The Denver Jewish news., 1919-04-30
The Jewish Legions -
Past And Present
JEWS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAR
WIORS WHEN GIVEN CHANCE
by COUNTRY TO FIGHT.
BY NISSIAI BEHAR.

tcated the armies of five. victorious
princes. Moses defeated the famous
kings, Sihon and Og. David began his
wonderful career by Staying Goliath.
The story OF the Maccabaeans is n
familiar one. Then cnsucd the long,
dark centuries when we could not
fight even for our own existence In
mitted into the armies of European
rations. This was privilege when
extended in liberal countries where
tie jew was granted equality, but 1t
dew was subjugated. Recently we
have been enabled to fight for our
own home and nationality. This ma
tional revival was brought about prin-
cipally by our brethren of Eastern Eu-
rope.
Palestine colonization began under
most trying circumstances: Turkish
misrule. heavy taxes, and hostile
ncighbors. TO guard against the
raids of the latter guard of Jewish
volunteers, Hashomer, was formed.
Most of these men We're students or
graduates of European high schools
and universities, but they adopted He
brew us their vernacular. They plac-
cd their lives in constant jeopardy.
Scores were killed or wounded. but
tlie raids were stopped and the col
onies thrivcd These Shomcrim were
the first modern Jewish fighters on
the sacred soil. They We're ever ready
for the sacrifice. One of these guards,
II brilliant student, Barsky, from the
l:ussiun Caucasus, was slain by the
raiders His bereaved father. to whom
his comrades wrote letter OF con-
,lolence. answered that he was glad
lis son died for the cause. md that
ms other boy was coming to fill the
vacancy. Those Jewish patriots were
at the same time faithful to the Turk
ish government, and during the Bal
kan war many served as volunteers
in the Turkish army, but Djemal
Pasha prosecuted the Zionists. and
when Turkey entered the war hang
cd numbers of them and eXiled many
others.
First Modern Jewish Battalion.
1t was then that Vladimir Zllabot-
insky, ardent Zionist formed in Egypt,
on March II. 1915, the first modern
.Irwi.h Battalion. called the Zion
Mule Corps. to help the British in
their campaign against the Turks.
1llat body distinguished itself in the
lur,anelles. and 1t. Col. j. II. Pat
tcrson. ID. :. o.. dedicated to them
his book: with the ZiOnists in Gal
lipoli" Then Zhubotinsky, with his
friend NJ. ROssinan. launched the idea
of Jewish Legion and organized the
famous. Jewish Battalion of the Mid
;lesex Regiment of Royal Fusiliers
IN which he enlisted and is now Lieu
tenant.
Before the war several attempts
were made to introduce military train
ing among the Jews in this country,
but they were met with stern opposi-
ton from many of our leaders, who
had an overwhelming fear that this
might lead to the cult of militarism,
while others thought that it might
cause our Americanism to be doubted.
Even the Manhattan Rifles, who had
nc Jewish flag and whose command
ing officer was u Christian, Col.
Grimes. could not find grace in the
eyes of the powers-that-were. The
Jewish Boys Brigade, which coupled
setting up exercises and drill with
study of Jewish history, was stern
ly suppressed. Arguments pointing to
The Christian churches and their mil
itury organiza tions. the Irish VOlun-
tecrs. the Irish Regiment, etc., did not
prevail. But for that opposition we
would have had in readiness several
Jewish regiments, some fighting in
France with the Allies and winning
distinction for our people, while 9TH
eis cUuit have found their way to
Palestine and participated in the con-
quest of Jerusalem. Hebron, and other
cities
In the Spring of 1917 Pinchas Rut-
cnberg, the famous social revolution
rry leader of Petrograd, who mad
bcen converted 10 nationalism by
Thabotinsky and pleaded the cause in
fiery writings, went to Washington to
secure permission for recruiting jew
sh troops to help the Allies in Pal
estine. This was denied, as the coun-