Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-29
REFUGEES FROM POLAND.
Jews Reach Pacific Coast After Jour-
ney Across Siberia.

ney Across Siberia.
Seattle April 2S-Since July Is last,
$50 Jewish young men and a dozen
Jewish women and children, refugees
from Russian Poland and the other
horizons of western Russia overrun ny
the German armies have arrived in Sc
attic after journeyinG thru Siberia by
railroad and crossing the Pacific on
steamers mostly Japanese freighters'
A few have come directly from Vladi-
vostok. but most of them took steamer
in Yokohama and Kobe. Many OF the
young men are graduates Of the Gym
nasia, which ranks with the American
state university All are we'll educated
and belonged to the better classes III
their native land Some were wealthy.
When it became apparent TO the
Russians that they could not hold War
saw they shipped out by rail machinery
and supplies that would have been OF
benefit to tho Germans, and they sent
away the young Poles. Jews and Rus
slams whom they feared the Germans
might impress as soldiers. These young
men received from the Russian COM
manders slips OF paper emitting them
to travel eastward on the Russian rail-
ways without charge. The Russian and
Polish young men stopped their travel
when they reached districts which were
not threatened with German invasion,
but many Jewish youths continued to
travel eastward. They rode free when
they could. but often they were obliged
to pay the trainmen.
The stories the immigrants tell of
their adventures in crossing European
Russia and Siberia are highly interest
ing. Those who were we'll provided
with money arrived in Vladivostok first,
made their way to Japan by freight or
passenger steamers and. in, time, ar
rived in Seattle. Here those who had
the required sum of money entered
without hindrance, but those who were
without funds We're ordered deported.
The detained immigrants made their
plight known to public spirited Jews in
Seattle. who assisted the young men
to appeal to Washington against the
order of deportation. Then, when the
department of labor said the men
| would be admitted if bonds were fur
nished. guaranteeing that they would
| not become public charges, these
Seattle Jews provided the bonds, and
they are still signing bonds.
| When it was seen that the influx Of
|
while the war lasted, the Seattle Jews
appealed to the Hebrew Sheltering Aid
Society of America, which has head
quarters in New York. This society
assumed part of the burden Of caring
for the refugees. 1t provided funds. ar
ranged to handle the cases of the
moneyless immigrants at Washington
and assisted in the organization Of a
| If at in Wit
Leo S. Schwabacher as president.
| The Seattle branch looks after the
refugees from the hour they arrive I'M
til they are self-supporting. 1t has
leased the former residence of United
States Senator Squires here and
equipped it as home for the immf-
migrants. Those who come with
pockets full of Russian roubles need
only to have their bills exchanged for
American money and to be assisted to
learn the language and communicate
with friends and relatives in the United
States, If they have any. The men
without money are instructed in tho
English language and in American
citizenship. Most of the immigrants
do common labor at first. Some have
become merchants in a small way.
their own professions, and few have
done SO well that they have sent to
Russia for relatives.
These young men are now arriving
in Seattle at the rate of 100 a month.
lone hundred and fifty. it is said, are
now in Japan seeking passage to the
United States.
Abraham Spring, an attorney who is
directing the work Of the Seattle Aid
lSociety, in speaking Of the immigrants
said: This immigration is the most
! remarkable and most valuable that has
ever come to America These immi-
grants are the first Europeans to come
to our shores by way Of Asia They
) are In perfect health, highly educated
and intend to become American citi-
zens. This society wishes the immi-
grants not to gather in one quarter Of
the city, and we located our new home
a long way from the Jewish settlement
, that has lately grown up here
l - S.,k y5n~