Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-27
THE JEWS AND THE EUROPEAN WAR
ny FREDERIC }. HASI<IN

periods Of great l!berality. The last
wave OF race prejudice eliminated in
Inc Dreyfus case. and the present Is n
time Of reaction when Jews are most
faHorably treated and REGARDED Sew
eral generals Of the French army ara
Jews, they arc represented in the Cabi-
net and prominent in all the profess
slons. In number the Jews OF France
are comparatively few, totalling only
about 100000
COunterhnIance OF Russia.
So far as these three countries arc
concerned, the allied powers are more
|! liberal in their attitude than are the
central empires But with Russia as n
member Of the Iuadruplc entente. tho
case is rather more than balanced. II
Is for Russian Jews primarily that to-
days relief campaign Is being wased.
The Russian Jews have probably SUI
fcred more from the war than any
other people. even the RclGians. The
Jews In Russia constitute the great
problem OF the Jewish race and the
great problem OF the Russian empire.
They constitute one OF the major
American questions OF the future, for
around them c"ntc-s the whole immi-
grafton controversy. There are 6.p0u.-
, 600 Of them. per cont OF the popula-
ton % the whole great empire. and
half Of all the Jews IN the wroid
The severity OF the Russian att.
tude toward the Jews has been the
subject OF endless attack throughout
Europe and America. but the Cars
government continues biithcly lis
course. ~ tn. beginning % the war,
Jews were given the opportunity o.
rising 20 the rank 81 commissioned
officer IN tho Russian army. hut this
privilege has since been revoked. The
semi official Novoyc Nremya Of Pctro-
grad has stated that the Jews need cx-
pcct no change IN their status as a re-
suit of the war.
IiRscd on Economic Hatred.
The hostility OF the Russian is root
ed FAR deeper than any racial or r.
ligious prejudice. II is an economic
hatred primarily, an onshooi OF the
same need Tor economic selfnrcscrva-
ton that in the last analysis lins back
OF The whole war. The Russians pro-
ducc poets. philosophers. statesmen and
warriors, but they do not produce bust
ness men The Russian genius is for
anything hut commerce" where the
ability OF tho lew is most striking. In
! plain English. we're Russia TO give the
, Jews a free hand. in few years they
would own the country. They have
! so,nethin. like n free hand In Odessa.
, and they control over 30 per cent OF the
business in Russia's principal port
Economists say that eventually Rus
STA will have to let the Jew nnh ms
natural level in the empire, whatever
! that ,nay he. and that after some
, what disturbed period of reconstruc-
, ton the nation VIII be the better Tor
| IL. Russia, however. is in no hurry
! for the change. She keeps about 30
: per cent OF her Jewish population In
| the so-callcd Pale. restricted area
on the western border. including most
| Of Russian Poland. Although the en-
! prc ia rich above all things In square
miles the Pale is badly conEested.
| The people are barred from free COM
petition with the Russians. and ms
| result the Jews OF the Pale arc among
the poorest people on earth.
Horrors Fall on Jewish Centers.
| Over this area, thickly populated and
| Impoverished. came sweeping the main
| Russian drive to Berlin. and over tt
| tire Russian hosts fell back before the
| sledge- hammer blows OF Won linden
burg. :. major campaign with millions
: of men on either side swaycd to and
! fro across the little fields and through
the close packed cities. The names
! that MI the news dispatches from the
eastern frOnt--LodZ. Warsaw, LemberS
I--beiong to towns that are ccnters of
the Jewish race in Eastern Europe
! All the horrors OF war in the train Of
the great armies with which the stories
! from Belgium have made us only too
! familiar, are being re-cnactcd In Po-
land. Galicia and West Russia. AS the
Senate resolution tersely puts 1t, mil
lions of Jews are destitute OF food
driven from their homes. II is for the
relief Of these conditions that January
! p has been set aside.