The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-17

sentatives OF the Central Relief COM
mite, comprising New York's Jewish
Orthodoxy, among them distinguished
rabbis wept silently. az Bernard Hor-
witch. of Chicago, their special dele
gate to Poland, who went there. un-
der the auspices Of the Joint Djstribu-
ton committees told tales Of woe
he carried from devastated. starving
Poland There was restraint In the
speakers voice--there was an obiv-
ious effort to control serging emotion
as he unfolded, what at times sounded
like a story invented by mad gem
Gus of weird fiction.
It was a story not of mere eye
witness. but Of one who felt and sur
fered and struggled with those whose
cause he was championing. Lacking
in oratorical EN- establishment, the story,
aside from its prevailing humaneness
was lined and interIined with a Jew
ishness convincing and sincere. In
More than one sense, 1t was the hrst
real message OF sorrow from Jews
to Jews, Although nothing seemed
left unsaid. there was felt between
the speakers words an undertone OF
complaint that the relief work, as
carried on thus far. did not yield that
response from the Jews of America
which it should. 1t was during the
recital OF this phase Of the work,
that the most touching incident. at
the luncheon given to Mr.. Norwich,
came to pass.
Norwich was telling the story OF a
fourt cen -year-old boy, who walked
barefooted from Pinsk to Warsaw to
see the Jewish Relief commissioner
from America. The boy told a pitiful
tale of mother and older brother,
81 ef cto n
He was taking care of the remaining
four little children. He wanted his
father in New York to know what
has happened. but would not for the
world, have him know how his moth
or met her death The boys name,
Norwich concluded was Abraham
Lechowitzky.
Il am his father" exclaimed a
middle aged man, wavering awhile
then falling into a chair.
The Jewish idion-'swollen OF
hungar'-until recently help incom :
patihle With medical science-for
starvation was known TO produce
shrinking only and not swelling
proved itself terribly true in Poland
during the las, few months Hor-
wich said. In a hospital that would
bt condemned by our authorities as
unfit-Mr. Norwich found victims OF
this new disease. They were doomed
and they knew it. The terrible con-
seriousness of the awful end looked
out of their dulled CLASSY eyes. With
out hospital walls, followed youths
wandered Aimlessly, having been re-
fused admission for lack OF space. In
the Warsaw home of the aged. Hor-
wich found young beautiful girl
of blond hair and blue eyes--lying in
pain and unable to move. Inquiries
brought information that the girl,
overstrained from superhuman effort
to keep q family of six alive. was
siezed wi h paraIytic stroke one
night n her way home from work.
This Norwich said he himself veri-
fieG---addin.. hat for three days and
nights. she lay on Warsaw streets UNI
aided by medical care and when
brought to the Home Of the Aged, she
was beyond cure. If only | could dc
+ a little work" was her brief plant.
A more terrible tale Of Jewish
baby in Warsaw followed: Its little
foot was eaten away by a rat. The
mother net needing the cries OF the
| child knowing as she did. that thf
! baby had had no food for day ant
ast ribing the cries to bitter hunger.
| IT, Ostrolenka where at one tins
there were $4,000 Jews-4.ooo o
them remained and they are livint
in houses, from which the roofs were
carried away during prolonged bonn
| bardment.
Norwich added that he found
| Bertha Grossman with Ave children
| all OF whom came from New York
| on a visit, Ave years ago, and wal
| having cut off their return. they re-
manned exposed TO the mercy of wha'
their particular terrible fate had II
! store for them. For two days, tbs
! family was without food-when Hor
| witch found them. because sickness o.
the youngest child prevented thu
| mother from going to the free kitchen
| maintained by the American Jewry
| for plate of soup. The woman gave
! her husbands address in New York
adding in her convincing manner the
threat tina, she will Kill herself anc
the children--for she can endure il
no longer Norwich, acconapanie b5
his daughter in law. went to thu
! given address--on the lower East Side
| OF New York and learned that thu
husband OF Mrs Grossman was AZ
inmate OF the lslip hospital for the
insane in Long Island. Constan
worry over the fate OF his famil,
had worn out his mind. Mr. Leon. 8
grocery man at - East Seventh
| street. New York city, disclosed thi.
| fact to Mr.. Norwich.
There was grim humor in Hor
wich's saying that of the two pur.