The sun., 1919-02-24
JEWS HAD 100000
MEN IN SERVICE
War Record Shows They Con-
tributed More Than Their
Proportionate Share.

The official war Record Of American
Jews" has lust been issued by the
American Jewish Committee through Its
| office of war records, of which Julian
Leavitt Is director. Although It Is an
| incomplete report of the activities of all
Jews in the service. due to belated sta
tistics from overseas, It records that the
Jews Of America contributed more than
their proportionate quota to the armed
forces, establishing proof by tables OF
comparative figures of population.
The jewish element in the general
population of the United States is about
per cent. and according to the figures
| OF the war report the Jewish contribu-
! tion of man power was at least one
| third more than its due share. The ex-
cess is explained by the 10000 Jewish
\ volunteers, while other contributing fac
\ tors are to be found In the relative oper-
alton of the selective draft system In the
thickly populated urban centres Of the
| North and East and also in the fact that
| the majority of exemptions on industrial
grounds were chiefly in agricultural.
| mining ana metal industries where Jews
| are not extensively employed.
| 1.-The readiness OF the American Jews
to fight for their country" reads the
| War Record. 'is shown by the fact tha'
| az per cent Of those in the army were
! In the combat branches. while In the
army as a whole only about 60 per cent
| we're placed at the front. The Jewish
| casualties amounted to approximately
10000. of whom probably 1000 were
killed In action. Other evidence OF the
quality of the courage OF the Jews Is
found In the long list OF citations for
| valor In the report and testimony OF
commanding officers such as Gen. Bell
Lieut.. Col. Whittlesey and Capt. Har-
rigan. who trained Jewish recruits In
camp and led them Into action"
1875 jews Cited for Heroisn,.
Because OF the hardness OF citations
| in coming from abroad the record IL yet
| incomplete in respect to its table OF
honor. but from statistics to date the
names of 125 Jews cited for heroisrr are
contained In the report. OF the 100000
Jews In the fighting forces 5.40S rose to
| the ranks OF commissioned officers, OF
| whom there were one Rear Admiral, one
Briga twenty -four Colonies
and Lieutenant Colonies. 202 Majors. 1872
Taptains. 1909 First Lleutenants, 1924
| Lleutenants with grade unknown and
l47 commissioned officers OF undeter-
mined rank. Jews in non-commissoned
offices of the army, navy and Marine
| Corps totalled 4.e95.
OF all the cities which sent Jews 70
the armed forces, New York leads with
total OF 22,21O. This includes the
| Seventy-seventh. Philadelphia comes
next with but 1898 In comparison. anC
Chicago third with 2,650.
The rames of fitteea commissioned OF.
ice-s Ave Of whom were avlators. arc
included IN the list OF Jews decnra ted
fer bravery. The list OF citations Is only
tentative, however, and a more complete
list will be published as soon as the over
seas hist is completed. This IL also 'hC
Iasc With the casualty statistics. thu
ram ~s of killed and wounded stiil beinl
far from complete The total recorde,
TO November |, however. is 2,502. or 80
per cent. of the total casualties in -,
army and marine corps. OF this mum
her, 451 were killed in action, l42 diet
from wounds, 90 from disease and I,
from accident and other acuses. Til,
wounded reached 1897, or ~ per cent
of the American forces
Reason for High Percentage.
Regarding the principal reason for tn,
; high percentage of Jews In the service
, the War Record explains that II Is TO b,
, found In the numbes of Jewish volun
teers. The great majority OF the rec
ords In the files OF the Jewish commit
tee" says the pamphlet, state the exac
, ages of the men reported. By actual
count Il has been ascertained that OF al
the men whose ages were known fully
10 per cent were we'll outside the draf
ages at the time the count was made
II in addition to this number there b,
added the 1886 sailors and marines
who are all volunteers, the total OF such
volunteers at present recorded rises u
: more than 20 per cent. OF the total in oul
files"
The present War Record OF American
Jews" Is but an advance report In lead
OF a more complete one to be later pub.
lished by the American'Je Jewish Committee
when 1t can gather finished war data. In
| collecting Information the Bureau OF
I Statistics and Research of the committee
wss handicapped he"auasasshe oR3cia
records of the army and navy make nc
note OF religious affiliations, and the
material had to be gathered through
leading Jewish organizations. national
fraternal and local. and through the
Jewish Welfare Board branches in the
training camps and at the front For
the first time In the history OF American
Jewry contemporary record OF Jewish
war participation has been attempted
The work OF preparing the second edi'
ton is being carried on through organ
tied Jewish sources, official records al
Washington and private channels. Par
ticularly is information desired on Jews
serving In the army, navy or Marine
Corps In a civilian capacity, on draft
boards. advisory committees, war service
committees or Liberty Loan organlza-
tions, and on records of citations. pro.
motions and casualties. Louis Marshall
is president of the American Jewish
Committee. and the task OF preparing
the second War Record of American
Jews" is being carried on by Jullar
I,eavitt at the office on war records, 81
Union Square West, New York city.
nHAnYNIEC Tn nYrrnry WYNN