ton, actually borne the brunt Of
the wars burdens in Eastern Eu-
ropo. When the war broke out they
found themselves trapped, absolute
ly shut OFF from all neutral lands
and from the sea--in the region or
Russian Poland, Austria Galicia and
the Russian Pale
"Hundreds of Jewish towns have
been sacked and burned wantOnly
by tho Russian soldiery. Thousands
of Jews have been carried off as
hostages, imprisoned, executed on
the flimslest pretexts or shot ia wan
ton cruelty. Women were outraged
and men burned alive in the syna-
gOgues where they had fled for
shelter. Orgies OF lust and torture
took place in the light OF day. Wo-
men, old and young, were stripped
and kDoutcd in the public Squares"
Three Million Jews Destitute.
In all, adds the report, nearly
three million Jews are facing desti-
tuition, their homes having been
pillaged or destroyed, their indus
tries and trade ruined and the entire
fabric OF their economic life torn
asunder. Hundreds OF thousands
were forced from their homes at a
days notice, among them even the
immediate families OF the 100000
Jewish soldiers at the Russian front
the more fortunate being packed
and shipped as freight old men, wo-
men and children locked together
with the sick and the insane in seal
ed freight cars, shuttled from town
TO town, side tracked for days with
out food o. help of any kind, and the
less fortunate being driven into the
wood and swamps TO die OF starva-
ton"
Jewish Disabilities.
The section on Russia opens with
the following statement:
Nearly half OF the Jewish popula-
tion Of the world lives in Russia. in
the immediate area of hostilitics,
congested in cities, which are tho
first point OF attack.
The Pale in which they lived was
Polish in origin and population
Poles and Jews were fellow victims
Of the Russian oppressor; but in
stead Of being united by tho COM
mon bond of suffering. they were
separated by religious and racial diff
ferences and above all by dissention
deliberately fostered among them by
the Russian rulers until it developed
into uncomfortable hate.
When the war broke out the poll
tical status OF the Poles changed
over night. Both the Russian and
the German armies found it polite
to cultivate the good will Of the Pol
ish population. And many Poles
seized the opportunity to crafty
personal animosity religious bigotry
or chauvinistic mania by denouncing
the Jews, now TO the one invader
and now to the other, as spies and
traitors These stories found fertile
soil The Russian military machine
had met with disastrous defeats at
the hands Of the Germans. The evil
dence is clear that, in order to ex-
onerate themselves in the eyes OF
their own people, the military CANA
rilla eagerly seized the protect so
readily furnished them by the Poles
and unloaded the burden OF Russian
defeats upon the helpless shoulders
OF the Jew They executed men,
women. even children, without the
shadow Of evidence or the formality
of a trial Circumstantial stories Of
Jewish trcachery were accepted as
the truth and circulated freely
through the Russian press and on
the bulletin boards; but when Of
fetal investigation proved these
stories false in every particular, the
publication OF the refutation was
discouraged by the censorship.
Expulsions.
III March, 1915, began the sys-
tematic expulsion, by the military
authorities, Of all Jews from Poland
and from the provinces OF Russia
bordering on the war zone. The en-
forcement of the expulsion orders
was carried out ruthlessly, a days
notice being regarded as sufficient
A vivid description OF the misery at
tendant upon these explosions is Of
&oriiht bel ibrcn 9(nflogen gcgcn Die