Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-20
Mr.. Israel ZangwiII.

the hope that England tbs historic champion
Of small peoples, would lead the Jew into the
Promised Land But this Jewish contribution
valuable as Is the service IT has rendered
at the Dardaneiles-is too small To rank as a
factor In so mighty q war.
For centuries England has been the polit
cal hope Of the Jew, indeed the Holy Land
OF Europe, the cradle OF liberty, the fount
OF salvation, How disconcerting then that in
this great war nominally waged moreover for
every jewish ideal large sections of neutral
Jewish opinion should bitterly deeirc the de-
feat of Britans greatest ally, and, indeed. by
journalistic and other imponderaple Influences
tend to its downfall. To understand how this
hatred fo7 Russia could overcome even their
love and reverence for Britain, and their
loathing for Prussian militarism 10 whose
dangers have tried to arouse thcm. we must
remember not merely the poeroms. but what
Mr. Lucien Wolf has called. IN the title OF his
invaluable compilation. The Legal Suherings
of the Jews in Russia"
At The outbreak or the war tile Russian
Jews found hcmsclves-with a few privileged
exceptions incarcerated IN a pala whose very
villages prohibited to them, debarred from
most offices OF dignity in state or army, and
disallowed higher education except for a min
ute percentage OF the Candidates. chosen
with last touch Of diabolical ingenuity-not
1918, OF S90S Jewish students who applied for
admission TO the universities and technical
colleges. lG" were admitted 1t the in.
tellectual starvation OF a whole people Pro.
lessor Dicey. in an Introduction 10 Mr.. VOLTS
book. wrote: The worst evil of Russian despot-
ism is that it threatens the Jewish subjects Of
the Isar Win moral degradation. The
strange discussion of the horrible question
whether baptism shall lew from, the
disabilities to which he is subject tells its
own tale. The persecution of Russian
Jews IL not matter which affects kusSia alone.
Il Is assurcdly the concern o. every civ
iZed State that the slow and !a5orious prog
ress of mankind should suffer retroeres.
sion"
England was not bound TO protest merely as q
civilized State. She was bound to protest as a
State In sem-allanco with Russia. Sut Sir
Edward Grey interpreted otherwise the great
tradition in his keeping. 81 cannot nterfere in
the Internal affairs Of Russia" That became
his formula and he did not bulge from it, even
when lie was shown how Russia put q s!ur on
Jews the right to enter Russia. America on
this very ground broke off her commercial
treaty With Russia, but England dared rot
claim for her Lord Chief Justice and her Post
master General those rights TO British protec-
ton against injustice and wrong. in What.
ever land they might be, which Palmsrston
vndicated even for the Portuguese lew Of
Gibraltar, robbed by mob at Athens.
And when the Entente changed into an
Alliance, and Engands responsibility for Rus
sia proportionately increased, Sir Ed ward Grey
still ingemtnated his formula, though Russians
internal affairs had clearly become ting!ands
internal affairs, involving her and her for
tunes in the odium they excited. In vain,
while urging upon the Jews OF neutral lands