New-York tribune., 1918-02-27

;, The spirit of David still goes march
ing on.
Under the shield of David nearly
one hundred young Jews here yesterday
took the soldiers oath and entered the
Judnan Battalion Of the British Royal
Fusilicrs Regiment for service in Pal
estine. The party will leave tomor
row for Boston, whore they will join
100 more Of their creed, and sail over
seas. Other detachments will be Or
ganized to follow thcm.
The enlistment, which took place at
the headquarters of the British Re-
cruiting Mission at 220 West Forty
second Street, represents the first con-
tribution in men of the East Side di
rectly to the cause OF Zionism. Young
Jews, all Of them aliens, not subject to
the American draft, responded to the
call.
The volunteers. most of whom were
Russians, entered the unit as Jews and
not as Britishcrs They had the as
surancc Of the recruiting authorities
that they would be assigned to sepa-
rate units fighting in the vicinity OF
Palestine in order that they might
back up Britain's attempt to WIN
homeland for the Jews. The men are
to be permitted TO observe the jewish
Sabbath and the Hebrew holidays while
fighting under the Union Jack.
Major c.. Brooman White, who ad
minister The oath, allowed tho men
to swear by the Old Testament and to
keen their hats on, in accordance with
Hebrew custom.
Shield of David Is Copied
Each volunteer wore brassard
around his right arm-it contained the
Jewish six-pointcd star, with the word
"Zion" inserted in the centre, and
above was the legend in Hebrew, Jew
ish Battalion" The colors were blue
and white, and the whole was repro
duction OF the shield of David.
Joseph l.. Cohen. a fellow of Colum-
enlist IN the unit and who directed the
the Jewish volunteers.
They vii. GO as the standard bear
ers Of race that after more than 2,50C
years Of exile and oppression has fol
the first :i,ne ar opportunity Of acting
as 1.ationa, Unit among the nations oi
the world. To them is granted the
unique privilege Of fighting both fol
the liberation of the world and 20,
their race. College men and laborer:
are joined together by a passionate
hope that has not died despite centu
ries of defeat. Now that nope may Dc
realized.
''In a few days some $50 young mcr
viii leave America. The date is sgnih
cant. 1t is a day on which the Jews ot
America will hear the first trumpe
blast of the Messiah in their midst
These young men who have given "
everything for an ideal and an eventua
greater gain Wal be in a certain sens,
pioneers. They will prepare the wa!
for thousands to follow"
Mr.. Cohen, who is q. graduate of Cam
! bridge University and d former presi
! dent Of the Cambridge University Zion
ist Society and founder of the Inter
varsity Zionist Council of New Yorl
City. explained that The first detach
mcnt of a distinctly Jewish unit from
Jews who had entered Jewish regiment
/ m England and had thrown thei
weight against the Turk.
Refugees offered Services
The idea for separate Jewish regi
ments, he said, became manifest il
1915, when Jewish residents fed fron
the Holy Land into Alexandria. Ap
preciatlng the part Great Britain wa
playing toward the liberation of sub
iect natonalities, the refugees bandc
together and offered their services t
that country. General Sir John Max
we'll, commander in chief Of the Brit
ish forces in Egypt, accepted the prof
fer according to Mr.. Cohen, on Mare
10, 1915, and the Zion Mule Corps
sprang into existence. Of their worl
Colonel Patterson, who was in com
mard, is quoted as saying: "Many 0
the Zionists whom had thought lack
ing in courage showed themselves fear
less when under heavy fire"
Morris Rivlin, who yesterday joine
the Jewish amt, said that he was
technical doserter from the Turks
army, and welcomed the opportunit
to &C back to Turkey as an opponent c
the army of the Sultan. He lived j
Jerusalem at the outsot'of the war
Through the East Side, out G
which they had come, the new soldier
viii parade Tonight, after a dinner i