The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-09
The plan - outlined and which fs |
still IN its Formative stage, and subject

to revision. based upon further reports
from Europe and Palestine and as de-
scrihed In the special report and
recommends tions made to the commit
tee by Mr. Lucas. is as follows;r
The caring for the Jewish children
rendered orphans through the war
should he considered in n broad and
Statesmanlike manner The subject liz
too important to world JeWry to be
dealt with in any narrow or selfish
spirit.
Upon the Jews of the countries
where the actual horrors and suffer-
irEs Of the war have not been felt,
should fan the task of providing the
funds by which these children can be
raised to self-respectinE. selfsustan-
ing manhood and womanhood
1T is not practical to deal with the
subject of these orphans by piece.
meal. 1T is impossible at this moment
to say what is the total number of
these orphan children. The only guide
upon which TO base any such estimate
is to be found in the reports coming
from Palestine We are told that there
are about 1000 orphans in a total pom
ulation of about 10000 II is to he
hoped that no such percentage of
orphans will be found In Poland,
Galjcia. Lithuania. Roumania or Rus
sta, For. If the millions Of Jews who
have survived the war in those coun-
tries contain among them a percentage
Of nearly 10 per cent of orphan chill
dfon, the magnitude of the task con-
fronting Jewrv will he appalling.
II, therefore, propose that special
bureau of the joint distribution COM
mittee be at once created and that
funds be at once solicited. especially
esrmarked for disbursement by that
bureau. under the control OF the joint
distribution committee. I suggest that
arrangements be made to place the
bureau in charge OF one of the many
authorities upon child caring, who
have gained national reputation in
America Plans should at once be
made for the care of the children in
all the countries where war orphans
are, Representatives Of the joint dis
trihutton committee and others chosen
by it should establish central bureaus
in each county, from which the local
plans should be executed as opportu-
nifty arises.
In spite of the arnistice ii happens
that the only country that Is at this
time ready for the establishment of
such bureau as ! have suggested is
Palestine We have to deal there with
about 1000 orphaned children 7 sub
init that no authority is at present in
Palestine that Is capable Of undertake
ing the task of properly raising these
children
The living conditions of the pouu-
tatlon in Palestine resident in the cities
OF Jerusalem, laffa. Haifa, Safed etc
are reported to be such as makes it
undesirable that any extensive scheme
OF boarding out merits any support
at the hands Of American Jewry. It
may be necessary to permit this board
lig out system to he conducted as "A
temporary measure for the purpose Of
feeding and housing the children but
that there future education and train
ing should be raid for by the Jews OF
America and be conducted in such a
haphazard fashion would be- venture
10 suggest most undesirable. I sug-
gest that well equipped and home like
institutions built and conducted with
such regard fnr+locat prejaaiees and
cchditions as are necessary and
proper, is the proper program for
American Jewry TO adopt
Tt has been estimated that a sum IF
100000 per annum Will be required
to care for the three thousand-fdur
thousand orphans now in Palestine IT
Ibis sum Is approximately correct. the
expenditure OF such a large sum of
money In that country would be much
more economical and result in mucb