The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-21
Rehabilitation Of Poland
Jewry to Begin
AMERICAN JEWISH UNIT ON WAY
FOR HUGE TASK. DIR. SPIVAK'S
FINDINGS TO GUIDE J. ID. c. IN
FUTURE WORK.

| outstanding Significance in the history
of American Jewry,"-Felix NJ. War
burg, chairman of the Joint Distribu-
| ton committee for American Funds
for Jewish War Sufferers, today is
sued statement, on the proposed ac-
! tivities of the relief group of twenty
| four men and one woman, who are now
on their way to Europe. lie explained
the important function assigned to
/ them of organizing relief activity
,hruout Poland and outlined the ac-
titvities for which the workers would
be responsible.
"The mighty forces OF united Amer
lean Jewry have been mobilized and
concentrated to save tlc Jews of de-
vnstated Europe from suffering and
annihiliation and to enable them to be-
come selfsustaining," Mr.. Warburg
said. 1.-The field of activity of our
unit will be Poland, that battle-worn
and hungry land. where literally mil
lions of our people look to us for the
very food that keeps them alive. Amer
lea has cheerfully and generously
given of its wealth for ;his purpose.
but for three years we have been COM
PEELED to shut our eyes to many II
shortcoming in the methods of dis
tributing these funds, since conditions
made it impossible for us to exercise
direct and definite supervision over
this distribution We are sending our
lao nj ,
machine for distribution which will
mean efficiency and which will make
definite control possible.
"One of. the prime tasks of the unit
will be the establishment of agencies
thru which packages and individual
remittances sent from relatives in the
United States may be delivered quick
ly and safely, developing form of
relief, which brings help to the needy
without any of the degradation and
humiliation that might accompany pub
lie charity. Another task confronting
our workers will be to share in the
movement to stimulate the people in
the local communities to the support
of the work towards which the Joint
Distribution Committee directs its eff
forts. But the most important prob
lem which they must face is that of
establishing n distributing and ap-
portioning organization. thru which
the local people themselves may de-
.ermine upon the best manner of
utilizing the funds contributed for the
relief of the Jewish war sufferers.
I'VE hope TINT the entire Polish
Jcwry and the Jewish press in Poland
as well as in this country. will treat
sympathetically our activities which
are meant for the common good; that
they will support us aud cooperate
with us in our sincere endeavors to
install definite and firmly based
system of relief for the Jewish people.
that they will be patient with the rep
resentatives of the Joint Distribution
committee in their attempt to inau-
gurate the system. which has been
! frankly presented and thoroly dis
cussed. and that they will refrain, dur
ing the initial period at least, from
vain criticism and antagonism There
| will continue to exist, as there does
now, feeling of great eagerness to
take up prolAems of permanent con-
structive work; our committee is eX-
crting strenuous efforts in this direc-
ton and has entered upon the prel,min-
| ary steps involved in lhis work. But.
! first of all. we must deal with the
purely relief problems: we must slim
ulate the local people to do their
share, making it clear to them that
| funds for purely immediate relief pur-
poses are less and less needed from
the United States. 1t will be then that
we will depend upon the generosity of
American Jewry. thus relieved to II
large extent of the burden of imme-
diate relief activities. 20 come for
ward with larger funds for Il purely
constructive program"
The relief unit will nave charge of
the expenditure of millions of dollars.
raised by three American Jewish Re-
| lief organizations the American jew
ish Relief. the Central Relief and Peo-
pies Relief To cover the large terri
tory where relief is needed-nnd to
reach all outlying provinces inacces-
sible by railway or other transporta-
| tion means. the workers have been
supplied with auto trucks. The dis
/ .ribution of relief funds, delivery of
clothing and food will he expedited
thru the distribution organization. 1t
| is planned to place each member of
the relief unit in charge of II district
---and make him responsible for the
distribution of relief funds in his dis
trict.