The Denver Jewish news., 1920-08-18
Judge H. Fisher and M.
Pine Back from Europe
HAVE ORGANIZED JEWISH RE-
LIEF IN SOVIET RUSSIA.
Il. q IL. SerYIcel

New York-0n Tuesday last Judge
Harry Fisher of Chicago and Max
Pine. the Jewish labor leader of this
city, returned to this country after an
absence of six months. Fisher and
Pine went to Europe in behalf of the
Joint Distribution committee. 1t was
originally intended that they should
20 to the Ukraine but finding them
selves unable to penetrate those reg
ions. they remained in Poland until
they obtained permission to enter
Soviet Russia. In Russia the relief
representatives spent considerable
number of weeks and at their depart
IRE felt satisfied with their efforts to
organize Jewish relief in Soviet ter
ritory Most of their time was spent
in Moscow. and it was they who We're
instrumental in releasing the one hun
dred and odd leading Zionists who
had just then been placed under arrest
by the government.
The arrest of the Zionists in Moscow
was chiefly the result of the bitter
opposition which Jewish Communists
in Soviet Russia bear towards the
Zionists. Diamendstein. the Soviet
Commissary of Jewish affairs. told the
]. ID. C. representatives that they
looked upon the Zionists as distinct
party, totally opposed to the Bolshe-
yik regime Fisher and Pine informed
the Soviet authorities that they could
not go Oh with their relief work un~
less the Zionist leaders We're released
and their insistence on this point alone
finally gave the Zionists their liberty.
The released Zionist leaders asked
their redeemers to tell European and
American Jcwry that despite their
action toward the Zionists. the Soviet
government was distinctly friendly to-
wards the Jews generally and took all
possible steps to ensure them against
pogroms Speaking of the general sit
uation. Judge Fisher said that things
in Soviet Russia were far from pleas
ant. Politically and spiritually, 1t Is
true. the Russian people Is free. The
peasants own and till the soil. but liv-
ing necessaries are quite prohibitive.
thus meat costs 1000 roubles per
pound. floor. 900 roubles pound. /
solitary herring costs 900 roubles. AMI
an ordinary suit of clothes or pair
of leather boots. each costs 10000
roubles. No individual may be in
possession of more than 10000 roubles.
an amount equivalent today to seven
and n half American dollars.
Marriage and divorce are extremely
simple matters in Soviet territory. or
course. the absurd suggestion Of the
ia tionalizatio of women has no foun-
datiOn. Those who desire to marry
have n private ceremony to suit them
selves and then register their mar
r;age with the authorities. \ divorce
is obtained i'm the same manner. one
simply registers the fact with the To-
cal authorities. Generally speaking.
the economic situation is anything but
satisfactory and. in their present con-
dition, the Jews in Russia require Mt
least one million dollars monthly FOR
relief. The most significant thing
about the Soviet government. the re-
lief members said. was perhaps the
manner in which they are forcing edti-
cation upon the large mass of the Rus
sian populace. The peasants are all
compelled to learn to read and write.
Only Bolshevist publications. are per-
mitted to appear. and because of the
great scarcity of paper. copies of the
newspapers are posted in the streets
and various public places. where the
masses come to get their information.