The Washington times., 1919-10-19
NJ NAHEAN gTRAUss
UOted Jewish PhllanthFoEigt and


N CUOtsd Jewish FhllanthFoEi1t and
Merekant.)
Terrible as conditions have been for
the past I'VE years among the desti-
tute Jews Of Eastern Europe, they
have never before been 50 appalling
las they are at the present moment.
with the coming Of the winter the
lclimax Of tragedy has been reached,
according TO the latest reports from
American Jewish relief workers, In
every part Of these stricken coun-
tries. At no time since hostilities
lceased has the suffering been 50 in
tense as it ig now among the Jews IN
these unfoFtuuate lands.
10 sum up the situation OF these
iGtarving Jews sounds like . summary
lof an human woe. Six million Jews,
Iout Of the 100000 in the World, or
lconsideFably more than . third OF the
lenfirs Jewish race, are today stand
ling in bread lines. or getting the soup
lOn which they live from the soup
kitchens OF the Joint Distribution
ICommittee OF American Funds for
Jewish War Sufferers!
Thousands OF them are sick. hun
ldreds Of thousands are without
homes, ali are destitute. A hundred
Thousand Jewish orphans, many OF
WHOM are sleeping and living on the
streets, look Toward with terror TO
the coming Of the winter. II is i'm
possible to compute the number OF
mothers who have gone insane as
they watched their children starVe, or
the number OF typhus patients who
lare praying for death, az they lie
sick, without hospitals or medicines
or sufficient food.
Refugees increase.
one year more Of malnutrition has
$50 weakened these poverty-strieken
Jews that they will not be abAs TO
endure the rigors Of the winter even
As well as they did last year, when
ltbousands q them died from cold and
hunger. The number Of refugees has
been greatly increased, also, by the
lBolsheyik 'ighting, and innumerable
homes have been destroyed within
the last twelve months.
Hundreds Of thousands OF Jews are
living today in open felds, or unroof-
led platforms, fifteen families to a
platform, In broken houses In stalls
Iof old stables, or in holes in the
ground. They are clad, for the most
part, in the rags they have worn for
lthe mast fve years, with strips OF
cloth bound to their feet, or bits OF
! bark tied to their soles' 70 serve as
shoes.
the number. who at eight or ten years
old are not larger than babies or
few months. and who cannot walk, or
even stand, because Of weakness IN
duced by starvation.
Prompt Action Needed.
DR.. Nathan Krass, rabbit OF the
Central Synagogue, New York who
has just returned from several months
OF relief work in Eastern Europe, con-
drmed the report that existence
through the winter was impossible
for hundreds Of thousands Of Jews,
men, women and children without
Immediate aid,
only the promptest action on the
part Of the people Of the United
states. can save them from freezing to
death and from starvation during the
coming winter" he said. IF these un-
fortunate men, women and children
are 70 be kept alive, scores OF ad-
ditional soup kitchens must be opened
and large shipments OF shoes and
clothing and bedding must be sent
to Europe immediately"
Although more than $4,000, 0OO Is
now being spent every month in
Eastern Europe by the Joint Distribu-
ton Committee, from sums donated In
the United States TO the American
Jewish Relief Committee, and other
American Jewish relief agencies, this
sum is not nearly sufficient for the
needs Of 100000 destitute persons,
thousands Of them sick. This sum,
makes possible the expenditure OF a
dollar q month as the entire outlay
n for every three penniless persons.
Obviously, this is not enough 20 sup
port life in them.
Typhps seOuFge.
Hospitals mHst be opened in large
numbers. An epidemic Of typhus, a
disease which is caused by filth, and
which Is inevitable among a people
who have had 20 wear the same cloth
ing for years, Is raging In eastern
Europe and farther east. BY the Red