Intermountain Jewish news., 1925-12-10
DR.. Mosko,pits On
RussianC Colonization
By SIDNEY WALLACH,
In the Jewish Tribune.

OF support That the Russian colonization
project has called forth In Russia.
have spoken TO numerous leaders OF
Russian Jewry, communists. non.com
munlsts, Zionist leaders. | beard nc
dissenting voice In the chorus of ap
proval
DR.. Henry Moskowitz, chairman OF
the executive committee OF the ont Re
construction Fund, told me this at the
very opening Of my Interview with him
upon his return from Russla, Poland
and Roumanla.
Il went 10 Russia" he said, "to ex-
anime the activities Of the Ort and IL
see her colonies. found that the ort
Fund was working effectively. And |
was profoundly impressed with the
movement now under way to settle the
Jews OF Russia on the soil.
Il saw the colonies. Travelled
through them with a careful eye for
work being done by the group of
agronomlsts working with the Joint
Distribution committee. | visited Kher.
son. Already there were thousands Of
acres covered with wheat acres plowed
and planted and tended by the new
, Jewish colonists.
Il want to express my deepest admir-
alton for the work accomplished by
| Dr, Rosen. His efforts cannot be prais-
ed too highly. Within six months he
has paved the way for hundreds OF
colonlst families. He has wonderful
organization of young and enthusiastic
workers under the highly efficient LII.
brasky. They are obtaining unusually
fine results, even for experts.
"The land itself covers an immense
region. The new colonies stretch over
3I2s9 deslatins; the old colonies cover
33,31O desiatins. Between them there
are few, very few Russian villages
SO that actually there is vast area
Of 70G99 desiatins OF land (nearly
1000 acres) ready for the Russian
Jew to cultivate. You can ride for
hours in all directions OF the compass
and your eye will always fall upon
the Jewish land.
81 am sure, repeat, the scheme will
he n success. II has all the requisites
for successful colonization. There is
the land, there is the friendly interest
OF the government, and there is the
material and machinery offered by sey-
eral social organizations
''And the labor" ! Suggested.
DR.. Moskowitz smiled in reminl.
scence. ~ spoke to one old man about
it. He was living, as so many of them
were at first, in dug-out. asked
him TO tell me how he felt about 1t all.
/ His answer was expressed by Jewish
shrug and the comment, we have our
But here there Is n future before us
However it was among the younger
people that | met with an all embrac-
ing enthusiasm. They want to become
farmers. They are tired of being
labelled mftmenschen. They want to
live, with their feet solidly upon the
ground, and they realize that in the
cultivation of the soil lies their sal
vation.
From the agronomical staff under
the direction of the able Lubarsky, ]
learned that it is just this enthusiasm
among the colonists that makes farm
ers of them; their enthusiasm. coupled
with the fact they are newcomers to
y agriculture Paradoxical as this may
seem, it can easily be explained The
Russian peasants who have behind
them farming traditions, centuries old
prefer to use the methods of their
fathers and forefathers. The new
) farmers, with no immediate traditions
behind them are prepared to adopt the
latest scientific methods. With the
, methods well in hand. they will hold
n place as agricultural workers of the
first order"
And what of anti-Semitic out
breaks? l ventured the question.
Talk of pogroms is ridiculous" was
his comment in reply. ''The big po
groms against the Jews of Russia were
! furthered by hostile government. The
) present government however, far from
1 hostile. is most friendly to the Jewish
! population and eager to help them il
their projects"
DIR. Moskowitz spoke briefly abou
the older colonies near Odessa. "They
need help" he declared. 'The croI
!. failures in that region have had dis
heartening effect for while. But al
ll in all. despite the bad harvests, the
4 progress they have made is evident. II
\ Beresofka, in Krinitsky, where the crol
failures have worked undue hardships
il the progress is still quite apparent, No
u much, IT is true; but consider the un
.Nr ,l.. ,ngt t,Vf