The Denver Jewish news., 1920-05-12


To bring them hope hnd love from
Thee.
The Christian Register.
and seeks these Criminals who is IL
that is arrested and branded before the
whole community?-The Jewish small
merchant, of course. But the first cul
prits. the IandhOlders and peasants
are never punished, neither do they
lose their extorted profits. The money
remains in their pockets.
So it continues to this day. Com
merce is still controlled by the govern
ment. For the smallest business
permit from the government is neces-
sary. The Polish anti-Semitic bureau
cracy now has the means of persecut-
ing the Jewish trader, AMI the Jewish
merchants of Galieia are disturbed In
their initiative and enthusiasm for use
ful activity. But this is not the only
catastrophe which has overwhelmed
the Jewish businessman in Galicia.
S,iil other momento,is causes oppose
the revival OF Jewish trade, after the
world conflagratiOn. Before the war
the Jew was financially better off
Than the peasant. Regardless of the
boycott movement. the co-operatives
and the sO-alled self aid societies. the
peasant still came to the Jewish trad
er. beause the jew offered him bet
.,I,n NIL nd I'm tIl
peasant could buy from him on credit
These conditions enabled the Jewish
merchant to hold out against the boy,
colt movement and sdldianr ;orgnns that
were directed against him *
Now the situation is quite changed
The peasant has been enriched by the
war His debts We're easily paid. He
needs no more credit His possessions.
The soil. have risen enormously in val
ne. while the worth of money has fall
en- very low. 1t is the peasant who
Is now rich-and the Jew who Is poor.
And anti Semites incite the rich
against the poor -. The role of mid
ileman between the city and village
long occupied by the Jew. is disap-
pea ring. What should the Jews do
now? Their industry is ruined. With
the paper money which is almost val,
ueless no merchandise can he import
ed. and without goods no commerce
Is possible.
Such is the real situation. altho many
Jews are still engaged in commerce and
some have even become rich. These
are only singular and temporary phe-
nomena that have no Significance Tor
the general condition.
There are hardly any goods in the
land. The country is flooded with
paper money whose value is constant
ly dropping day after day. The fewer
commodities in the country. the less
worth has the money. And the IN
d,Istry of the region is as vet incapable
of production. So it becomes clear
that however great may be the profit
made thru n business transaction at
the time of the sale. it soon dwindies
into loss. because the money receiv-
ed for the article has dropped In value
during the intermittent period.
And the number of "happy" posses
sors of even this worthless money II
insignificant in comparison with til"
terrible poverty of the great masses.
Now to aid the Jewish petty mer-
chant of Galicia is a most perpleXins
problem We hope to consider th!s
problem in second article. Mean
while, we simply wish to establish that
Jewish commerce is now undergoing
the heaviest crisis in Poland In general.
and particularly in Galicia. 1t is in n
life and death struggle for its exist
cncc. which deserves the support OF
all Jcwry.