Evening star., 1925-09-20
AMERICAN HEBREWS SEEK
$l5,OOO,OOO OVERSEAS FUND
Two Gifts, Each $l,OOO,OOO, Open Drive
for Relief Work Abroad Nation
Wide Campaign Planned.

amounting to racial crisis unparal-
leled by anything else In Jewish
history.
$4,000 Farmers Established.
According to the findings of a per-
sonal survey made by Mr.. Brown in
Russia last Spring, over $4,000 new
Jewish farmers, comprising 5000 fam
| lilies. have already established them
selves in new farming communities In
White Russia, Ukraine and Crimea,
where they have now more than 500,'
+, 900 acres under cultivation. Thousands
more are following their trail in a
headlong exodus, enacting a new
covered wagon" epic on the Russian
prairie. Still other thousands have
made application for assistance to
make this move at the Moscow and
other regional offices of the joint dis.
tribution committee. Decisive fur.
ther acceleration has been given by the
action Of the Russian government,
which has opened up hundreds Of
thousands of acres of its most fertile
grain lands specifically for Jewish oc-
cupation and created g. special admin
tstrative department, called the COM
zet. for encouraging and facilitating
the transfer Of its Jews from trading
occupations In the towns to the pro-
ductive agrarian classes.
1t is the consensus of opinion
among those who have studied the
situation on the ground-among them
Mr.. Brown, DR.. Rosen and DIR. Bern
hard NJ. Kahn, European representa-
tive of the joint distribution commit
tee-that $4,000 families, or, roughly
100. 900 souls. can with American AID
be settled on the soil in Russia by the
end Of 1927.
Mr.. Rosenwald's $1,000. 900 Gift.
Mr.. Rosenwald. in tho course of an
informal tribute from the floor to DR.
Joseph A. Rosen. American agricul-
tural expert famed in this country
especially as the discoverer Of Rosen
rye, and whose exhaustive report on
the present Jewish situation in Rus
sia was an outstanding feature of the
conference, gave the reasons which
impelled him to tender his million
dollar gift toward the Russian agri-
cultural undertaking.
The possibilities Of rehabilitation
of the Jews of Russia through agri-
culture" Mr.. Rosenwald said, "have
interested me for many years..
Il am firmly convinced that the
really constructive piece of work
for their co-religionists until this time.
I have always felt that whatever they
did heretofore has been palliative.
During the war I was willing to go
along, and am still willing to give, in
measure. for palliative relief.
But 1 don't believe it Is helpful to
keep people dependent upon charity"
Mr.. Rosenwald continued. I'VE must
put them In a position to help them.
selves. / would like to see this agri-
cultural work made the first feature
of our program, and the first nine
million dollars set aside for this par
ticular work. Toward this, without
deprecating any of the purposes to
which the remaining $4,000, 900 are to
be applied. I am willing to devote
81, 600. .000."
Mr.. Rosenwalds offer, which was
greeted with enthusiastic prolonged
applause, was formally accepted by
Mr.. Warburg on behalf Of the joint
distribution committee, after the pass
ing of the resolution which made the
fund project an immediate call to the
Jews OF America. The campaign
leadership will be in the hands of Mr..
Brown, under whose direction pre-
liminary organization work has been
started. with headquarters in the Per-
shing Building, New York City.