The Denver Jewish news., 1919-01-22
Real Rights Or Paper
Rights? Which !?
WILL THE FORCED LEGISLATION
IN MANY COUNTRIES BENEFIT
THE JEWS?
BY LEO WOLFSON.

all the demands which we have form
Mated at the Jewish Congress with
respect to the solution of the general
Jewish question and especially those
which are intended for the relief OF
the Jews in Eastern European coun-
tries. Certainly. We shall succeed in
CARRYING thru some of them. VIII that
he enough? Will we be helped in any
way by this partial success? And if
so. to what extent?
The Jewish news which we receive
from Europe is very sad. In Poland
continuous pogrom against our
brethren is going on hundreds of Jews
are being killed, and the situation Is
frightful. Roumania continues to per-
secutc the Jews in the old. mercileSSly
cynical way. even tho she protests that
she has conferred political rights upon
them. In Russia. only God knows
what the millions of Jews are suffer
ing at the hands of the Bolsheviki, of
whose misdccds they are being falsely
accused. God only knows how these
false charges are resulting in an in
describable anti-.Tcwish hatred. In the
other. the newly formed lands. the sit
uation is not well known. hut it can
not be so very good from what we
know of the treatment which the Jews
received in them in former times. In
Hungary. the entire Jewish population
of city was driven out. In Austria
and Germany. anti-Scmitism is ram
pant as before. and many of the pres
ent troubles of those lands are being
attributed. bitterly and maliciously. to
the Jews.
The only hope that we have. Palcs-
tine. is also a matter of contention.
The question of under whose protec-
tion the new Jewish Commonwealth
is to he founded is extremely important
and is bound to cause us many ankle
ties Therefore. when we survey the
situation and examine the future pos
sibilities of the Jewish situation. we
find that they are very bad and full
of trouble and hcartburning.
matter is that all these things are
happening at time when earnest dis
cuSSion is going on as to the rccocni-
tion and the revival of the Jews aS
II nation. when we are. so to speak.
ON the Threshold of realization. All
these things are being done against
the Iews at the time when we are
proudly and courageously demanding
complete political. civil economic. re
liriolls. and cvcE national rights.
How can We explain this phcnomen-
ON? What does it signify? Can the
jewish situation he improved by
rights? And will not these rights he
onl: Uran rarcr~-mcrcly paper
richts?" All these questions weigh like
stones llron our hearts and cold fear
seizcs upon us when We think of them
A cablcgram which was published
few days ago in a New York 1iddisf
daily tells us that the Roumanian ann
Semitic leader. Cuza.. in the course OF
Il speoch i'm the Roumanian Parlia-
ment. declared: "ROumania has been
forced to confer rights upon the Jews.
Put let the Jews remember. and
give them warming. that they viii
never enjoy those rights. We will
make their lives here so bitter that
they will he forced to flee" Later
news from Roumania shows that the
Roumnnian anti-Scmitcs arc carrying
ont their threat. that they are keen
ing their word. For years and years
have the Jews been struggling for
equal rights in Roumania. And now
when they have acquired them. their
situation is just as bad as. and. in
certain RESPECTS even worse than he
fore. because the hatred against tho
Jews is much greater and more in
tcnse Indeed. it is not yet known
what kind of rights Roumania has
rivcn TO the Jews. Iiut ] can scarce
" imagine that their situation would
have been nnv better If the rence con-
fcrcncc would have formulated com.
nlete rights for them. The situation
would have become even worse. The
nnti-Semitic fire would have become
rierccr and would have burnt every
thing within its range.
In tho other countries where there
is n question as to acquiring or pro.
rccting the rights of Jews. the situa-
tion is about the same. with the Same
rossihlc outcome. In Germany and II
Austria the Jews have had some sor'
"f rights for many years. and yer
crcrvonc knows how they have hoe"
treated in those countries. In Ger
many. Jews were excluded from poll.