Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-27
.SUFFERINCS OF THE
POOR IN PALESTINE
ARE BEYOND BELIEF

London. Oct 4-t Nail. -Sufferings
81 the poor in Palestine. particularly in
Jerusalem, are set forth in letters from
the Hebrew teachers in that section
which have been received here hy lead
ers of the Zionist movement. Hunger
ana the extortionate prices charged for
food are the chief causes of distress.
The price Of bread has advanced
eleven fold nee the beginning Of the
war. Petroleum costs thirty times as
much as in 1914 and milk five times
tire ante-var price.
Paper money. the teachers assert,
has declined in Palestine to one fourth
= nornira! gold value but the price
DC food ana fuel has risen out of all
,propolt on To even the depreciation of
tCurrcncy. Concerning the situation in
Jerusalem, one teacher wrote
This last year has caused enormous
changes in Jerusalem, and unfortu-
nateIy all for the bad. You miss half
your old friends; they are either dead
or gone. Those who remain are de-
pressed and exhausted by their suffer
ings. great and small. The money evil
has become intolerable In CONSTANT
|l:opIe paper money circulateS freely;
I here you must pay in coin or fourfold
the price in paper. The misery Of the
poor is unspcakable. TIE roads are
lined with starving persons. who lie
about begging for a mouthful Of bread.
A The poor Jews sell all their belongings
Clothes linen. bed covers-to the sol
diers TO get a few metaliks for food.
Az, a 1hatad aud
the spotted typhus is less severe. But
rnost Of tic patients die because ow-
ing ID The lack Of nour;shment, they
/ cannot resist disease. The misery
Wlich | have witnessed beggars all
descriptions
Early ,his year the Turkish authori-
ties fouDqod a wheat syndicate at
j. rusaicm. y tn the idea of steadying
prices ana insuring supplies. 1t worked
very well, especially from the point Of
view Of the poor 1t has now been sus-
pended. ana replaced by Government
C0mmi sion. The change is very much
for The worse
The Headmastor IF the Hebrew
Boys school in Jerusalem thus reports
lcn his school:
our pupils belong 10 the poorest of
the poor. Among 200 there are 81 or
phans. The parents have died during
this dreadful time The children are
IT. an unbelievable plight They are in
IT. IS beyond dcscr ption. and il is i'm
possible to provide them with clothes.
They - fortunate that the school pro
y'do' them with dinner. even though il
H. only thin soup and piece Of bread.
For n ma nf thorn that ic No
only food they get during the DAY.
Often ! have seen the children drink
the soup but put the bread into their
ockets to take home for q brother or
sister who has not even so much food
The condition of the Jewish exiles.
who have been driven by .Djemal Pasha
out Of Jaffa and the neighboring dis
tricis, Il very much worse than that
Or other sections Of the populace In
spite Of the reports TO the contrary
launched by the Turkish authorities,
none Of these thousands of hapless ref
ugees has been allowed to return to his
home, and whatever preparations have
been made for transporting. housing,
feedlng, educating, and giving employ
ment 70 them have had to be made by
the private charity Of the local Jews
and their brethren in other countries
There is much sickness, owing chief
ly 70 underfeedirg and bad sanitation;
30 per cent Of the young girls, for in
stance, in Upper Galilee, are down with
fever. The number Of fugitives in re-
ceipt Of assistance is 505s, Of whom
2,200 are in Judea, in Lower Galilee,
1924. and in Upper Galilee e1e. With
the passing of summer and the coming
OF cold and rain their sufferings will
ne much worse than even now"