New-York tribune., 1919-03-27
Mortimer Schif
Sees Need of More
Workers i'm France
Welfare Of Men With Army
of Occupation Assumes
Greater Importance; Or
ganization Pleases Him

Returning recently from q tour of
France and Germany, during which he
visited all the Jewish Welfare Board
centres erected to serve the A. f. f.,
Mortimer L. Schif, chairman of the
finance committee Of the board and
member of the committee of eleven,
expressed great satisfaction with the
efforts being made by the various vel
fare agencies to supply the 1000 900
American troops still in Europe with
suitable recreation, entertainment and
education. In statement issued last
evening he explained the situation in
France and Germany as follows;
81 had the privilege Of seeing n good
deal of our troops overseas and have
been much impressed, as has every
other observer. by the calibrc Of our
men. OF course, now that the stimu-
lus Of actual fighting is over, they are
bored and hOmesick, and it is just that
which makes it so Important that the
various organizations should work to
Gcthcr in providing the maximum Of
leisure time activities. This is thor
oughly understood by our army Of
tcer9 from General Pcrshing down,
and they are encouraging and helping
the work in every way. The needs
are most varied in character and al
cultics Of mnistorng to so vast n
number, scattered as they are in
smaller or larger units over wide
territory, are greater almost than one
could imagine
Administer to Ali Crceds
"As to the Jewish Welfare Board
much progress has been made in es-
tablishing it overseas on n basis broad
enough to enable it to render real
service not only to the men Of our
own faith but to all others as we'll
1t must be borne in mind that the
function Of the Jewish Welfare Board
overseas Is to supplement the work
OF the other agencies so as to pro-
vide specifically for the needs of the
Jewish men. We have therefore laid
great stress on cooperation with the
Jewish chaplains, Of whom there are
now almost twenty in France, in help
ing them with motor cars and other
assistance to meet the needs of the
men irrespective Of their religious
faith whom they find they can serve
In one way or another.
when left France, toward the end
OF February, ten Jewish centres had
been opened. -Four more had been au-
thorlzed, and others were under con-
slderatlon. OF course, there are hun
dreds or smaller places that we cannot
touch, and it has become necessary for
us to lay down the principle of placing
our centres at the points of heaviest
concentratlon-tha is, where our work
ers can do the largest amount of good.
!he amount of work which we can
DO IN France is limited only by the
number of tirst-class workers whom
we can make available for this pur-
pose.
One Hundred Workers
AT the present time we have more
than 100 such workers, and we are
bending every effort to add to this
force, accepting, however, only such as
by training and temperament would
seem to measure up to the highest
standards During this period of lone
someness and waiting for the longed-
Tor salAng for home our representa-
yves nave unique opportunity, and
l am very glad to be able to report
lii tnat, Tor the most part, they are
awaiting themselves of it.
spent more than two months in
france and visited our third army
1ne IN army Of Occupation in GERMANY.
!, ms TACT lmpresses me in particular.
,hat there never has been a time when
IL mas been more important for the
agencies serving our troops to do
thclr utmost to furnish them with
recreaAonal, educational and religious
opportunities and facilities.'