Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-13
Views and Reviews
Reactions of the War Upon
Some of Our Puzzling Problems
Extracts from an address delivered
at the Diamond Jubilee Banquet
of the B'nai Birth at Chicago.

As EVERYONE knows, we are in the midst OF
the most colossal world war that has ever de-
vastated the face of the gobe--a war that has
drawn into it all the great nations OF the earth,
including our own-a war upon whose issue de-
ponds the future course Of manknd-a war
which can have only one outcome-the tri-
umphant vindication of the cause of democracy
in which ohr American people are enlisted 1t
is only question of time, and we believe now
a very short time, till the victory will be ours.
A little while ago it was our boast that we were
neutral, that we didn't care who licked the
kaiser. Now we have ceased to be neutral aud !
we insist that our American soldiers shall have
the privilege of carrying the Stars and Stripes !
right into Berlin and there tell the kaiser just
where he gets off,
For all of us this war has already changed
the entire program of our daily doinss, has COM
pletely recast Our thought and mental attitude,
has turned Our outlook upon the future into new
or different directions. After this war the map
of the world will never again be what it was
before, but the changes in the map will be as
nothing compared with the transformation
industrial relations by the leaven of liberty that
Is permeating further and further the masses
and classes Of the people, both in and out Of the
war arena.
Only 4 few years ago went down to Wash
ington along with some Of you to emphasize in
person the protest we were making against the
hagrant disregard of our treaty righg in Russia
by denial of passports presented BY American
citizens suspected of Jewish faith. We finally
prevailed upon our own government to give
notice of abrogaton of the treaty and with
drawal of the reciprocal privileges of trade and
travel until American citizenship and not reli-
gious affiliation should be the sole test take
it that as one of the reactions of the war, the
10 10 IL,
and settled as we insisted it should be- True,
we have no treaty with Russia, but the ban has
been removed by the irresistible sequence of
events as | believe never again to be raised,
whatever government may eventually prevail in
Russia.
New light is being thrown also on our immi-
grafton problem, although by no means so SIM
pie nor as near its solution In IS years I'D to
the outbreak Of the world war we admitted to
this country l3,3770& immigrants or nearly
100000 year, of which approximately one
tenth, or 100000, year were listed as Jewish
immigrants | do not need to discuss the per-
picking difficulties this situation presented
in 1914 the flow Of Immigration was t COMPLETELY t
cut off. When will it be resuned9 Will it
ever again reach the former magnitude? We
may merely speculate on the answer We hear
much talk of the principle of sef-determination,
which is understood to mean that the smaller
Municipalities of Europe shall be permitted to
decide tor themselves what sort of government
they want, or at least have fair consideration
given to their national aspirations But will the
principle OF selt-determination be applied to the
movement of the individual within the country.
and as between one country and another? Will
the Jew living in Europe be accorded the right
10 locate freely in any town or in any rural dis
trict in his native country' Or will he be held
to the spot where he was born, not to move
away except by special favor? Will he have
right of self-determination that will let him emf
CRATE to the United States or to any other land
OF his choice? Or will Europe after peace is
restored insist on retaining all their man power
IN order to recuperate faster their diminished
populations, rebuild their industries and help
pay the bills incurred in the work of destruc-
tlons wan labor conditions abroad be such as
to make work over here attractive by compari-
son' Will Europe lberaize its institutions and
government so that our long-established free
dom and popular form of government become
less Turing than of old? Above all, will race
prejudice, social ostracism and religious perse
ccution. gradually subside or break out anew?
II emigration Is permitted, will it be more
strlnsently controlled and directed to colonial
possessions or to particular countries whose re-
sources it is desired to exploit? So far as our
own government is concerned we have 4 new
RESTRICTION policy embodied in our most recent
legislation setting up tests of fitness for admis
sion certain to bar large classes which we used
to welcome to our shores, but who are now
warned to keep out. On the factors indicated
by these questions will our future immigration
problem turn, but it will be new problem
wholly different from the old one.
Let me dwell a moment upon one other re-
lated reaction which may be expected from the
war. refer to what we calf social welfare
work, in small way already begun before the
war. What we are doing for the health, COM
fort, education wholesome amusement of our
soldiers in training camp and overseas opens a
| vista into what must be done for our army Of
| industrial workers, and more especially for the
young folks, from which the industrial army is
constantly recruited. What we are doing in the
way Of civilian relief to protect the dependent
families of soldiers from want and hardship
marks field that will have to be better covered
for the unfortunate victims OF the march of civ
ilization in times of peace. The human wreck
age OF the war must be taken care of, not as a
charity, but as duty gratefully performed, and
SO also must be cared for and set in the path
OF contentment, and if possible, self-support and
usefulness, the helpless and unfortunate, the
widows and the orphans, the temporarily sick,
the permanently disabled, the aged and inhrm,
and all those who need helping hand