East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-07-26
OF JEWS
OPPOSE BOLSHEWSM
Merchants Lost Fortunes;
Others Promoted to High
Places in Government.
BY FRANK j. TAYLOR

4 Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
4 NEW YORK. July 6.-Bolshevism
is nota revolution by the Russian Jews
for the Russian Jews. as is popularly
~believed. according to the bolsheviks
Investigating the way the Jews line
up with regard to bolshevism leads to
tho conclusion three-fourths of the
Jews are against bolshevism.
This stand on the part of the, MAJ
Jority of Jews is probably due 10 the
fact that the Jews have been the heav-
lest losers among the little bourgeoisie
of Russia. This is especially true of
| small cities. In the provincial districts
most of the Jews were buyers and sell
lers and had gathered together small
fortunes, usually from five to twenty
I five thousand rubles. Today that sum
is nothing but in the old days it re-
presented quite an amount, compare
lively speaking, enough to enable
operation of a small business.
4 Lost Fortunes
Il Generally the Jewish merchant lost
this fortune entirely, through confis-
cations of stocks in stores or of ware
houses of wool and cotton and grains.
1t was the jew who lost heaviest be-
cause he had most While fortunes
of merchants were confiscated, either
without payment or at low prices set
/ by the state. the peasant was allowed
TO sell at market prices. Confiscation
was not attempted with the peasant.
who was regarded as n producer.
y A typical case was called to the at
tcntion cs the correspondent while he
was interviewing the chief of the econ
cmic soviet in Moscow. Two Jews
ho
and Immediately put their case before
the soviet fer decision. They had been
sent by tho merchants of their village,
almost all Jews, all of whom were re-
quired to aive up wool and other goods
they had Invested in at n price set by
the government. The peasants, on the
other hand, were allowed to sell at a
competitive price.
| What the result of the protest was,
the correspondent could not learn.
since it had 70 be passed along to sew
eral soviets. and numerous yards of
red tare had to be unwound before the
matter could he solved. Probably the
goods were confiscated before the deci-
sion could be altered.
Similarly ir all towns the Jews have
run the small shops which have been
closed by the bolsheviks. The Jews
were the ones who lost their means of
support. and had TO go to work at new
places. The Jewish rabbis have been
against bolsheNism from the beginning
and, have exercised a great influence
over their people.
Some Become Leaders
On the other hand, it is true that Q
largo percentage of Jewish intellect
uals, mostly men who have been the
victims of the old government. have
become leaders in the bolshevik move
ment.
This has been explained by the fact
that under the old regime Jews were
prevented from entering certain other
lines of activity by laws which dis
eliminated against the Hebrews. The
Jews naturally took to, intellectual
pursuits and became writers. lawyers.
and thinkers. They welcomed any
system which would guarantee them
an equal opportunity. These intellect
uals quickly adjusted themselves to the
bolshevik ideas, and owing to their
keenness and energy, many came out
on top in the new government.
That the majority of bolsheviks are
Jews is not true, it is evident. Prob
ably they have a larger percentage of
i
tions than the Gentiles, but every eff
fort is made by the soviet govern
ment to prevent the issue from arising.
The bolsheviks are trying to prevent
from being made
againt the Jews. and have succeeded
we'll. The principal Jew
ism problem seems to be along the I
borders, where the armies are fighting |
There the reported "pogronls" are
causing bitter feeling. According to
he bolsheviks, the "pogroms," result I
ng in the massacre ofentire villages.
are confined to the anti-boishevik s:de
If the line. The worst Jewish 'po-
,roms'' have been in the south. mostly
n the Ukraine Many villages of Jews
nave ben wiped out. according to the
,est information available.