Evening star., 1925-12-13


volved, and the conditions of their
exile and repatriation, the center OF
the Jewish refugee problem was in
Poland.
A number OF towns in Galicia had
been evacuated into more westerly
parts of Austria-about 10000 Jewish
refugees at the close Of The war were
found in Hungary-and when the Rus
SLAMS retreated from Galicia, many
thousands of Jewish inhabitants were
forced to go with the retreating armies
into Russia. From Latvia and Ii
thuania large sections of the popula-
ton had been evacuated into Russia.
Most of the fugitives from Latvia re-
turned there at the time of the Ger
man occupation of Kurland and Liv-
land. In kurland there remained of the
pre-War Jewish population of 10000
only about II, 900. The $4,000 or more
who were still in Russia when Latvia
became autonomous suffered severely,
while the retreat of the German army,
and the postwar difficulties between
Germany and Latvia, made their i'm
mediate return impossible. Finally,
return was made supremely difficult
by the fact that in Latyia, after the
war, the old Russian laws still pre-
vailed. SO that Jews who had come
thfther since 1881 had no legal right
actually resident there before the war
could not prove their citizenship.
Shared in Relief.
Before 1921 refugees had shared
with other war sufferers in the gen
eral immediate emergency relief pro-
vided by the joint distribution com
mittee. In that year, when it became
possible to differentiate its activities
by definite reconstructiye functions,
the restoration Of refugees and repa-
triates became the separate task Of a
special department on refugees and
repatriation. From July, 1921. to
April. 1923. total of close to 300 900
refugees - 185 900 in Poland alone -
were assisted by the department. Its
concern was no longer merely the
emergency relief aimed at keeping to-
gether body and soul, but to help
these haplesS wanderers to gain foot
hold again in the normal occupations
and walks Of life. The scope of this ac-
tivfty IS indicated by the fact that
an average Of 900 persons a month
We're given some kind Of aid by the
department.
Great Wave of Misery.
For when the pushback was accom-
plished physically. after roundabout
year-long Wanderings in fear and pur-
suit, the economic and social disIoca-
ton had been made complete by the
fundamental political changes in the
countries to which the refugees re
turned. 1t was thus on postwar re-
surgence of the far-thrown food. seek
ing a final outlet, that the department
found its activities centered. Russia
was the chief starting point of this
final migratory thrust From there d
mighty and irresistible wave of mis-
cry swept forth in 1920-21 dra gging
in its wake numerous others less seri-
ously affected, but imbued with the
same restlessness, detection and NOR
bid hope-aIl seeking a permanent es-
cape from political oppression or eco
nomlc stagnation or religious persecu-
ton or pogrom or famine or a chance
of reunion with families or relatives
| from whom they had been separated
| during the seven years of war. II
| spread in every westerly direction.
into Poland, Rumania, Latvia. Lithu-
ania, and the Black Sea border of
Turkey. and mainly in the direction
of seaports, such as Riga, Danzig.
Constantinople. To make sure of
reaching ths latter port, groups Of
emigres often chose to make a long
overland trek from the Pale district
through southern Russia to Tif1iS and
thence back to Batum and the longest
way across the Black Sea. BY a con-
servative estimate. 1850 Jewish refu-
gees entered these countries from 1920
to 1923. From these main estuaries
further smaller currents seeped into
Hungary Czechoslovakia and Ger
many. Another 10000 made up a sep
arate stream moving over these west
ern avenues from the Near East, eSpe-
cially Anatolia and Persia. In all. it
embraced between 100, 900 and 235,0 900
persons.
Task of Department.
This was the human chaos with
which the refugee department was
| called upon to deal. In the words of
| the report, its task was Ito combat
! the absolute decentralization of the So
! cial, economic and physical life of its
charges, in the face of the disastrous
| conditions in the countries in which
| it worked, and the difficulties inter
| posed by none too friendly govern
ments." Effort was centered ener-
getically on making its work count
toward the return and rehabilitation
| of these wanderers in their former
! homes. as promising a more funda-
mental solution than emigration. which
meant simply a transfer of the prob
| lem to other lands. This was accom-
| plished to such an extent that within
three years the refugee problem had
| been reduced to the bounds of nor
NAL peace-time emigration problem,
and the repatriated wanderers had been
restored to the level of their settled
neighbors, where their future perma-
nent rehabilitation became the charge
of the reconstruction department Of
the joint distribution committee.
From 1921 to October, 1924. accord
| ing to the report of a commission of
| survey sent to Europe under the
craftsmanship of DIR. Lee K. Frankel
| to review the work of the joint dis
tribution committee, approximately
| 81 10000 vas expended in various
forms of relief and reconstructive
aid to refugees and repatriates in II
countries-Austria. Bulgaria, Canada,
| Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France. Hun
gary, Germany, Greece, Italy, LatVia,
Lithuania, Persia. Poland, Rumania,
Russia and the Ukraine and Turkey.
In Poland alone, between July, 1921,
and April, 1923, over S129,00O was
spent. To carry the extensive task
| of reconstruction still called for in
| fnany of these countries through to its
| final liquidation in terms of restored
| human life-to carry to completion
| the interrelated tasks of continuing
economic reconstruction, medico-Sanl-
| tary aid child care and the begin
nings made in agricultural resettle-
ment, a SIS, ,000,0 900 overseas chest is
| now being raised i'll this country
/ through the United Jewish Ca1Ei-aigE,
under the chairmanshtp of David A.
Brown.
Anti-Semitic Resurgence.
"It had been hoped, even confidently
believed, that the solution of the
refugee repatriation problem would