The Denver Jewish news., 1920-07-21
Jewish Situation in Po-
land Graphically Told
DIR. BOGEN DESCRIBES RELIEF
WORK IN THE FOUR PARTS OF
THAT COUNTRY.
Improvement in Some Sections Noted
Ukraine Hardest Bit Of All.


in Poland has just been brought here
by DR.. Boris o. Bogen, the director
general for Poland of the Joint Dis
tribution committee, who recently re
turned to America.
DIR. Bogen's last visit to Poland last
cd nearly five months. during which
the relief work was completely reor-
ganiZed.
The old relief committees In Poland.
which did not give equal representation
to the various Jewish elements. were
abolished and in their stead new com
mittees were organized, to consist of
representatives of the three leading
groups: the AssimilatiOnists and the
ZiOnists. the sOcalled bOurgeOisie; the
organized and unOrganizrd orthodox.
representing the middle ciass and the
labor element. The last group is not
fully represented in all of the commit
tees because. as in Congress Poland for
instance, they refused to take part in
tie committees where the other classes
were represented. 1t is however given
funds. In Lithuania, on the other
hand, where the committees nre the
democratically-e elected kehillahs. labor
Is fully represented.
1t is on this basis that local com
mittees We're organized In the various
communities and district committees in
the even districts into which Poland
has been divided for relief purposes.
Every month u conference of dele
gates from all districts which nppor-
tions the money allotted to Poland is
held in Warsaw. Thus the distribution
and the disposition OF the relief funds
lave passed into the hands Of the Pol
ish Jews themselves. who are plensed
with this arrangement
The Four Parts pf Poland.
But when one speaks today ri I'oi-
nnd In connection with relief work.
says DIR. Bogen. he cannot speak of 1t
as one country. There are four parts
of Poland. and the Jewish situation
differs greatly in each of them.
l. Congress Poland has made con-
siderable progress toward recovery
during the last year. Industry and
trade are gradually being restored. and
this naturally reacts favorably on til"
Jews as a whole. Destitution calling
for immediate aid is diminishing, and
instead of proceeding with emergency
relief. the work Of reconstruction Will
soon he taken up. That does not mean
that Congress Poland will need less
assistance from the Jews of America.
Quite the contrary. Reconstruction. In
the form of aid to co-operatives. loan
associations. merchants, artisans. etc.
will require greater sums of money
than ever. But reconstruction carries
with it the assurance that the Jews
of Poland will he put on their feet
so that they need no longer he de-
pendent upon their American brethren
The work already done IN this direc-
ton fully proves it: number of Jew
ish merchants i'm various communities.
who were granted loans by the J. d.
C.. are now doing good business and
are already in n position to help their
less fortunate brethren.
.. Conditions In Galicia are worse
than in Congress Poland. altho in the
larger cities, such as lemberg and
Cracow, the distress has been some.
what reduced. In the smaller COM
nunitics. however, want is so wide
sprcad and keen. that there can be no
thought at present of reconstruction.
DIR. Iogen urges that more money anu
food parcels be sent there.
3. Lithuania is in almost the same
condition us Galicin. A large part of
I.ithuania is still In the war zone be-
tween Poland and Russia. and cities.
which had experienced the horrors OF
war for five years are going thru them
once more Industry is at stand
still; there is no employment, nhd
disease works havoc among the peo-
pie.
4. The Ukraine. however. is the
hardest hit of all. Conditions there
are indescribubly bad. Tens of thou
sands OF widows and orphans. pogrom
and epidemic victims: homes ruined.
disease and hunger every where. with
no prospects for work. for rest. for
decent living.-such is the situation In
the Ukraine To give an iden of con-
ditions in Kiev. Dir. Bogen quotes from
report submitted to him by the mill
tary nttache of the J. d. c., who writes
as follows:
..Nfr f;r,t ;mproSsiou when we en-