New-York tribune., 1918-03-03
Jew was First
Victim at Manila

In the Spanish War moro than 4.Oo0
jewish soldiers served. The trstl man
to volunteer was Jew, Sergeant
Maurice Justh, of the 1st California
volunteers, regiment which num-
oered 100 Jews and which was CON
splcuous IN the capture of Manila. Tha
iirst man killed in action was also A
Jew. so eager were Hebrews to prove
thelr devotion to the government that
in New York alone 5000 offered thei,.
services to the Governor. through
Nathan Straus. Colonel Roosevelt has
neclafed that the seven jewish mem
pers OF his famous Rough Riders regi
ment displayed the most astonisbinp
courage. One of them, it may be noted
became a lieutenant. The Astor Bat,
tcry, too. numbered ten Jews among it's
nlnety-nlne members. Among those
VINO went down to death on the III
1ated Maine were fifteen Jews.
With these antecedents there mood
DC no cause for wonder at the militant
spirit OF the Jews in the present war.
OF that IN response to earnest reouests
the following welcome message was
iecentiy sent to the Jews of New York
ny the British recruiting officer in This
city. Major c. Brooman White:
Il have the .honor to inform YOU
Inat we can take and enlist into The
nrlsish army-provided they pass our
nneulcai board-British subjects and
Itite;naly t;y Aliens; by that | mean the
nationals of our allies-excluding
citizens of the United States. lew lew
lsh recruits will be placed in The
Jewish Jewish Battalion of the Middlesex
regiment of the British army. which
unit Is composed entirely Of Ho-
ntrews-bears the shield Of David ~
4eS insignia and will be given all the
eoieIa1lon necessary for the practice
OF the Jewish faith and is enlisted
tor 1 service in the near East-Pales-
'lne and the adjacent countries
recruits for this unit as noss;bic
ana would appreciate YOU endeayor'
1ng 20 assist me in this WORTHY work
ray and allowances will be AT the
LIsuaI BRUSH army rates-recruits
u'elhg retained to this country IF
Icy ICY so desire, within six months OF
'Te termination of hostilties."
OIL, "aI message was addressed person
si.y Sst 10 Joseph L. Cohen, who was the
naiI aTO recruit a to be enrolled under that
Can,hu;a % NJ. Cohen was a graduate Of
11t;.n.iuse ana Fellow of Columbia
tenlVerslty, who had lived in this cjtv
1or about four years and had been Of
mucn 1nI;n assistance to Major Brooman
whlte and other recruiting officers
throughout the country. He said of
h'mssif Mg and his fellow volunteers:
They will so as the standard
bearers of race that after more
than $500 years of exile and oppres-
SION has for the first time an oppor-
.unlty OF acting as national unit
among the nations of the world. To
tnem IS granted the unique privilege
oI nghting both for the liberation of
the world and for their race. Col
lege men and laborers arc joined TO-
gether by a passionate hope that has
n not dlec despite centuries of defeat.
NOV that hope may be realized
I'm few days some $50 younr men
VIII leave America. The date is sir
nificant: 1t is day on which the
Jews of America will hear the first
trumpet blast of the Messiah in their
midst. These young men, who have
given up everything for an ideal and
an eventual greater gain, viii be in
certain sense pioneers. They will
prepare the way for thousands TO fol-
low"