The Denver Jewish news., 1921-08-24
European Jews After
War and Pogroms
THE LIQUIDATION OF THE JOINT
DISTRIBUTION COM MITTEE e
NEW RECONSTRUCTION COM
MuTTEE TO BE FORMED.
BY FELIX NJ. wARBURG

SOME mlskiViukr ABOUT tnP uquiuhtloi
| Of palliative relief abroad. hnd
some fear that while We were seeking
| to relieve ourselves of some of the
duties which the American Jews had
Voluntarily assumed and borne since
the ravages of the war began to spread
over vast areas of Jewish settlements
withdrawal from the field Of general
relief might impose nm unbearable
thus cause new har,iships and misery
to the impoverished Jewish pOpula-
tion.
nm happy to say, however. that
after careful survey Of conditions
abroad and thoro discussion witt,
DIR. Bogen, DIR. Kahn. DIR. Peiser, DIR.
Plotz. Mr.. Cans. Mr.. IAndesco and
others, my misgi givings and my fear
proved to have been utterly unfound-
cd.
In every country, with the sole ex-
ccptiOn Of Russia, life In assuming
more or less normal aspects, and peo-
pie begin to find more stable and
natural levels which makes II po,-
sible for the Joint Distribution COM
mittee to substitute constructive relief
along functional lines for bread lines
and soup Kitchens.
The now no,icv,os constructive relief
was dictated by experience. The nee
essity of liquidating unproductive
chm v,tv her.me opne rent more than n
vesr s,o when raports from our rep-
resentatives and investigators abroad
had revealed the fact that indiscrim.
innte generosity ON the mart of the
Joint distribution committee tended
10 ,o,,ner,xe pot oplv tho uoor but slso
tho rich
In Poland. Roumania. Austria. Hun
yarv and Win the exceptiou Of
Germany. practic.lly in every conn.
trv v,her, fhe Js,ant ni.erihution com.
n,,ttee was cnrrvfpp on reyief actiy-
ities. many Of the rich Jews seemed
IN have taten n for granted that the
American Jews alone Ind the priv-
;leoa NJ fu,a,linu their obligations,
and tbev assumed nm attitude of lais-
soy faire I'm all matters which con.
cerned lavish communal life. Lean.
inc almost entirely upop the Joint
Distribution committee Kehillahs md
organizations failed To realize tbnt n
t;n,o ,ust come whom thev wouId be
c,l,ed unon tn resume their nre-war
s,,,us om, duties and tnev a,,owed
tbe Join Dist tfflh,tion committee to
,ro,o,ol,xa tho whole f,eld of mill.
antbrop,c work
Tbo efyact NJ this condition op lew
;sb life abroad grew ever more I'M
wbolesome. and ns far hack as MAY
of Iost vear. the Joint Distribution
committee .do,ted n resolutlon which
WINS introduced nv Colonel Lehman.
so,t,ru opart ave million dollars
from our finds for Reconstruction
wort Ahout that fine n also became
ce,or tbo. In order tn reyitalize local
ipitiat,ve and seK.relian.e. in order
IN enable tho reclamation of COM
muna, institutions to local sources
ond thus to avoid No much as nos.
sib,. nil hardsbips which would en-
sue a. a resu,t of n sutldep with
,rawal of onr funds It WAS necessary
TO serve notice on the Jewish COM
munities abroad allowing chem ample
time and funds to effect a gradual
substitution Of local means for the
support of the Joint Distribution CON-
mittee. Such notice was served every
where abroad after the conference of
our European representatives. which
took place last year In the middle Of
November. This gathering has since
become known rs the Vienna Con
ference. . sfs.-