The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-12-25
Jewish RELIEF W0RK--THE
PROBLEM AND the SOLUTION

obtain it.
Disease is taking terrible TOLL for |
the hospitals were not spared. physi- |
clans are few, and the supplies or
medicines long ago were exhausted. |
One dare not dwell on the dire posi- |
bililieS of the coming winter.
Through its effective organization,
the Joint Distribution Committee is
striving, to the limit Of its means, to
find, alIot. transport and get TO the !
sufferers in time. not only food but
clothing, medicines and other supplies.
1t is also concerning itself earnestly
with the housing problem.
Extreme care is exercised in the dis
tribulion. First, the needs or each
stricken community are studied by the
committees experts: then, and with
equal care, the available sources OF
supply and difficulties of transporter
ton.
In Il single cargo sent out from the
limited States were shipments destined !
| for some seventy-nine different cities
and towns in Central and Eastern Eur
ope. TO each had been allotted its
proportion Of flour oil and milk. based
on the general and the local needs
already asccrtained and on The avail
able supply. 70 Warsaw went, for
instance, $40 sacks Of rye flour, 800
barrels Of oil and 1000 boxes of milk.
while 80 sacks of rye flour and four
barrels Of oil were billed to Ciechanow.
Nearly always these letters carry to
their recipients the first word they
have had from loved ones since the
war began. Most of them tell of dis
trrSsing need and carry appeals for
aid. III this way the committee be-
comes the agency for the sending OF
direct help from individual to individ-
,lal SO that the number of those de-
pendent on general relief is les>oncd.
BY rrntcrng their distribution in
single cu!:lnittee, the Jewish OrganiZa-
lions do away with duplication and
make for efficiency in every branch of
their relief work This efficiency is
Increased by the committees hearty
cn-oprra ion with other relief agencies,
national and local and with the Amer
lean Relief Administration Childrcn's
Bureau.
The wars scattering Of the members
Of Jewish communities who fled from
CRY to city before advancing armies.
or who were driven from their homes
by The military authorities. and the
consequent breaking up Of inn1nncr
able families by separation and by
death. laid one particularly difficult
burden on the workers for the joint
committee.
To provide means of communication
between wives separated from their
husbands. and children from their par
rnl~. and particularly to enable people
in Europe to get into touch with reln-
tivcS and friends in America, the COM
mltrc established q transmission bu-
rrnu.
In almost every city where relief is
required, the representatives of the
committee receive hundreds. sometimes
thousands, Of letters far persons In
the United States WhnSo addresses are
unknown to the writer's. These are
Forwarded here and systematic search.
for the irlivid,als is made:
Primarily the relief work carried on
. by the American Jewe is for the aid
OF Jews: aanis Is hecullst Of the cx-
, treme difficulty in getting relief TO tho,
drstiInrc Jewish millions in E,uro,,e
: through any other agency. Out Of
crushing experiences Of the war the
Jews Of Central and Eastern Eulopc
have come not only witll,tIt homes,
or possessions. or means Of livelihood.
bht lacking confidence ri any except
tlI'lr own people. i,
Vast *, the work If the Ancrlc;,,
Relief Administration. tbs i,tH Cross
and other si'r$' organizations h;i> Leeii
and continues 70 BE- the need fol
American JEWISH f-licf, therefore, has
been Imperative. AHT II: was never
more necessary than now
But while covering this 5nkf, 81 rs,
c1liurly its own. the Joint Distribution
Committee does not contine irstye fo'
the relief of Jews. It's work exte;,:'h>
beyond the limitations of race OF
creed.