The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-06-08
Schiff Will Continue
To Be a Mighty Good
Friend to His Race

Jacob Schif. known all over the world
as a great financier and philanthropiSt'
has announced that he will no longer try
to help his people through the larger
more effective means of legislation, but
will remove his endeavors from politics.
He made this declaration in the an
nual convention of the Kehillah, which
is the Jewish community of New York
city. and he did it with much feeling
and regret.
So good an American is Mr.. SchIH
that he stood against a movement OF the
Jews TO create an American Jewish con-
Cress and also a resolution TO have all
Jewish public meetings conducted in the
Yiddish tongue. In his opinion this
would cut of his people from the SYM
1athv and understanding of America and
they would become an alien factor IN
American life, as they are in Russia and
Poland. He desired, above all things, TO
have them public spirited and to throw
their influence with all civic and national
TO become, in fact, part
Of the warp and wool of American life
so that no discriminating laws against
them may ever be made.
Mr.. Schiff has sought to bring pres
sure to bear upon the Russian govern
nent, through the government of the
United States, to oblige that country TO
allow free enrance TO the American Jew,
feeling that with that reciprocity the
Russian government could no longer pur-
sue its present anti-Jewish policy of per-
secution. His own people have not UNI
lerstood and appreciated him and he,
therefore. withdraws his support and
will in the future help his fellowman
1nly as individuals and in a private ca
oacity.
Mr.. Schif is one of the greatest fig
Tres in banking and railroad finance. He
the Union Pacific in 1897,
and brought about the railroad 'commu-
nifty of interests" which did away with
an immense amount of loss and waste.
He helped float the japanese loan in
l904-5 and was, later. decorated by the
sIikado for his part in the transaction.
He says that but for the United States
Japan must inevitably have lost in the
war with Russia.
In 1908 he attempted TO place all
Jews that came to this country in posi-
tons where they could gain living, and
with that end in view had them land at
Galveston and thence scattered them
throughout the west. He is a firm be-
lever in unrestricted immigration and is
quoted as saying: THE worker in the
tenement who has hardly learned to un-
derstand our language. but who tolls by
day TO earn a mere pittance, does more
TO add to the greatness of the metropo-
lis than the native-born millionaire who
drives his four-in-hand in Central park
Of surplus labor will only be
temporary he thinks, and will speedily
adjust themselves.
Jacob SchfT holds to the old Mosaic
law that a man must give tenth Of his
income 10 charity. He has founded a
chair in social economics in Columbia
and given several scholarships
for this subject He instituted a Semitic
chair in Harvard and presented build
ing for its use. He has given TO the
New York library the largest collection
Of Jewish literature in the world. He
has founded the Montefore Home for
Chronic Invalids, the Jewish Theological
seminary. and is an officer or member Of
the American Museum Of Natural His
tory, Metropolitan Museum of Art and
each of the twelve Jewish charity So
cieties in New York city. All municipal
reform movements in that city are sup
ported bv Jacob Schiff.