Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-27

by proclamatio OF President Will
son. to-day has been formally desig-
mated as National Jewish Relief Day
throughout the United States. ON this
date Americans, says the proclamatiou
may contribute NJ they feel able To
the relief Of the suffering Jews In the
war zone The step il highly signi;i-
cant as the first occasion when the
Jews address appeal on any wide
scale to public charity. They are gen
orally able and willing To take care
OF their own needy. II is the stag
ecrinE magnitude and the pressing
immediacy Of tn. present distress
which MAX. such Il recourse inevitable.
Five million dollars Is the gum set
"a goal by the American Jews. and
they are expected to bc among the
heaviest contributors on this formal
relief dag. The Jewish community is
apparently stirred as never before
The meeting in Carnegie Hall. which
launched the New York campaign. was
tense with AN cmotionaliSm that
amounted almost to hNstcria, hut Scv-
cral 100000 checks bear witness that
the excitement went below the sur
face An audience that damned IN"
hiu auditorium wcit as the Speakers
pictured the situation. and pitched
their last nickels on the platform
Similar scenes marked the Baltimore
meeting. where people donated watches
and fur collars.
jewish NOlUIrTc bDth SIDES.
Tho European situation comes home
To every American Jew, because IT is
practically Inevitable that lac has close
relatives either In the war zone OF
fighting in one Of the armies. II is
= particularly striking state OF affairs
to the observer OF any race or rcli
Cion. The war is much a jewish
war as IL is - German or "a French
war. Three quarters OF all The Jews
~ pIlI--lnprs than 1000 coo
them-are natives OF the bclligcrcnt
countries Moreover, the Jews are
part !cularly unfortunate In being on
both sides OF the fence. They are
fighting against their own race and
people. Whoever ma? or may not
have wanted war, 1t is pretty certain
that the Jews dt not want IT, Aud
TO round of the list Of their misfor-
tunes. circumstances decrecd that one
Of the most destructive campaigns a.!
all--that in East Prussia. Poland and
Galic.a-should be fought back and
forth over the very region where the
Jews are most numerous and poorest.
There are about 100000 Jews actual
Is hEhtinS in the ranks OF the Euro
pcan armies. Like the people itself,
these soldiers are to I've found under
every Nag. The American lew should
logically he the most perfect neutral,
for in every engagement Jews are
victorious and Jews are defeated. Even
the Significance Of the ultimate out
come of the struggle. whether the al
lies or the central empires finally pre-
! vail Is something Of puzzle from
the Jews point OF view The most
liberal and the most intOlcrant Of ma
lions are lighting shoulder TO shout
der.
Comparative Iibernlity In Austria.
One quarter of the European Jews.
and one-siXth Of the worlds Jews are
| Austro Hungarians. There are more
than two million Of them. making about
per cent of the population of the
Dual Monarchy. The Austrian Jews.
in spite of some prejudice against them,
| have always been treated with com
parative libcrality. and this is in
| creasing rapidly with each decade. At
| the University OF Vienna four students
| in every ten and 30 per cent Of the
! professors are Jews. In the army they
| can rise to the rank of commissioned
| officers. and frequently do so. Hence
| the Austrian Jew is a stanch patriot.
| and nc is lighting with whole hearted
| enthusiasm.
| In Germany, anti Semitic distinctions
| still persist in the army, where no Jew
! can hold q commission, but in private
! life there arc no restrictions on the
| activities of the Hebrews. They cdIl-
| troll the finance of the empire. and In
many OF the big commercial cities such
az Hamburg. the German New York.
| the Jews are the most powerful class.
| The Austrian Jews are suffering Sc
| vcrely from the war. especially in the
| eastern provinces where actual opera :
| lions are being carried on. and good
! portion Of the funds raised in America
| will go to their relief. The German
| Jews, on the other hand. are themselves
! in n position to contribute. and have
| donated largely towards relief work in
| Palestine and Poland.
Freedom I'm England and Italy.
| On the other side Of the trenches are
| aligned the two nations where anti
Semitic prejudice Is nearly non
existent as anywhere on carth-Eng-
land and Italy. There are only about a
| quarter OF million Jews in the British
| Isles. but they have held positions
| ranging from Prime Minister down.
| The present Lord Chief Justice of Eng
! land Is n Jew. Hebrews may hold any
| post In the British army. and the
/ proportion of enllstmentS among their
| number about equals that Of the na
| ton at large. There are cOmparativcly
| few Jews in italy and they arc in no
| way disseminated against. The Brit :
| ish Jews as n class are prosperous, and
| their fund for the relief OF Russian
Jews, headed by Leopold de Rothschild
| has sent large sums To the continent
The mercurial French temperament
| seems to shift its Hebrew attitude In
| most characteristic fashion. Waves of
l violent anti-Semitism are followed by