The Washington herald., 1919-06-02
DISTRICT JEWS
ASK CONFERENCE
TO END p0GROMS
Freedom Of Religious Faith
Keynote of Meeting at
Liberty Hut.
PLACE HOPE In LEAGUE
New Democracy Makes All
Races and Creeds Equal,
Say Speakers.

More than 1000 people were present
at the mass meeting yesterday in
Liberty Hut. when resolutions of pro-
test against massacres Of Jews in
Poland and Rumania were adopted
Men prominent in Congressional and
army circles. as well as many repre-
sentative Jews of Washington, were
. in attendance, and spoke in behalf OF
downtrodden Israelites in European
countries.
Freedom of religious belief was the
keynote of the mee'i~- --' a." speak
ers advocated that the league OF ma
tiOrs' covenant contain articles that
guarantee to all people the right to
worship in their own way, and, at
the same time, separate church and
state as an end to universal peace
and democracy.
Senator Pomerene Makes Plea.
Senator AtIee Pomerene. of Ohio.
said:
In times like these. when the
forces of civilization have overcome
the greatest military power of the
world, it is a sad commentary upon
humanity that any substantial num-
ber of people should be. at the same
time. fighting against the supremacy
of military rule, and before their
wounds are healed, engage in moo
rule against their fellow citizens be-
cause of race prejudice. We cannot.
and must not. sit by and, without
protest, permit religious persecution
TO be substituted for imperial oppres-
sion.
THE other day 1 was waited upon
49, NJ u
officer in the Polish army. They
called to express their regret that
there is so much agitation in this
country over reported cruelties Wis
tied upon Jews in the last few
months, and expressed the hope that
Judgment be suspended until an in
vestigation could be made by some
commission, preferably an interallied
commission.
Think Reports Exaggerated.
They stated their belief that there
was little or nothing in these charges
and that such cruelties as had been
suffered were not the result of po-
groms against Jews. but that Poles
and Jews suffered alike. The reason
given was that such acts of violence
were perpetrated by prisoners releas-
ed from German and Austrian deten-
ton camps.
II do not come here as one who
might be prompted by race prejudices.
I have none. My belief is that all
races and creeds should be equal. be-
fore the law, in all nations. If SINH
lar charges were made that innocent
men, women and children of other
races were suffering like cruelties. L
should insist that they be stopped
with the same zeal that urge that
cruelties against Jews now cease.
Calls on America to Speak.
Let America speak. and when her
voice is heard let us hope that race
and religious prejudices will die out
forever"
Representative Martin B. Madden.
of Illinois. in his address set forth the
fact that the Seventy-seventh or
East Side Division of New York. is
composed in a large part of Jews.
and that in the battle of the Ar
gonne Forest they did as well as any
other division of Americans.
There should be no distinction
among Americans" he said. I'VE are
all Americans. whether Jew or Gen
tile. If we have taken the United
States as our homeland; and it is
our duty to stop the wholesale
slaughter of Jews in Poland and Ru-
mania as much as it would be our
duty to put down like acts of vio-
Icnce in our beloved nation.
No Greed in 'ENo Mans Land"
The boys of the Seventy-seventh
Division did not hesitate to rush into
battle. In the ATSonne. Jew and
Gentle fought side by side. and no
question of a mans creed or ma
tionality was asked. They were all
Americans and. by the results
achieved, showed that in the United
States army there were no different
1ationalities.
Such atrocities as are being COM
mitted in Poland and Rumania must
be stopped. We must remember that
under the new democracy of the
world all men are created equal and