PRESENTIilJ BY l>^n C-o "nn ~nn \ I !«<=- I 4 I ^ REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE OF FUNDS FOR JEWISH WAR SUFFERERS FELIX M. WARBURG, Chairman ALBERT LUCAS, Secretary NEW YORK 1916 PRESS OF CLARENCES. NATHAN, INC., NEW YORK. CONTENTS. PAGES Executive Committees of Relief Bodies Represented by Joint Distribution Committee 5-6 Introduction 7 Committees Abroad to Whom Money is Sent for Distribution. . . 9 Reports Received from Foreign Committees: I. Russia 11-64 Reports of Jewish Committee for Relief to Victims of the War. ... 12 Report of November, 1915 12 List of Local Jewish Committees 28 List of Correspondents of Local Committees 33 Report of March 1, 1916 38 II. Poland (Territory Occupied by German Troops) 65-106 Members of Hilf skomite fiir Polen .* 70 Local Committees in the Larger LocaHties 71 Report of Trip Through Courland and Lithuania 75 Report of Activities up to Present 82 Report of Warsaw Committee 97 Report of American Section 101 III. Austria-Hungary 107-118 Executive Committee of Israelitische Allianz, Vienna 107 Report of IsraeHtische Allianz, February 17, 1916 108 IV. Greece and Turkey (exclusive of Palestine) 119-130 Letter from Ambassador Henry Morgenthau 119 Report of Committee for DardeneUes and Gallipoli 110 Report of Commission for the Assistance of FamlHes of Jewish Soldiers in Turkey 122 Reports of Chief Rabbi of Salonica 123 V. Palestine 131-140 Report of Dr. Arthur Ruppin 131 Agreement for Distribution of Relief Funds in Palestine 134 Statement of Expenditures of American Funds up to April 11, 1915 136 Soup Kitchens 137 Food Ship "Vulcan" 137 VI. Alexandria, Egypt 141-150 Report of Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees from Palestine and Syria • l*! VII. Switzerland 151-154 Report of Central Committee for Jewish Students in Switzer- land. 151 3 AMERICAN JEWISH RELIEF COMMITTEE Louis Marshall Felix M. Warburg Cyrus L. Sulzberger David M. Bressler Chairman Treasurer Secretary Asst. Secretary Dr. Cyrus Adler Isaac Adler Louis D. Brandeis Caesar Cone Col. Harry Cutler Samuel Dorf Harry Fischel J. Walter Freiberg Dr. Harry Friedenwald Rabbi Moses J. Gries Mrs. Janet S. Harris Rev. Dr. Emil G. Hirsch Louis E. Kirstein E. W. Lewin-Epstein Hon. Meyer London Harriet B. Lowenstein Hon. Julian W. Mack Dr. J. L. Magnes Samuel Phillipson Julius Rosenwald Hon. Leon Sanders Jacob H. Schiflf Col. Moses Schocnberg Mrs. Abram Simon Hon. Oscar S. Strauss Hon. Mayer vSulzbcrger Col. Isaac M. U 11 man A. Leo Weil Col. Harris Weinstock CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITTEE Leon Kamaiky . Rabbi Israel Rosenberg Rabbi Meyer Berlin Peter Wernik . Julius Dukas . Harry Fischel . Albert Lucas . Morris Exgelman Stanley Bero . Chairman Vice-Chairmen Treasurer Executive Secretary Finajicial Secretary Manager Rabbi S. H. Click Rabbi Benjamin B. Guth Rabbi H. S. Goldstein Rabbi Solomon E. Jaflfe Rabbi Philip Klein Rabbi Joseph Konvitz Rabbi J. Levenberg Rabbi B. L. Leventhal Rabbi M. S. Margolies Rabbi I. Siegel Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum Rev. Dr. B. Drachman Rev. Dr. Moses Hyamson Rev. Philip Jaches Rev. H. Masliansky Rev. Dr. H. P. Mendes Rev. H. S. Morias Rev. Dr. Max Raisin Hon. Josepli Barondess Dr. Paul J. Bauerberg Guedalia Bubelik S. S. Bloom I. L. Brill IVIoses Davis Henry Eiser C. Joshua Epstein William Fischman Aaron Garfunkel Samuel Goldstein Jacob Ginsburg Philip Hersh Louis I. Kapit David Kass Wolf Klebansky E. W. Lewin-Epstein Nathan Lamport William B. Leaf A. Lubarsky Samuel Mason Moritz Neuman Rabbi M. Peikus Israel H. Perskin Moses H. PhilHps Hon. N. Taylor Phillips Nathan Roggcn J. Rokeach G. S. Rotli William Roth Hon. Leon Sanders Michael Salit Ezekiel Sarasohn L. Schwartz Elias Surut Leon Tuchman Isidore Wliite PEOPLE'S RELIEF COMMITTEE Hon. Meyer London Sholom Ash Jacob Panken . Dr. S. Ellsberg Sholom Goldberg . Samuel Heller ChONON J. MiNIKES A. I. Shiplacoff Dr. Julius Rudisch Dr. B. Hoffman Dr. Anna Aronovich Mrs. Philip Lewisohn Boris Fingerhood . B. Zuckerman . Chairman Vice- Chairmen Treasurer Chairmen of Sub- Committees Executive Secretary Secretary for Out-of-Town Jacob P. Adler Dr. Anna Aronovich Sholom Ash A. Back I. Berkenblitt Rev. M. Berlin Herman Bernstein R. Block Dr. I. J. Bluestone Meyer Brown G. Bublik Abraham Cahan Dr. H. Climenko Dr. Michael Cohen Isidor Cohen Charles A. Cowen Dr. Fanny Dembo Peter Diamond S. Diamond M. Drujanoff Dr. Samuel Ellsberg H. Ehrenreich Joel Entin E. W. Lewin-Epstein M. Epstein H. Eiser Rabbi J. Eskolsky J. G. Feit M. M. Fertig E.Fife Louis Fife Boris Fingerhood M. Gilis Dr. M. Girsdansky I. Gonikman M. Goodman Ab. Goldberg Isaac Goldberg Dr. J. Halpern J. Halpern Mrs. M. Halperin Adolph Held Ab. Heller Samuel Heller A. Hershkovitz Dr. B. Hoffman Max Hollander Dr. I. Hourvitch S. Janovsky Dr. S. Joseph H. Kahn Rabbi M. A. Kaplan Dr. Paul Kaplan David Kessler C. Karlinger Albert Kruger Krotchmar-Israeli Meyer London Louis B. London Harry Lang Leo Lerner I. Irving Lipsitch S. Le Vinson Louis Lipsky Max Luloff Dr. J. L. Magnes Dr. H. Masliansky Jos. S. Marcus S. Metz J. Meltzner Chonon J. Minikes Ab. Mitchel A. Mintz Jacob Milch Leon Moisseiff" Dr. Henry Moskovitz M. Olgin Jacob Panken Max Pine Mrs. A. Pastor David Pinsky 6 S. Polacoff Dr. S. E. Posin • Abraham Reisin B. G. Richards Max Perlman Hilel Rogoff Dr. F. F. Rosenblatt M. Rothenberg Z. N. Rubinstein H. Salant H. R. Segal Bernard Semel A. I. Shiplacoff Abr. Shomer J. Shlosberg W. Schwartz S. Shore B. Shlesinger Victor Shwartz A. Solovioff I. Spectorsky • S. Spector Sol. Suffrin J. Sprayregen M. Stern Boris Thomashefsky S. Thau L. Tropp M. Turitz Rabbi D. Twersky G. Vishniak Mrs. Warshavsky Philip Wattenberg B. Weinstein Dr. J. M. Wallfield Barnet Wolff Israel I. Wolff Dr. Ch. Zhitlovsky B. Zuckerman Max Zuckerman INTRODUCTION. The reports contained in this book are those which have recently been received by the Joint Distribution Committee. They are pubHshed in order to acquaint the pubHc with the methods of dis- tribution of the funds raised in America for the rehef of Jews suffering through the war. The Joint Distribution Committee consists of representatives of the American Jewish ReHef Committee, the Central Committee for the Relief of Jews Suffering Through the War and the Peoples' ReHef Committee, the names of whose Execu- tive Committees are given on pages 5 and 6. Felix M. Warburg is Chairman and Albert Lucas, Secretary, of the Joint Distribution Committee. It was established November 27, 1914, after a conference between representatives of the American Jewish ReHef Committee and the Central ReHef Committee. The Peoples' Relief Committee was invited to send representatives to the Joint Distribution Committee on November 29, 1915. Every effort is continually being made to obtain detailed infor- mation as to the conditions in the various War Zones. The Joint Distribution Committee, when making appropriations is, however, compelled to rely upon the information contained in the last cable- grams received from its correspondents. The detailed reports, such as those published in this book, are of course received very much later. The Joint Distribution Committee has a sub-committee of six members which receives and digests all reports from belligerent countries and which upon the basis of such reports makes recom- mendations or appropriations to the full committee. The Joint Distribution Committee fully recognizes the grave responsibiHty which the collection and distribution of these relief funds imposes upon it. Its deHberations, even after the reports have been digested by the Committee of Six, engage the most earnest consideration of its members, who devote the greatest care in the discharge of their onerous duties. The delays in the receipt of reports from the different com- mittees abroad and the fact that it is impossible from this end to 7 decide as to the best methods to be employed for the reHef of the appalling distress, has led the Joint Distribution Committee to arrange to send a commission of its own representatives to investi- gate the situation on the spot and to establish permanent distribution agencies responsible directly to the Joint Distribution Committee. The opinions of interested parties as to the decisions and appor- tionments of funds made by the foreign committees are of great A^alue and are carefrdly considered, but each district, even each town and each village, asserts that its loss is the greatest. These state- ments, while perfectly natural, are merely based upon a close view of the loss of life and ruin of property, by which the individual, in each place, is surrounded. The Joint Distribution Committee has exerted every effort to place the relief funds in the hands of a responsible committee in each countrj^, which can, upon a judgment fomied after a general surv^ey of the situation as it is contained in each zone, apportion the money for the best interests, present and future, of the hundreds of thousands of people that it is endeavoring to assist. No estimate can be formed at this time as to the sum which eventually will have to be raised by the Jews in America, and in publishing these reports the Joint Distribution Committee merely desires to give the public an understanding of the vastness of the distress it is attempting to assuage. COMMITTEES ABROAD TO WHOM MONEY IS SENT FOR DISTRIBUTION. All the funds collected by the three relief committees are admin- istered by the Joint Distribution Committee working tlirough various organizations and individuals in the countries at war or affected by the war. From January 20, 1915, to August 15, 1916, there was sent to Russia $1,800,000.00 German-Poland 1,454,500.00 Austro-Hungary, including Galicia 1,065,000.00 Palestine, including "Vulcan" 403,788 .69 Greece and Turkey other than Palestine. . . . 132,325 .00 Alexandria 21,000.00 Jewish Students in Swiss Universities 5,000.00 Tunis, Algiers and Morocco 5,000.00 Destitute Families of Russian Jews in France 5,000 . 00 As to RUSSIA, the Joint Distribution Committee sends funds to the Jewish Colonization Committee (ICA) which makes itself responsible for the proper distribution of the money. Thus far all funds transmitted to the ICA have been tvirned over for dis- tribution to the Jewish Committee for the Relief of Sufferers from the War, which has its headquarters at Petrograd and works through local committees in 142 centers. (See page 28.) The names of the members of the Jewish Committee at Petrograd and a report from that committee will be found on pages 11-64. As to those parts of POLAND, LITHUANIA and COURLAND now under German occupation, the Joint Distribution Committee sends its funds for distribution by Das Jiidisches Hilfscomite fiir Polen, with headquarters in Berlin and sub-committees in localities throughout the occupied territories. The personnel of this com- mittee and a report of its work will be found on pages 65-101. On October 25, 1915, the sum of $100,000 was sent to the Ameri- can Consul at WARSAW for distribution by a designated com- mittee. The report of this committee will be found on pages 101-106. As to AUSTRIA-HUNGARY and those parts of POLAND UNDER AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN RULE, the Joint Distribution Committee sends its funds for distribution by the Israelitische 9 Alliaiiz zu Wien. This committee works in cooperation with local committees in several hundred centers of Jewish population, and a list of the executive and a report of its work will be found on pages 107-118. As to TURKEY, the Joint Distribution Committee sends funds to the American Embassy at Constantinople for distribution through committees accredited by it. The Joint Distribution Committee has not received any detailed reports of the manner in which the funds transmitted for the relief of the Jews in Turkey have been disbursed, but general information on this head will be found on pages 119-123. As to SALONICA and contiguous territory, the Joint Distribu- tion Committee sends funds to Chief Rabbi Jacob Meir of Salonica. The report of their distribution will be found on pages 123-129. As to PALESTINE, the Joint Distribution Committee sends funds to Dr. Otis A. Glazebrook, Consul of the United States at Jerusalem, for distribution through committees appointed by the Joint Distribution Committee. The report of the relief work in Palestine will be found on pages 131-140. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, a large niimber of Russian Jews were either expelled, or fled, from Palestine to ALEXANDRIA (EGYPT) . The Joint Distribution Committee has made appropria- tions for their relief. The report of the local Committee will be found on pages 141-149. The Joint Distribution Committee also sent various sums to SWITZERLAND for the relief of Russo- Jewish students of Swiss universities. These funds were transmitted to Mr. Herman Conheim, an American who at the outbreak of the war was at Zurich, for distribution through committees accredited by him. Mr. Conheim's report wll be found on pages 151-158. The committee feels that there is no need of describing the terrible conditions among the Jews in the war zone, beyond the simple statements contained in the reports from the various coun- tries herewith presented to the Jewish public in America. We would say in all solemnity that although large sums of money have thus far been sent for the relief of the Jews in the war zone, the need for much larger funds is ever present. The committee hopes that the facts and figures herewith produced will arouse the American Jews to renewed efforts on behalf of their brethren, much greater than those which have thus far been manifested. 10 I. RUSSIA Funds appropriated by the Joint Distribution Committee for Russia are transmitted to the I. C. A. at Petrograd, which turns them over to the Jewish Committee for the Rehef of Sufferers from the War, with offices at 60 Rue Ofifizierskaya, Petrograd. The officers of this Committee follow : M. A. Warschavsky, Chairman of the Organizing Committee. Baron A. de Guinzburg, H. Sliosberg, . M. GiNSBURG I ^^^^""^^ of Executive Committee. B. Kamenka, Sav. Polak, D. Feinberg, Treasurers. L. Bramson, 1 o . • ,, „ \ vSecretanes. M. Kreinin, J This Committee has been recognized by the Government as the central body to which all provincial committees and relief organi- zations address themselves. The Committee receives Government subventions and the most important Russian donations. At the request of the Government, MM. Sliosberg and Sheftel represent the Committee on the Government Commission for Relief of Refugees, and Baron A. Guinzburg is a member of the relief committee organ- ized by the Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna. Although the Government covers a great part of the expendi- tures for food and clothing for the refugees, the Committee is compelled to expend the sum of 1,500,000 roubles monthly, or 18,000,000 roubles for the year. Of this amount, the Jewish popu- lation cannot be expected to raise more than 400,000 roubles per month, or 5,000,000 roubles for the year. The Committee has under its care 200,000 refugees who are registered; those who are lodged privately bring the number up to 400,000. These, however, are only the refugees; hundreds of thousands who are in the war zone are also destitute and in need of constant assistance. 11 12 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. REPORTS OF JEWISH COMMITTEE FOR RELIEF TO VICTIMS OF THE WAR. In the month of November, 1915, the Jewish Committee for the Relief of War Victims in Petrograd presented a statement to the Russian Minister of the Interior concerning the rehef work of the Jewish committees in Russia. The statement was made for the ptirpose of securing from the Russian Government the sum of 2,100,000 roubles for clothing, shelter and loans for the Jewish refugees from Poland who had been driven into inner Russia upon the advance of the German armies. As a result of the statement of the Jewish Relief Committee, the Russian Government made a grant of 1,000,000 roubles, which was used by the Jewish relief committees exclusively for clothing and shoes for the Jewish refugees. This item of itself indicates the enormous amount of money needed for the elementary needs of the Jewish refugees. Aside from this governmental aid, the Jewish rehef committees have had to depend almost entirely upon private contributions. The report presented to the Minister of the Interior gives an account of the rehef work undertaken by the Jewish rehef committees, and it is from this ofhcial report that we herewith present extracts as an indication of the manner in which the rehef funds from America have been expended in Russia. REPORT FOR NOVEMBER, 1915. ORGANIZATION. The committee, which has worked for a period of more than one year, has taken care of the Jewish population which has suffered from the war; at first, its entire activity was centered on relieving the condition of the sufferers in the war zone in the Polish kingdom. As the events developed, the activities of the committee were broadened, and, in co-operation with the Petrograd committee, committees and societies for relieving Jewish sufferers from the war, were organized in other cities. The activities of all these organizations were joined by the Petrograd committee, which has in fact become the Central Com- mittee. The means of the Petrograd, as well as the other committees in the provinces, consisted of voluntary contributions. TERRITORIAL COMMITTEES. In time, the activities of some of the provincial committees assumed a territorial character, and were devoted not only to the respective cities in which such committees were formed, but took up the joint relief work to the refugees, Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 13 and to those who have been forcibly expelled from different governments. Of such nature is the organization in Moscow, which is called the Society for Relief of the Victims of the War; in Kieff, the Society for Helping the Jewish Popula- tion Suffering from War Activities; in Vihia, Kharkoff and Odessa. With the closing up of the activities of the Vilna committee, at the present moment the Petrograd committee has assumed the role of a unifying center, and with it are acting the Moscow Society for the Relief of the War Victims, the Kieff society, and also committees in the cities of Kharkoff and Odessa. The Moscow society is serving at present the governments of Vladimir, Voroneszh, Kursk, Kaluga, Moscow, Nizhni-Novgorod, Orel, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov and Tula. The Kieff committee extends its activities to the governments of Kieff, Podolia and Volhynia. The Kliarkoff committee serves the governments of Kharkoff and Poltava. The Odessa committee works in the City of Odessa and Government of Bessarabia. The Petrograd committee extends aid to refugees in all other governments, in European Russia, as well as in Siberia. LOCAL COMMITTEES. The Petrograd committee, as well as other territorial committees, act through local committees in every separate urban commtmity, where there are Jewish refugees. A list of the local Jewish committees, and of organizations for the relief of the victims of the war, is herewith attached. (Supplement I.) The number of these is at present 143. Besides, in all different places, where there was need of relieving refugees, and where there is no committee in existence, aid is extended through authorized persons chosen from the local civic workers; the list of such places contains 161 population points (See Supplement 2). The organization of local committees, the watching over their activities, as well as the investigations into the conditions of the refugees, falls on the authorized representatives of Petrograd committee, as well as of other terri- torial committees who are chosen from the best-fitted and experienced persons. The Petrograd committee, at the present time, has 30 such agents, and the Moscow eight agents and three assistants. The local committee, with the direct help of its agents, makes up the list of the requirements for relief, and this is presented to the Petrograd or respecti\'e territorial committee for final approval. The moneys appropriated are, in most cases, spent under direct supervision of the agents. Detailed reports of such ex- penditures are presented to the Petrograd or corresponding territorial committee. Such reports are also presented by the agents, who have made direct expenditures for giving relief to refugees, and also by local ci\ic workers to whom_ certain amounts have been assigned for specific purposes. GENERAL ORGANIZATIONS GIVING AID OF A SPECIAL KIND. Along with the committees above mentioned, relief work for refugees is also effected by other Jewish organizations, which have been in existence prior to the war and which, since the commencement of the war, have made it their object to satisfy definite needs of the population, whicli has suffered from the 14 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. war. In the list of such organizations are, first of all, the Society for Preserving the Health of the Jewish Population; this Society has a whole chain of branches in the provinces, and extends medico- sanitary aid, and also provides the homes for the children of refugees; second, the Society of Industrial and Agricultural Work Among the Jews, which has established a special department of relief works for Jewish refugees, with a chain of branches of bureaus in places where Jewish refugees are congregating; third, the Society for Spreading Education Among the Jews which attends to educational and cultural needs. The work of all these organizations is at present in very close touch with the activities of the Petrograd Jewish Committee. They receive from it appro- priations. Through the imited efforts of all these organizations, the following has been effected: (a) Relief work for the Jewish population in the Polish kingdom, mainly in Warsaw, where the direct care of the refugees was performed in the Jewish Communal Administrative Bureau in Warsaw, which has con- trolled the relief work of various government committees of Poland; (b) The evacuation and the distribution of refugees, and of those who have been forcibly expelled from the governments of Suvalki , Courland, Kovna ; (c) The evacuation of concentration points in governments of Grodna and Vilna, just prior to their capture by the enemy, and, at the present moment, evacuation by refugees of different points, Dvinsk, Polotzk, Minsk, is being effected; (d) Relief of refugees is being organized in their new settlements, and means are taken for their proper distribution from more congested places to the nearest points. REGISTRATION OF REFUGEES. In all new settlement places there is kept an accurate registry of refugees who have been helped by the committees. Information about the number of refugees is furnished bj^ all committees to the Petrograd committee, where weekly bulletins are issued. NUMBER OF REFUGEES. On the third of this month there have been registered by committees about 155,925 Jewish refugees who have received aid. This number does not include the considerable mass of refugees in the Governments of PodoHa, Volhynia, Bessarabia, and others from which there is no accurate information, and also does not include the number of those refugees, who cannot be coiuited, because they are still in the zone of war activities, such as: Polotzk, Molodeschno, Baranovichi, Sarni, Pinsk, Kamenetz-Podolsk, and others. Nor are included in this list, those of the refugees who have received relief from the Jewish organi- zations, but have subsequently settled in different places and have ceased to depend on them. A census of refugees by governments and separate communities is herewith attached (Supplement III). Throughout the period of the activities of the Petrograd Committee, relief was rendered to the sufferers from the war in 348 points. A list of which is attached herewith (Supplement IV). Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 15 n. INCOME AND DISBURSEMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE UP TO NOVEMBER 1, 1915. Receipts. From members of the Petrograd Jewish Society and from out of town (America, etc.) R. 1,877,776.75 From the Moscow Committee 14,408. 14 For Special Purposes 144,518.00 Various contributions (auction of paintings donated by- artists, from concerts, from collections among Jews and other persons and institutions) ' 188,766.67 Contributions received and placed to the account of repre- sentatives of zones in Petrograd 16,498 . 65 Interest on open account 1,517 .85 Total Contributions R. 2,243,426.06 3 appropriations, of which two were each R. 500,000, and by the order of the Council of Ministers made in June and August of 1915, and also from the credit of the Special Council, dated August 24, 1915, R. 500,000 1,500,000.00 R. 3,743,426.06 Disbursements. Expended up to November 1, 1915, for various accounts of relief to Jewish sufferers from the war, refugees, and forcibly-ejected persons: (a) Relief to organizations and com- mittees of Poland: 1. In Warsaw, through the Jewish Communal Bureau and local or- ganizations, "Ezra" and others. . .R. 811,020.00 2. In the City of Warsaw 12,058 . 15 3. In Lodz . 1,300.00 4. In the City of Lomzha (outside of sums spent through the Moscow Committee) 10,850.00 5. Suwalki 7,625.00 6. Government of Lublin — by the Government Committee 130,524.94 7. Radom 50,092.00 8. Government of Kielce 46,235.00 R. 1,069,705.09 (b) By organizations of the Northwest: 1. Kovna R. 40,655.00 2. Vilna 15,350.00 3. Government of Vilna 8,340.00 (In Kovna, aid rendered by Mos- cow Committee, R. 142, 348 . 43) . . . o , r r^^ — — — 64,345.00 (c) In the Southwest: (Help in these parts was mostly ren- lOTin nn dered by the KieflF Committee) 18,710 .UU 16 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. (d) Assistance with food, clothing, shoes and evacuation expenses. 1. To the refugees from Govern- ments of Kovna and Wilna. By the Wilna Committee (outside of money spent by the Committee on its own account, R. 150,000) . .R. 467,015.00 2. To persons expelled from parts of Kovna and Courland, through the Committee of Riga (outside of its own expenditures, and from moneys collected by local com- mittees, about R. 150,000) 100,000.00 3. In Kovna, by local organizations 51,925.34 4. To refugees in new places of settlement by local committees (besides sums spent by the Mos- cow, Kharkoff and Kieff com- mittees 1,025,671.22 5. For clothing and shoes to the Moscow Committee 150,000.00 6. Clothing, shoes and food to the Kieff Committee 95,000 .00 R. 1,898,611.56 (e) Relief to war victims in Petrograd, and to individual professional persons, loans to rabbis, and also for the main- tenance of refugees in Petrograd 95,839 .41 (f) To labor organizations (relief by employment), through the Society of Industrial and Agricultural Labor 66,995.00 (g) Medical relief and special food aid: Through the Red Cross Society R. 1 ,000 . 00 Purchase and delivery of Passover food for Jewish soldiers at the front and rear parts of the army, from general funds for this purpose, R. 80,000.00, and from committee funds 12,500.00 Sanitary feeding stations 34,519 .99 Expenditures for medical help, etc. . . . 5,500.00 For increasing the means of the society for preserving the health of the Jewish population, which has or- ganized a medical division, homes for children, furnishes transport- ation for drug supplies, following up the refugees with physicians, nurses, etc. (above the amount spent by the same society and its branch in Mos- cow, amounting to over 150,000 R.) 25,000.00 (h) Educational relief: To the Society for spreading education among the Jews (from the funds of the committee of the Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna, relief is granted only from October, 1915). . R. 8,000.00 To the Jewish schools and Talmud Torahs 15,250 .00 For the needs of scholars 8,000 . 00 Sundries 7,150.00 78,569.99 38,400.00 Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 17 (i) Relief to Jews in Galicia, through the institutions in the city of Lemberg (besides amounts spent by the Kieff committee of 90,000 R. and the Odessa committee of 30,000 R.) R. 109,000.00 (j) Relief to Jews removed from Syria and Palestine 11,000 . 00 (k) Credit relief by increasing the means of the savings societies by covering 75 per cent, of losses 141 ,750 . 00 (1) General and Organization Expenses: • Maintenance, transportation and allow- ance of agents R. 56,247 .26 Transportation expenses of guides in the refugee trains 1,496.19 Office, postage, telegraph, printing and the maintenance of the registration of the information bureaus 38,856. 12 96,599.57 All which of represents about 2.6 per cent, of the moneys expended. Total expended 3.689,525 .62 Balance on hand, Nov. 1, 1915 53,900.44 R. 3,743,426.06 EXPENDITURES OF THE RELIEF FUNDS OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES. The Moscow Territorial Committee (the special committee for relieving the victims of the war) has rendered aid in some parts of Poland and the Govern- ment of Grodno, and also in ten interior governments, where there are registered about 26,000 and about 2,000 unregistered, altogether about 28,000 persons. This committee has received up to November over R. 150,000, assigned \iy the Petrograd committee for clothes and shoes. Contributions in Moscow alone R. 659,583 .52 Out of town and other cities 95,779 .35 Total R. 755,262.87 Of this there have been expended by allotments to organizations for sanitary and food assistance and for the maintenance of children's homes: Through the Moscow Branch of the Society for preserving the health of the Jewish population and for the organ- ization of employment bureaus R- 57,512.85 The Moscow Branch of the Society for industrial and agricultural labor has received 12,370.00 Total R. 82,946.90 For food supplies 416,882 . 65 For the manufacture of warm clothing has been spent so far 45,870.00 For assistance to refugees in Moscow 92,430.19 Total R. 738.131.74 * At a meeting, held November 2, this amount and more was distributed. 18 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. A detailed account of the Kieff Committee dated August 1, 1915, shows that there have been collected in the City of Kieff . . R. 321,149 . 56 From out of town 48,886 .48 From the Committee of the Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna 4,000.00 Total R. 374,016.04 The expenditures for rehef in Warsaw 27,623 .94 Government of Volhynia 27,378.00 PodoHa 16,000.00 Kholm 12,584.57 Chernigoff • 40,215.00 Taurida 5,000.00 For the medical division 5,751 .36 For refugees from Palestine 12,000.00 To the Lemberg Committee from Galicia 83,500.00 For increasing the General Funds of the Petrograd Committee 25,000.00 Aid to the refugees in Kieff 43,931 .83 Organization and General Expenses 12,410.48 During August 33,698.28 roubles were expended, and then after the funds have been exhausted and the amount of 95,000 roubles have been assigned from the funds of the Petrograd Committee for the making of clothing and shoes. The Kharkoff Committee, which serves at the present time only the Gov- ernment of Kharkoff and other individual points of the South, there is no detailed report yet, but according to the information, which the Petrograd Committee possesses, there have been collected and spent about R. 180,000. The Odessa Committee collected and spent over R. 200,000 independently of the larger territorial committees, the local committees organized in more thickly settled centers by considerable numbers of Jews, who recei\'e aid from the Central and Territorial Committees only on condition that they take part in the expenses for helping the refugees in more or less degree, and also that the funds should be raised in the respective places. These amounts are at present not yet outlined, but their extent can be judged from the following statements which are on file with the Petrograd Committee : In the City of Vilna there has been collected and ex- pended about R. 180,000 .00 In Riga 150,000.00 In Yekaterinoslav 75,000 .00 In Taurida, the monthly activities of the local com- mittees amount to (for the entire period of the settle- ment of the refugees there was about 100,000 roubles) 20,000 . 00 In Poltava per month (about 40,000 roubles) ' 7,000.00 The aniount spent by other committees is not given but judging by estimates and demands from various places, they will extend to no less than 500,000.00 In this way aU the Jewish organizations for relieving the victims of the war have spent more than R. 5,000,000 collected from philanthropic and voluntary subscribers, above the R. 1,500,000 granted by the Imperial treasury and above the amounts, a little over R. 200,000, which were granted by the Corrmiittee of the Grund Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna. Russian Jewish Relief Commit tee. 19 III. SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS. Food. Along with the grants of money, which \ary through the activities of this committee from 10 kopeks to 20 kopeks per day, Jewish organizations have given suppHes of provisions by way of opening free food stations for adults and also for children. The people have, however, not made use of these food stations, and therefore this method of help was not extended to any large degree. Hot and cold meals from the general kitchens were only given in places of greater congestion of refugees, but besides giving the subsidies, the local committees have opened, wherever it appeared possible with the immediate participation of the representatives of the Petrograd committee, supply warehouses for the free distribution of products or at greatly reduced prices. Supply Warehouses. At the present time such supply warehouses have been opened in places of new settlement of refugees, particularly in the GovernmentsofTaurida, Poltava, and Kherson and the City of Penza, where products are sold at cost or at some loss, so as to enable those who receive a subsidy of no more than 20 kopeks to improve their food, and on the other hand to prevent an increase in the cost of articles of first necessity, which would certainly have taken place owing to the influx of new refugees, which might have also resulted in stirring up bad feel- ing against the refugees, on the part of the local population. Appropriation by Committees for Food Supplies Owing to the Refusal of the General Institutions to Furnish Food. At the present time with the gradual local application of the law of the 30th of August, 1915, and with the formation of government commit- tees through the help of national organizations, the expenditures of the Jewish committees in giving food supplies to refugees are naturally decreasing, but the Jewish committees still find it necessary to satisfy such needs. Since the time of the first grant by the Imperial treasury of R. 500,000 to the Jewish committees in Petrograd, the Department of Police of the Ministry of the Interior has sent out a circular to the Governors in which they were instructed not to allow any funds to the Jewish sufferers from the war, but to refer them to the Jewish committee. This circular up to this moment has not been withdrawn by the Department of Police, and therefore in a large number of Governments, according to the information received by the committee, all requests of relief are refused, even from funds which have been assigned for this purpose by the Special Con- ference, and thus subsidies are refused at the present moment to the Jews in Kursk, Orel, part of Vladimir, and Moscow, in which there are about 8,000 Jewish refugees. Also according to information received from the Committees' agent on October 30, the Provincial committee of the Government of Yeka- terinoslav has declared that no permanent residence for refugees will be furnished for more than 15,000, and that it will take care only of those who seek temporary asylum. 20 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. The city committee in Yekaterinoslav has granted for the maintenance of of refugees in private quarters only 4,281 roubles; in the District of Mariupol only 4,000 roubles were received, and the subsidy in the Town of Mariupol was limited to 10 kopeks per day. In the Volodga Government the amount R. 14,000.00 (were received from the funds of the provincial and city league.) In Minsk, the city league has granted 5,000 .00 In other organizations there have been received insig- nificant assistance in the shape of some products. In Saratov the committee has allowed only R. 15,000. The Committee hopes that with the formation of general committees in the interior of Russia, in accordance with the Law of the 30th of August, the problem of furnishing food supplies will be regulated and that the Jewish com- mittees will not be required to make serious appropriations for this matter. At present, however, the Committee is compelled to assign and transfer funds for this first necessity. During September and October there have been assigned to 45 committees, for about 85,111 persons, R. 387,697 (Supplement V). The largest appropriation was required for the Committee of Simferopol, which serves the Government of Taurida, the amoiint of R. 40,000 for 7,584 refugees. The committee in Mariupol received R. 14,000 for 2,847 refugees; the Poltava committee with 2,584 received R. 14,600; the Kieff committee re- ceived 25,000 roubles for feeding about 12,000 refugees; the Riga committee, which at present is deprived of all private means, has R. 15,000; the committee in Dwinsk has received R. 18,000; the City of Minsk, with a number of 28,506 refugees, has received 155,000 roubles, etc. IV. Furnishing Warm Clothing and Foot-wear to Refugees. For the satisfying of demands for this article of primary necessity, the committee has received very small amounts from the general funds of the local organizations, and in view of the oncoming cold weather, the Jewish committees were compelled to assume the entire burden of satisfying the demands and for lack of means had to apply for funds to the Petrograd committee. From Sep- tember to the 1st of November the committee has granted to the Jewish organiza- tions serving 105,469 persons, R. 525,950. To cover which amount the committee has received from the committee of the Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna: For the City of Odessa R. 10,000.00 For the City of Kieff 10,000.00 Total R 20,000.00 and thus from the funds of the committee there has been R. 505,950. From the attached statement can be seen that this demand has not been entirely satisfied. Thus in the Government of Taurida, where there are 7,584 refugees, only R. 5,000 were given for children of school age. In the Government of ICharkofE the committee from Yelisavetgrad received only R. 17,000 for 4,496 refugees; the Odessa committee received R. 30,000 for 3,700. In the Govern- Rtissian Jewish Relief Committee. 21 ment of Poltava, which has 12,000 refugees, so far R. 29,700 has been appro- priated for furnishing clothing and footwear to 5,500 persons who have been expelled by order of the military authorities. The Kharkofif committee, caring for 5,800 refugees (about 2,500 more expected), altogether R. 40,000 have been given to the Kharhoff committee; the Kieff committee has received so far R. 70,000 for taking care of about 12,000 refugees; in the Governments of Podolia, Tchernigoff, Volhynia and Bessarabia, the Penza committee received 30,000 roubles for 5,258 .refugees; the Moscow Territorial Committee has received for 11 interior governments caring for about 28,000 refugees, R. 150,000; for the making of underwear, clothing and the purchase of footwear in Petrograd, R. 66,000 have been allotted. From reports received by the committee, it appears that nearly three-fourths of the entire number of refugees are greatly suffering from lack of clothing, footwear and underwear. From estimates received from many refugee stations, the expense for furnishing footwear, clothing and underwear to those who need it most an average of 15 roubles per person is required. Moneys allotted to the local organizations are spent for the purchase of material for necessary articles, and these are manufactured exclusively in large quantities. The commission organized by the Petrograd committee for the purchase and manufacture of clothing, underwear and footwear has obtained in Nizhni-Novgorod about 6,000 pairs of boots for adults and 1,140 pairs of shoes for young people, at an expense of R. 26,000. This footwear was divided between the committees of Saratov, Samara, Moscow, etc. Through theWomen's Circle for employment relief and care of girls and protection of women, underwear to the value of R. 20,000 has been manufactured at various times. In Moscow there were prepared footwear and clothing to the extent of R. 115,000. In Nizhni-Novgorod 2,000 new warm coats, felt footwear and head covers, R. 25,000. Footwear is also manufactured in Khimroch. From detailed estimates received from local territorial committees the demand for funds for clothing and footwear amounts to R. 928,175 (Supplement VI). From this it appears that the committee has spent R. 505,050, but there is still an urgent demand for these articles, to satisfy which, it would require R. 422,285. V. Shelter and Fuel. The impossibihty of placing refugees in private quarters, in view of the acute sheltering problem in all cities of the land, has compelled the Jewish com- mittee to use for this purpose, in most cases, synagogues, schools, quarters of philanthropic institutions, and has created a demand for building asylums and communal living places. The unfitness, not to speak of the undesirability of using prayer houses and schoolhouses as living quarters, has induced the Jewish organizations to turn to the Petrograd committee with applications for appro- priating necessary means for quarters and fuel for refugees, and it is justly urged that the huddling of refugees in communal quarters creates a danger in such places, in a sanitary sense, demoralizing the masses of refugees aii' o0,U0U.0O 11. Medical and feeding expeditions (mcludmg 1,000 R. to the Red Cross in Warsaw) • ■ • 41,bJU.. lo 12. Assistance given bv making loans through savmgs and loan banks (see report of November 1, 191o) „-., „^ ^ and other institutions zoj.suu.uu Carried forward R. 4.996,788.70 40 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Brought forward R. 4,996,788.76 13. For educational purposes 45,090 . 00 14. For the making of unleavened bread for the coming Passover 23,500.00 15. Expenditures of the Organization, including the maintenance of the Registration and Information Bureaus (see below) 58,436.49 16. Salary to executives, traveling expenses, etc. (see below) 136,160. 14 17. Supplementary and incidental expenses 30,406.51 Total amount of expenditures R. 5,290,381. 90 For the months of January and February the current accounts show the following sums: INCOME: January : Grant from the Special Confer- ence R. 500,000.00 Contributions _ 85,418 . 86 Contributions for special purposes. 74,677.60 On hand with the District Com- mittees 6,953.00 Reimbursement of loans to the Petrograd Society of Relief to the Poor, for the needs of families of reser\ists 15,000.00 R. 682,049.46 February : Contributions R. 93,433.79 Contributions for special purposes. 55,321 . 15 On hand with the District Com- mittees 3,361 . 00 Reimbursement of loans 19,908.00 172,023.95 Total for 2 months, up to March 1st R. 854,073.41 DISBURSEMENTS: January : To local Committees, for relief to refugees R. 277,328.00 To the Committee of the District of Kiefi 82,332.00 Relief to Jews of the Province of Tamopol, GaHcia 50,000 . 00 Assistance through work given. . . . 13,150.00 To the Society for the Protection of Women, for the making of linen 10,400.00 Appropriations for needs in Petro- grad 12,322.46 Individual relief and loans 9,105.00 General expenses 10,707 . 20 Salary to executives 11,536.59 For the making of unleavened bread for Passover 94,230.00 Carried forward ■ R. 571,111.25 Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 41 Brought forward R. 571 1 1 1 25 February : Assistance to Committees for the needs of refugees R. 348,763.00 To the Committee of the District of Moscow 50,000.00 To the Committee of the District of Kieflf 25,000.00 To the Society for Safe-Guarding the Health of the Jewish Popu- lation for medico-sanitary measures 15,000 . 00 To the Society for the Protection of Women, for the making of linen.... 12,000.00 To organizations for meeting needs in Petrograd 26,912.84 Relief to refugees from Syria and Palestine 4,975. 11 Relief and loans to individuals 9,331 .60 General expenses 11,521 .58 Salaries to executives 12,143.70 Miscellaneous 5,620.00 For the making of unleavened bread 75,900.00 597,167.83 Total for two months R. 1,168,279.08 Grand Total of Income up to March 1, 1916 R. 6,563,281. 88 Expenses 6,458,660.98 Balance R. 107,620.90 If from the sum expended 6,458,660.98 Is deducted the sum received from the Government, namely . 3,300,000.00 It will be noticed that the Central Jewish Committee alone has expended con- tributed funds to the amount of 3,158,660.98 Including donations for special purposes: Up to January the sum of 777,560 . 53 In January 74,677.60 In February 55,321 . 16 R. 907,559.29 From which sum on March 1st the Committee only had. . . R. 104,600.90 Into the total of expenses enter also expenditures of a kind which could not be defined as expenses for the relief to refugees and sums spent on assisting the Jewish population of that part of Galicia which was occupied by military forces. But if the sums expended in September, 1915, for all forms of relief of refugees provided for by the rule of August 30th, 1915, are added up. they will show a total of R. 4,348,831; to cover which during that period has been received from loans of the Special Conference the st:m of R. 2,300,000; and, therefore, from the philanthropic funds of the Committee of Petrograd alone has been expended for the needs of refugees the sum of R. 2,048,831. 42 Reports Received hy Joint Distribution Committee. Part of this sum was spent from money donated for special purposes and must be counted as constituting the debt of the Committee. In addition to assistance given to refugees by the Committee of Petrograd, their needs were also covered by contributed funds of the Committees of Moscow and KiefE and by the funds of the local Jewish Provincial and City Committees. The data on hand shows the expenditure of the following charitable funds: spent by the Committee of the District of Moscow up to November 1st, 1915, approximately 738,000 R.; during November and December, 403,563 R.; during January and February, 320,827 R.; a total of more than 1,400,000 R. The Committee of the District of KiefE spent up to November 1st, 1915, approximately 565,000 R. (a printed report is attached hereto) ; from November 1st up to March 1st, as per data on hand 200,000 R.; expended by the Committee of Riga approximately 150,000 R., by Kharkoff up to the present time more than 250,000 R., in Ekaterinoslav approximately 150,000 R., in the Province of Taurida approximately 150,000 R., and spent by other Committees, and, according to an approximate but careful account, other Committees have expended not less than 1,000,000 R., a total of approximately 3,865,000 R., and added to the expenditure of the Committee of Petrograd 3,158,660.98 R. more than 7,000,000 R. In view of these notable and self-sacrificing efforts of philanthropy, a further considerable income of contributions, especially in the near future, can- not be looked forward to. n. Detailed information as to the work of organization and as to the activity of the Jewish Committee for the relief to victims of the war in Petrograd and financial data up to November 1st, 1915, are given in the report submitted to the Committee in November, 1915. For the past four months the Com- mittee has continued its activity, in all its phases, with the same aims in view, while the character of the Committee, as a Central Committee, has in no way changed. During the present period of accounting, the Committee had to replenish the funds of local committees and organizations whose means could not satisfy the crying needs of refugees. The necessity of such replenishment is explained by the fact that in many localities, as will be shown in detail below, the only source of income for the assistance to refugees were the means of the Central Committee. In other localities, where certain assignments were re- ceived from rural and city organizations and where such assigments had ceased, the supplying of means to satisfy the needs of refugees became the" duty of the Central Committee. The local income from charitable donations is becoming smaller and smaller, and consequently some localities previously not needing the assistance of either the local organizations or the Central Jewish Com- mittee, were forced to ask help from these sources of relief. Finally, even in those communities where Provincial organizations make provision in their budget for the care of Jewish refugees, having no funds, the local Jewish Com- mittees were obliged to ask for assistance from the Central Committee, so as not to let the Jewish refugees starve. The total number of Jewish refugees registered March 1st and up to the present time is 185,596, whereas on November 1st were registered approximately 160,000. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the number of refugees Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 43 asking for support is gradually decreasing. As will be seen from the detailed bulletin regarding the number of refugees which was attached to the report of November 1st, 1915, in some localities it was impossible to secure information as to the number of refugees; during the last four months, however, this infor- mation has been forthcoming, and this is, to a certain extent, the reason for the increase in the numbers of refugees, although even at the present time there are a certain number of refugees who are availing themselves of relief, without affecting the information at the disposal of the Central Committee. If one compares the former data with that on hand at the present time (enclosure No. 2), it will be seen that the increase has occurred in the Province of Minsk, formerly 22,422, now 23,529, which increase can be explained by the fact that the registration increased through a number of refugees removed from the theatre of war by military authorities, as for instance from the villages of Leachotitshi, Ganzevitshi, etc. The Province of Vilna has now 3,166 refugees, where formerly were 1,155. The increase is explained by the fact that in November a considerable number of refugees who had recently left their communities, had not been registered, and, in addition to this, owing to the duration of military activities in a certain part of the Province of Vilna, a considerable number of the population have voluntarily left their homes. There was formerly no information available from the Province of Livonia; at the present time there are 2,048 refugees there. The Province of Volhynia has registered 520 refugees in November; at the present time there are 8,259 registered, all of whom are in utter need; the in- crease in the number is explained by military conditions, by the impossibility, owing to military activities which prevailed in the Fall, to keep up an accurate registration, especially in the District of Rovno. In the Province of Ekaterinoslav, according to additional information now received, it is seen that the total number of needy refugees is 13,211 instead of 10,793 as registered before. Additional registration is the reason for the increase in the numbers of refugees from 5,368 to 10,842 in the Province of Poltava. A small increase in numbers is due to the same cause in the Province of Taurida, from 8,350 to 9,074. In Kharkofi, formerly 5,337, now 8,021, and in the Province of Tchernigoff instead of 671 the number is 1,052, owing to the influx of refugees from Volhynia. Thus the increase is noted chiefly in provinces touching the south-western and north-western front line, whereas in the provinces of the interior the number of refugees, notwithstanding additional registration, has changed only very little, which fact proves clearly that the number of refugees who are gradually settling down is increasing more and more. In some localities, where regis- tration has been more complete, this decrease is positively proved by statistics. Thus, in the Province of Irkutsk, there are now only 334 needy refugees instead of 712 as previously reported. In the Province of Kazan are 1,424 instead of 1,927. In the Province of Kostroma 770 instead of 825. In the Province of Novgorod 456 instead of 677. In the Province of Tver 1,011 instead of 1,070, etc. The gradual decrease in numbers of those receiving food rations may be proved also by other facts. At the present time various Committees covering 44 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. 82 points submitted their reports to the Committee. These reports show that not all the refugees avail themselves of food rations, the percentage of those taking advantage of rations wavering between 100 and 60, that out of the total number of 63,247 registered refugees only 52,989 receive the food ration, which is 84 per cent., notwithstanding the fact that all the refugees are registered and avail themselves of assistance of one sort or another. Data in the possession of the Committee shows that the element of refugees at the present time still needing the food ration is somewhat changing, independent of the fact that the total number has decreased owing to the fact that a certain number of refugees, who formerly had in many localities received these rations, have now more or less settled down, having secured work, whereas others, who formerly did not need the assistance of local Committees, having spent their last means, have now to ask for support. At the present time the work of compiling statistical data from the mass of material at the disposal of the Bureau of Inquiry attached to the Central Committee (see below), in order to determine the class of Jewish refugees, is now being completed. But even now, the data on hand shows clearly that the largest contingent of refugees consists of people incapable of work, of women and children. Men capable of work form only 10 to 18 per cent. This accounts for the fact that from the total amotmt of 450,000 Jews who left their homes, only 185,596 are taken care of by Committees. Concerning the sources of income for the covering of needs of refugees, the points of activity of the Jewish Committees are divided into the following Districts: (1) Provinces of the northwestern front line, Vikia, Vitebsk, Livonia, Minsk, Moghilev, have a total of 53,534 refugees. Here the refugees, with exceptions which will be shown in time, are cared for by the Central Committee exclusively. Another peculiarity of this District is that more than half of their total number were not able to find shelter in lodgings maintained for refugees. In order to house these refugees, every available building has been occupied, as for instance, temples and public halls, school houses, and Talmud- Toras, and, therefore, the expense for these lodgings, their heating, lighting and furnishing is comparatively small, on the other hand although the medico- sanitary expense is large. At the same time, in spite of all the care taken, one cannot say that the sanitary conditions of refugees in these provinces is what it ought to be and further measures must necessarily be taken. (2) Provinces of the southwestern front line, which in turn are divided into two categories: (a) the Provinces of Ekaterinoslav, Poltava, Taurida, Kharkoff, with a total of 41,148 refugees and (b) the Provinces of Bessarabia, VoUiynia, Kiefi, Podolia and Tchemigoflf, with a total of 16,836 refugees, the total of the entire District being 57,984. The first group receives the means for food and lodgings (heated) from the local rural and city organizations; these means are, however, not sufficient to cover the needs of the great number of refugees. The second group receives very scant means from rural organizations, and the matter of caring for Jewish refugees becomes wholly the duty of the Committee of the District of Kieff, which is spending its philanthropic ftmds for this purpose and has to ask for assistance from the Central Jewish Com- mittee. Clothing and shoes are provided entirely by the national organization. As to the question of housing the refugees, it will also be necessary to differ- entiate both above-named categories, the first as being able to solve more Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 45 satisfactorily the problem of housing, except in the case of certain points, as for instance in the town of Mariupol, and, therefore, needing larger grants. (3) Provinces of the interior or of the rear have a total of 74,078 refugees. In these Provinces, with certain exceptions, which will be shown in time, the greatest part of the means necessary for providing food and lodgings to refugees is supplied through funds assigned for the general needs of these Provinces. The accounts of the last four months diflfer greatly from those previously rendered, when the Circular of the Department of Police which was later revoked, was still in force which stated that all Jewish refugees should be cared for by the Jewish Committee of Petrograd exclusively. But here also in some Provinces, as for instance, in the Province of Kursk, which did not enter at all into the united rural organizations, partly in the Provinces of Tula, Kaluga and Nizhni Novgorod, as well as in certain Districts of the Province of Voronezh, the care of Jewish refugees depends wholly upon the local Jewish Committees, which in turn receive their funds from the Moscow Society for the Relief to the Victims of War, which, having spent considerable sums from its philanthropic funds, was obliged to ask for assistance from the Central Jewish Committee of Petro- grad. As the Statutes worked out by the Special Conference and now approved by the Minister of the Interior are not enforced as yet, many vital needs have been relieved by the Central Committee and the Committee of Moscow, who acted through other Jewish organizations; The Society for the Spread of Education Among Jews, the Society for the Safeguarding of the Health of the Jewish Popu- lation and the Society for Manual and Agricultural Labor Among Jews, whose requirements — educational, medico-sanitary and labor — ^have been met by the Committees of Petrograd and Moscow. The cost of the food ration supplied from the funds of local Committees as well as from those of the Central Committee, does not exceed the general average established for a given Province, which is the average of 20 k., but is also rarely below the minimum average of 15 k. As will be seen from the data in the possession of the Central Committee, almost everywhere there exists a system of reducing the average cost of the food ration with the increased num- . bers of members in one family. It is understood that in all instances where the needs of refugees are supplied by united organizations, rural and city organizations, the general average is in force. The general average does also exist in those few localities of the north- western front line, where city organizations supplied the food ration in actual foodstuffs, but also in cases where, as for instance, in Minsk, the food rations are supplied almost exclusively from funds of the Jewish Committee, the cost of the ration does not exceed the average of 15 k. per individual, in spite of the fact that, owing to the scruples of Jews who eat only the so-called "kosher" meat, the meat is more expensive, and consequently the quantity of consumed meat is considerably lower than the general average, and nowhere exceeds the amount of j lb. per adult. (Note.— A typical food ration is tlie one supplied by the Jewish Committee of Astrakhan, which consists of i lb. meat, U lb. bread, tea and two lumps of sugar, J lb. potatoes and | lb. cereal.) As to the question of housing, this problem remains unsolved in the Provinces of the Interior. In certain localities, as in Nizhni Novgorod, Penza, Orenburg and others, up to the present time, a considerable number of refugees are housed 46 Reports Received hy Joint Distribution Committee. en masse, the finding of separate lodgings being an impossibility. The transfer of some of these refugees to other localities must be given considerable thought, as, aside from the danger in regard to sanitation and the pernicious moral influence, the care of a considerable number of people herded together and the very possibility of organizing them and bringing them back to work is made doubly difficult. Experience has shown that refugees living in separate lodgings settle down to some kind of business or work more quickly. The living of refugees en masse demands, therefore, considerable moneys, by far exceeding the expense necessary either for the evacuation of refugees or even for the organization of special lodgings. The problem of supplying refugees with warm clothing and shoes is almost impossible to solve. In its report of November last, the Central Committee calculated that 75 per cent, of the total number of refugees must be supplied with clothing and shoes. The experience of the last four months shows that more than 60 per cent, need clothing and that all accounts con- cerning the cost of making shoes and warm clothing could not justify them- selves. At the present time the Central Committee is unable to submit accurate data regarding the number of individuals who have availed themselves of clothing as well as of the number of pieces of clothing distributed among refugees. The local riural and city organizations have only in very rare instances assisted the Jewish Committees; for this purpose sums received from these organizations, owing to their insignificance, cannot influence average conclusions. Further will be submitted accounting data of the different aspects of relief work done up to March 1st, 1916, dividing the time into periods from Nov. 1st, 1915, to Jan. 1st, 1916, and from January up to March 1st, and further, in view of the enforcement of new rules concerning the drawing up of budgets by national organizations, the needs for the current month of March will be enumerated. ID- FOOD SUPPLY. In assigning to local Committees funds for the distribution of food rations, . the Central Committee is guided by detailed reports submitted by local Com- mittees, in which are pointed out the number of refugees, the cost of the ration and the means through which the demand can be supplied — either in money or in actual foodstuffs. In these reports are shown the sources from which the need of rations can be supplied, and in every report are also mentioned the possible local philanthropic funds which could be used for the relief to refugees. The refugees of the northwestern and southwestern front line are almost all supplied with food rations. Up to the present time the provinces of the north- western front line are not supplied with rations by the united organizations, and it was only in the months of Januaiy and February that the Northern Relief Society donated 50,000 R. for the needs of refugees in the Province of Minsk. In its report of December 1st, 1915, the Committee gave detailed data as to the funds needed for the refugees of that District. As to the provinces of the south- western front line, some of these, as mentioned above, are partly supplied with means to cover the need for food rations by local rural and city organizations — the other provinces, — those of Kieff, Volhynia, Podolia and Tchernigoff, — are supplied with food rations from funds of the Committee of Kieff exclusively. Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 47 which at the present time, having expended all its philanthropic resources, covers the needs from sums granted by the Central Committee. (Note. — The Chief Executive of the southwestern provinces, Prince N. P. UrussoflF, has stated at the meeting of the Specal Conference that funds for the needs of Jewish refugees had not been granted to him.) As will be seen from detailed reports, the Committee has appropriated the following sums for the supply of food to refugees: 1. In November and December, 1915; (a) In the districts of provinces of both front lines, cover- ing 181 points, with a total of 98,944 refugees R. 44,5,030.00 Expended from this sum for the supply of food to refugees in the City of Minsk and Province of Minsk, for the supply of food to 21,509 refugees in the City of Minsk and its Districts 186,128 . 00 In the City of Dvinsk, for 7,120 refugees, part of whom have received actual food stuffs from the stores of the Union of Cities 34,000.00 In the Province of Taurida, for the needs of refugees living in ten different cities of the Province, 9,074 refugees; an appropriation was called for as the local rural Com- mittee did not allow food rations in every cit}^ 35,000.00 In the Province of Ekaterinoslav, for the needs of 13,211 refugees in 21 towns, also on account of lack of sys- tematic supply from rural organizations 24,152.00 In the Province of Poltava, for the needs of 10,842 refugees in 17 points, owing to the same cause 29,700.00 Here it is necessary to state that in all the above named Provinces considerable sums for the supply of food to refugees are expended from public funds, collected by local Committees. The District Committee of Kieff has been assigned in De- cember, for supplying food to refugees of the Provinces of Kieff, Podolia, Volhynia and Tchemigoff, covering 50 points with 13,312 refugees, in addition to sums expended by the District Committee from philanthropic funds, a sum of 35,000.00 In Riga where there are 2,048 refugees and where at the present time, due to military operations there is no source from which to supply refugees and as there is no assistance forthcoming from the Northern Relief Society, was assigned ■ ■ ■ 45,000.00 (b) In the Eastern Provinces the need for food rations was satisfied from means assigned by the Governors and expended by rural and city districts, and, therefore, the assignments from the Central Committee were not so considerable in comparison with those made to the districts of the front line. Here the Central Com- mittee has spent for November and December 19,158.92 From funds of the District Committee of Moscow, minis- tering to the needs of the Provinces of Tambov, Riazan, Kaluga, Voronezh, Orel, Vladimirsk, Nizhni-Novgorod, Moscow, Kursk and Tula, was assigned in November, 65,500 R. and in December, 32,800 R 98,300.00 The greatest part of those assignments was needed for the Province of Nizhni-Novgovod, 23,000 R. The need in these Provinces for special appropriations was due to the fact that the united organizations, suffering from lack of funds, do not give the means necessary for the supply of food rations, and in certain localities, as for instance in some districts of the Province of Voronezh, throughout the Provinces of Kursk and 48 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Orel, the Jewish refugees do not, up to the present time, receive any food rations. Thus in November and December, 1915, accounting reports have previously been submitted to the Special Conference in November, 1915, the total of expenditures for the supply of food amount to R. 562,488.92 2. During January and February have been assigned: (a) In Provinces of both front lines, whereby the need for assignments for the city of Minsk and the Province of Minsk has considerably decreased, due to the fact that during these two months the Northern Relief Society had donated 100,000 R. When in February the distribution of provisions from the stores of the Union of Cities in Dvinsk discontinued, the assign- ments to this city for the last two months in- creased, forming during both months a sum of 42,000 R. At the exhaustion of philanthropic funds of the District Committee of Kieff, ministering to the Provinces of Kieff, Podolia, VoUiynia and TchernigofT, an assignment of 75,000 R. was needed 358,178.00 (b) To the Eastern Provinces were assigned the sums of 16,137.62 R. in January and 64,783 R. in February.. . . 80,920.62 And in addition to this the District Committee of Moscow has expended 44,850 R. in January, and 33,569 R. in February, which sums are subject to reimbursement. . . 78,419.00 And having received, as shown in tabular form, from the Central Committee in February 50,000.00 Subject to reimbursement 28,419.00 Were assigned, therefore, to all Eastern Provinces 109,339.62 Total of assignments for November and December 562,488.92 Total of assignments for January and February 467,517 . 62 Thus the total expenditure from November 1st to March 1st shows the sum of 1,030,006.54 To cover this expenditure, the Special Conference has fur- nished a loan, in November of 200,000 R., in January of 500,000 R 700,000.00 Thus, in order to be able to carry out the budgets for Januarj^ and February, an additional sum is needed, amounting to 330,006.54 A detailed report of effected assignments and account thereof from both Districts is attached hereto. As to the needs for the month of March, the Central Com- mittee, has received, as already stated above, more than 80 reports, covering more than 80 points. How- ever, keeping in view the fact that the new and already approved rules concerning the drawing up of budgets to be submitted to the Provincial Board of Conferences will be enforced in the month of April and that at the present time it is impossible to state from what sources the needs for food supply will be satisfied in the localities from where these reports have been received, the Com- mittee does not find it possible to submit these reports for the consideration of the Special Committee, these reports also needing revision on the part of the Committee, and the Committee has therefore to limit itself to the following data: The Provinces of both front lines having to care for 111,518 refugees, the food supply has to be distributed to 84 per cent, of this number, as already stated above, that is for 93,675 refugees. Taking the average of the food ration at 17 k. per day or 5 R. 10 k. per month, the Committee will need for these Provinces a sum of 477,742.50 Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 49 For the distribution of food rations in the eastern Provinces, including the District of Moscow, in those locaUties where the food ration is not suppHed by the united organizations, for the 74,078 refugees, 84 per cent, of which makes the number 62,226, counting the cost of ration 5 R. 10 k R. 317,352.60 As at the present time it is not known which of the Com- mittees of this District shall receive in March funds for the supply of food from united organizations, the Committee asks for an advance sum of 200,000.00 Should the reports submitted to the Committee show that the respective Committees have received sums from the united organizations, such sums will be counted as part of the future April assignments, and shall be accounted for in the next report submitted to the Committee. Thus, the total of the item "Food Supply" for January, February and March, shows the sum of... . 1,007,749.00 IV. SUPPLY OF CLOTHING AND SHOES. The funds for the supply of clothing and shoes for refugees are entirely supplied through the funds of the Central Committee for the Relief to the Vic- tims of War, the Tatiana Committee having donated only small sums in single cases; (Kieff has received 10,000 R., Odessa 10,000 R., Ekaterinoslav has received 6,000 R. for needy children owing to an epidemic of typhoid fever and Kazan has received from the rural Committee 5,000 R.) The sums assigned for clothing, shoes and linen up to January, 1916, were 1,314,647 R., from January to March 1st, 247,394 R., making a total of 1,561,996 R.* In subtracting from this sum the sum of 100,000 R. used for the needs of Jews of Galicia, which sum must not be referred to sums for the reHef to refugees (rule of August 30th, 1915), 1,451,996 R. (Reports and Accounts covering various Districts are attached hereto.) Out of these sums 851,693 R. have been spent for the needs of the Provinces of both front lines; the Provinces of the interior required 610,303 R. In the first District 410,951 refugees have been cared for, which makes an average of 7 R. 7 k. per individual (851,693 R. : 110,951 R.). Data on hand shows that from the total number of refugees 65 per cent, were in need of clothing, shoes and hnen, that is 72,118 refugees, and, therefore, the average sum spent per individual amounts to 11 R. 81 k. The second District has cared for 59,505 refugees, with an average of 10 R. 25 k. spent per individual; here the per- centage of the needy is greater owing to a harsher climate comparing to that of the southwestern Provinces. Data on hand shows that here 70 per cent, received an average of 14 R. 65 k. per individual. The difference in expenditure of these two Districts is partly explained by the fact that in the Provinces of the front line the refugees live chiefly in barracks, and, therefore, the need for warm clothing could be satisfied in a smaller degree, and that a certain part of that need (only in the District of Minsk) a certain amount of warm clothing has been received from the Northern Relief vSociety. To satisfy this need the Special Council has assigned 100,000,000 R. and thus the sums of the State failed to cover * The Governor of the Province of Tarnopol had reported the necessity of immediate relief to Jews of that Province. 50 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. the needs for clothing, shoes and linen for refugees during the months of January and February to the amount of 461,996 R. (1,461,996 R. — 1,000,000 R.). By order of the Central Committee, the Local Committees are now pre- paring detailed reports concerning the supply of clothing, shoes and linen, with accurate specifications as to the quantity of pieces of clothing provided and the number of refugees supplied with same, with special mention as to the kind of pieces of clothing distributed and to what element of refugees, together with an accurate account for the expenditure of buying of ready made clothing as well as for raw materials and for the labor for making clothing from same and with further mention as to what kind of clothing had been made by refugees themselves and what remuneration they had received, with all documents covering this item attached. At the present time these documents are beginning to come in and after they have been received from all the Committees and have been duly classified, a detailed report and account will be submitted to the Department for the Organization of Refugees. At the present time further needs for clothing and shoes have to be satisfied, especially do a certain number of the former element of refugees as well as part of those who have not been as yet cared for, need linen (from a total of 185,500 refugees, 170,500 have been cared for as shown above) a total of 15,000. Taking the established average of 20 R. a year per individual and counting the needy as 60 per cent, (as the refugees are gradually securing work and settling down), it will be clear that 60 per cent, out of 185,596 refugees will be 11,500 and 20 R. per individual will make a total of 2,222,600 R., and as 1,462,000 R. have already been expended, the further need will be 760,600 R., which, divided among 111,000 refugees needing clothing, linen and shoes, will show the sum of R. 6.85 per individual. Expecting to continue the supply during the current two months, the Committee asks for an additional assignment for the month of March for a sum of 400,000 R. and thus asks for the items mentioned above for the months of January, February and March, as for the budgets already carried out for January and February, so for the budget to be carried out in March (461,996 R. — 400,000 R.), 861,996 R., while for April another assignment for a sum of 360,000 R. is expected. V. HOUSING AND HEATING. Assignments for housing and heating received from the Central Committee show the sums of: (a) In the District of both front lines: In November R. 33,690.00 In December 46,690.00 Total. R. 80,380.00 Caring for 69,105 refugees in 87 localities: In January R. 33,507.00 In February 30,207.00 Total 63,714.00 Grand Total for four months, November 1st to March 1st R. 144,094.00 that is approximately 50 k. a month per individual. Russian J elvish Relief Committee. 51 The low cost of housing and heating is explained by the fact, as shown above, that the greatest part of refugees are living in barracks converted into such from public buildings, and, therefore, rent not being paid. On the other hand it is necessary to take into consideration that part of the expenditures is covered by funds from local philanthropic institutions, especially through the District Committee of Kieflf. (b). The expenditure for housing in the eastern Provinces during No\'ember and December, will amoiuit to R. 22,800.00 January and February 56,494 . 00 Total R. 79,294.00 The insignificance of the sum being explained by the fact that in several points the rural and city Committees as well as local philanthropic funds have donated sums for this need. Thus during four months has been spent the total sum of 223,338 . 00 (Report is attached hereto.) To cover this expenditure, the Special Council has in November, 1915, an advance sum of 100,000.00 And thus, in order to cover the expenditures up to March 1st it is necessary to receive the sum of 124,338 . 00 As to the question of housing and heating for the month of March, having in view that with the coming of warmer weather the necessity for separate lodgings for refugees will be greater and counting this need as an average of 1 R. 25 k. a month per individual, the Committee asks for the Provinces of both front lines the sum of 140,000.00 And as to other localities, having in view that a part of this need is covered through funds of local organizations, the Committee is asking for an advance sum of 100,000.00 with the understanding that should this item of ex- penditure (housing and heating) be covered by rural and city organizations, these sums wiU be put on account of the respective Committees' future assignments. VI. MEDICO-SANITARY RELIEF. The Committee has already stated to the vSpecial Conference, in its report of November, that medico-sanitary relief to refugees is given by the Society of Safeguarding the Health of the Jewish Population, which was enabled to do this work through funds collected among the population in Petrograd and partly in the provinces, expending for medical expeditions and other medico-sanitary measures considerable sums of money. Beginning from November, owing to the impossibility of organizing separate collections for various needs of refugees, and, on the other hand, owing to the exhaustion of philanthropic funds, the above named Society has received special assignments from the Committee for the ReHef of Victims of the War and has been partly assisted by the Committee of Her Highness, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolayevna. Thus, up to the present 52 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. time, the Special Conference has not assigned any sums for medico-sanitary purposes. These needs have, however, reached a considerable development, and it is imperative, considering that the greater part of refugees is centered in provinces of the front lines where the rural organizations do not give any considerable medico-sanitary relief, and also owing to the fact that the refugees in city communities, often small ones, where not only no efficient medical help but the most elementary medical assistance cannot be secured, this must be effected through special medical expeditions of physicians and through specially organized hospitals. The conditions of life of refugees in the western provinces is in reality most terrible. As already explained above, only a small number of refugees can be settled in separate lodgings, the majority is obliged to live in barracks, owing to the scarcity of available separate lodgings and, therefore, sanitary inspection is imperative and requires considerable effort. The realization of such inspection and the medical assistance to refugees, if made possible, will not permit the devel- opment of epidemics in localities near the front line, where the appearance of an epidemic would prove a danger not only to the local population, but also to the army. The Central Committee and the Society for the Safeguarding of the Jewish Population have agreed to include in the item of medico-sanitary inspection the relief given to children in the way of bettering their living conditions and providing them with better nourishment. Owing to living conditions in cities, chiefly on account of life in barracks, where the moral atmosphere is highly detrimental to children, especially of tender age, liberal assistance to Jewish children and the taking of special measures concerning them is a most important problem. Relief to children is given through funds assigned by the Society for Safe- guarding the Health of the Jewish Popiolation and the Central Jewish Committee as well as by local Committees of different localities, chiefly to children between the age of 4 to 7, by organizing homes in which the children spend the day under the supervision of specially appointed guardians and where they also receive their meals. The children's occupations are supervised either by persons specially engaged for this purpose, kindergartners, or by girls and women who give their time without remuneration. The necessity for a greater number of such homes is dictated by the fact that the Jewish refugees, owing to the peculiarity of the Jewish family conception, do not care to let their children go to charitable institutions, and in whatever bad living conditions the parents may be in, they do not part with. their children, be it even to afford them a better life. The only way, then, to safeguard the health of Jewish children and to safeguard them from the detrimental influence of the street, from physical and moral disease, is to bring these children into "homes" as described above. Therefore the need of supplying the children with sufficient clothing and shoes is very urgent, in the case of children of refugees living in villages especially so. The safeguarding of the health of children also includes the nourishment of children of school age and going to school. The necessity of better nour- ishment of school children is called forth by the following conditions: Jewish children have to study a greater number of subjects, especially in the lower grades, subjects which are related to the Jewish religious education and the Hebrew language, and, therefore, are spending a greater number of hours in Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 53 schools than children of other denominations, and in many localities schools are a good way from the points where the refugees are sheltered in Missions or lodgings, in the neighborhood of which it is often impossible to find rooms for the school. Consequently the children staying in school so long a time have often not the chance of sharing even the small ration of food their parents receive from different institutions. Finally, the health of Jewish children, from whom the school demands a great effort, which can also be explained by the fact that many subjects are taught in Russian, which the children from the western prov- inces, especially those from Poland, know very little or not at all, demands, according to the general opinion of physicians who have inspected the sanitary conditions of Jewish refugees, a better nourishment and the supply of at least a small quantity of hot food. In consequence of this need, many localities have opened kitchens, even in the schools, where a hot lunch consisting of hot milk, usually a glass or a half glass per child, white bread and some hot cereal or soup with meat, etc., can be had, such school lunch could be supplied for at an average of 10 k. per child. Up to March 1st the institutions giving medico-sanitary relief to refugees consisted of: (a) Ambulance hospitals, 51; (b) 6 specially organized hospitals for infectious diseases; (c) diet kitchens for the better nourishment of the weak and old, 3; (d) 67 children's "homes" and (e) kitchens for the nourishment of school children, 25. Report is attached hereto. However, the lack of means has not, up to the present time, permitted the development of medico-sanitary measures to a degree that would meet the real need. From the attached table of provinces which have the above-named institutions will be seen that many localities have no medical relief at all, whereas other localities, needing many more of such institutions, are not sufficiently supplied with same. Thus, for instance, in the Province of Vilna, where there are 3,166 refugees, are only two ambulances, but no hospitals at all, nor are there "homes" for children or hot lunches for school children; in the Province of Vitebsk, having 15,990 refugees, there are only 4 ambulances and one hospital and 4 "homes"; in the Province of Minsk, with 23,529 refugees, there are only 1 ambulance, 1 hospital and 3 "homes"; in the Province of Moghileff, with 8,849 refugees, there is only 1 ambualnce and 1 hot lunch kitchen for school children; in the Province of VoUiynia, which has 8,259 refugees, there are no permanent institutions as yet, etc. Generally the children's "homes" care for children from 4 to 7 years old— for a total of 4,776; registered as needing a place in a home are 10,301 children, for whom it is still necessary to establish such "homes." 6,485 children receive hot luncheons in school, and 19,337 more remain without this most necessary nourishment. In this direction the children of the Province of Ekaterinoslav are better cared for, 1,180; Province of Taurida, 1,500; Province of Nizhni-Novgorod, 800; and Province of Tambov, 500. In these localities more than half of the children going to school receive hot luncheons, whereas in many provinces having a great number of children, as, for instance, in the Province of Kieff, with 4,799 children; Volhynia, with 900; Moghilev, with 925; Poltava, with 1,083; Kharkoff, with 871: Kherson, with 836, etc., do not receive this necessary nourishment. The report covering various provinces and showing the number of children receiving the above relief as well as showing the number of children who do not receive such relief is attached hereto. 54 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. As to the specifically medico-sanitary function, the work of the Jewish Committee consists of the following: The medical expeditions were the first to be organized and put to work. In order to fully tmderstand the importance of the duty they are fulfilling it is necessary to explain the means and the conditions of their activity in certain localities. Such expeditions work, for instance, in the District of Polotsk- Glubokoye, where are centred 3,200 refugees. This district is so near to the front that in certain localities, as, for instance, in the hamlet Glubokoye, the roar of the cannon is heard. The district of activity of this expedition extends from Polotsk and Glubokoye to a number of other localities: Postava, Opsa, Vileika and others. The work there began already in August, 1915. In the hamlet Glubokoye there is a hospital maintained by the Society for the Safeguarding of the Health of the Jewish Poptilation. This expedition has the character of a flying ambulance, ministering medical relief to the population of refugees and often assuming the responsibility of their nourishment. This expedition consists of the executive, two physicians, two trained nurses and two dietitians. One part of the medical staff travels through the district, while the other part is stationed in the locality and ministers to the local population. In Polotsk the expedition has at its disposal a very well supplied ambulance. This expedition has double work to do, due to the eventual and partly already effected evacuation of refugees from localities nearest to the theatre of military operations. Such an expedition also exists in Vitebsk, consisting of a trained nurse, a Red Cross nurse and of a disinfector. An expe- dition of this kind also exists in Gomel, ministering to a population of 5,000 refugees living in extremely hard conditions and with a small medical staff, who are unable to supply the necessary medical help to refugees and at the same time inspect their sanitary conditions, the expedition consisting of only one physician and two trained nurses and one disinfector. The relief consists of settling the sick in private lodgings and their placing into free ambulances. The expedition of the city of Minsk (more than 12,000 refugees). The bad living conditions of refugees in Minsk have been the cause of a great number of diseases. The terrible situation of the refugees and the actual danger of their dying out has called to them the attention of the Special Executive of the Union of Cities, who has assumed the duty of giving refugees medico-sanitary relief, but who has deemed it necessary to have a special Jewish medico- sanitary expedition. Such an expedition consists of physician-executive, two other physicians, 11 trained nurses, 3 Red Cross nurses, 1 disinfector and 3 dietitians. In Minsk the Jewish Committee has opened a special hospital for refugees, having 40 beds, having begun its activity on January 8 in rooms donated by the local Jewish hospital. In the ambulance more than 100 patients are received daily. In addition to this, a dentist's office has been arranged, as well as a vaccination office. The ambulance has a pharmacy, serving the ambulance patients as well as the patients whom the physicians visit in the Missions and in separate lodgings, this pharmacy giving out as many as 130 prescriptions a day. The city is divided into five parts, or districts, centering around the larger barracks, each barrack being under the supervision of a trained nurse. The number of cases where medical relief has been given totals 5,000. A special disinfecting expedition, under the supervision of a disinfector, disinfects the premises from an infectious disease, and the belongings of the patient are Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 55 sent to the disinfecting chamber, placed at the disposal of the Committee by tihe miUtary-sanitary supervision. Sanitation is also the duty of the disinfecting expedition, and which is carried out by a special expedition. For the disposal of garbage, a horse and carts have been acquired. The home for the aged is also in the care of this expedition. In addition to this, the expedition has sent out separate flying expeditions in order to inspect the suburban hamlets of Minsk, one physician and one trained nurse traveling through the provinces organizing ambulances, also organizing local medical forces, or, if such do not exist, sending out new expeditions from Petrograd. For the organization of medico-sanitary reUef a woman physician has been sent to the Province of Poltava, at whose disposal is a trained nurse ministering to refugees. In the ambulance opened in the city of Poltava, with the co-opera- tion of local medical men, about 800 patients are treated monthly. This ambu- lance also dispenses milk to the weak. Ambulances have been opened in Krementshug, the duty of the physician and the trained nurse being also the inspection of the food prepared for refugees and the supply of pure drinking water. Medical expedtions are at work in the Province of Taurida, in the towns of Berdiansk, where the expedition has organized a laundry for refugees, and where the weak and ill receive a better diet; in Genitshesk, 1,104 refugees; in Great Tolmak, in charge of trained nvirses; in Orekhov, etc. In Melitopol, in view of a strong epidemic of typhoid fever, a hospital has been opened, containing 12 to 15 beds, and there are also taken effective sanitary measures; a physician in charge is also in Simferopol. In the Province of Ekaterinoslav a special expedition is in the city of Ekaterinoslav, working in the name of the students' society of Kharkofl, and drawing its funds from the Society for the Safeguarding of the Health of the Jewish Population. This expedition has organized an isolation house in order to check the developments of epidemic disease. There is also a free ambulance for refugees. In KharkofT an expedition in the students' society of Petrograd is at work. In the eastern provinces the sending of special expeditions is not necessary so much as in the above-named provinces, as the activities of local, rural and city organization is more developed along these lines. However, it becomes necessary to send special expeditions to certain localities. Such an expedition is at work in Samara, 2,400 refugees, for the reUef to refugees living in Missions. The expedition consists of two trained nurses, a person supervising and inspecting the sanitary conditions of the lodgings of refugees, while local physicians give medical relief if needed. In the Province of Voronezh an expedition is at work with a physician at its head. In the district towns ambulances are opened in which patients are treated by a staff of trained nurses. In the city of Voronezh a hospital with 30 beds is in the care of a local physician, who gives his services free of charge. In the Province of Tambov is an expedition with a physician at its head. In the district towns of Lebediani, Morshansk, Borisoglebsk are ambulances in the care of assistant surgeons. In Kozloff, 1,200 refugees, an assistant surgeon and a Sister of Mercy are at work, and there is also, in view of an increase of disease, a special physician. The necessity of increasing medical reHef is called forth, especially in Borisoglebsk and KozloflF, where an epidemic of tjrphoid fever exists. 56 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. In Nizhni- Novgorod an ambulance is opened in which an assistant surgeon receives patients, or assistant surgeons from rural districts, who receive special remuneration. Here was also an ambulance with 15 beds opened in view of the spreading of abdominal typhoid fever, scarlet fever and measles. To Tsaritsin, in the Province of Saratoff, was sent a special expedition, consisting of a physician, of an assistant surgeon and of a Sister of Mercy to fight off cholera. At the present time, when cholera is not feared any more, the physicians and their assistants give relief to refugees in ambulances and at their lodgings. At the present time a total of 30 physicians are engaged in the work of treating refugees, 40 assistant surgeons, 2 sanitation officers, 9 Sisters of Mercy, 8 dietitians, 47 kindergartners, taking care of children's "homes," and 44 kinder- garten assistants. The remunerations of this staff amount to : physician, from 250 R. to 330 R. per month; second physician, 200 R.; assistant surgeon, 120 R.; Sister of Mercy, 75 R.; sanitation officer, 85 R. per month. From the report attached hereto will be noted that the item of medico-sanitary relief, in all its phases, for Novem- ber, December, January and February amounts to the following sums: For actual medico-sanitary relief R. 101,520 . 13 For children's "homes" 48,033 . 90 Nourishment to school children 10,878.50 Organization expenses 5,767.70 R. 166,200.23 While the item "organization expenses" also includes the traveling expenses, etc., of executives of the Society for the Safeguarding of the Health of the Jewish Population who had to travel in order to organize local relief in communities where special expeditions wotdd not be necessary and also for the inspection of the sanitary conditions of refugees. To cover this expenditure, the Committee of Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolayevna, donated the sum of 85,000 R., the Jewish Committee has already given 80,000, and 1,200 R. 30 k. have still to be re- ceived; the total sum spent by the Committee amounts to R. 81,200 23 k. From these expenditures the following sums have been used for the main- tenance of children's "homes": In November '. . . R. 4,572.24 In December 9,570. 29 In January 8,134.98 In February 25,756.29 Total R. 48,033.90 the expenditure for the maintenance of children's homes borne by the local Committees before the month of February from local philanthropic funds is not included herein. The cost of maintenance in a home amounts to the average of 10 R. a month per child, as will be noted from the following report covering the monthly expense for a home of 50 children: Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 57 Rent of rooms R. 50 . 00 Nourishment, counting 25 days in a month (with the exception of Saturday) 20 k. per day . . . 250 . 00 School suppHes 10 .00 Salary to Kindergartner 100.00 Salary to assistant 75 .00 Salary to servant 15 . 00 Total R. 500.00 that is 10 R. per child. The furnishing and supplying of such a home amounts to the average sum of 447 R. The report covering such furnishing is attached hereto and shows that the average cost of it amounts to 8 . 94 R. per child. For nourishment to school children has been spent: In November R. 240.00 In December 1,332.50 In January 7,120.00 In February 2,186.00 Total R. 10,878.50 The Committee of Moscow has received 5,000 R. for the relief in the Provinces of Vladimir, Voronezh, Kursk, Minsk, Riazan, Tambov and Tula. The cost of food per child amounts to the average of 2 R. 50 k. as per data shown above, that is 10 k. a day, counting 25 days a month. The medico-sanitary expeditions, their organization and maintenance, medicine, prescriptions, etc., amount to — In November R. 17,159.36 In December 16,635.80 In January 22,838 . 69 In February 48,886.28 Total R. 101,520. 13 At the present time it is expected to organize additional medico-sanitarj' relief, in points as yet not covered by this work and having 79,235 refugees. The sums necessary to cover this need in March are as follows: Considering that the month of March will need the same expenditures as in February, 42,000 R., that is the average of 54 k. per individual, 42,000.00: 78,083 R., it will be necessary to expend 42,886 R. for the relief of the same number of refugees. For the organization of medico-sanitary relief in other points where this relief has not as yet been given, having approximately 79,000 refugees, cotmting the same average of 54 k. per individual, it will be necessary to receive 42,000 R. In addition to this, in view of the coming hot season, it will be necessary to increase medico- sanitary rehef in locahties near the front line, this increase amounting to 1 R. 30 k. per individual, as can be noted from the following data: Hospital relief, 50 k., ambulance treatment and treatment in the lodgings of refugees and for nourishment of weak children, 53 k., sanitary measures, 27 k., bath, 11 k., and laundry, 16 k., in consequence of which, in addition to the expense of 42,000 R. shown above, it will be necessary to have an additional expenditure of 29,640 R. Having in view that the carrying out of sanitary measures cannot be realized earHer than in the course of two months, the month of March will need, to cover 58 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. the last two items, 21,000 R. and 14,800 R., a total of 36,800 R., the grand total for March will amount to 42,886 R.— 36,800 R., that is 79,686 R., making a round sum of 79,000 R. In addition to this it is expected to spend sums for the organization of 10 ambulances, counting 1,000 R. on each, as per estimate attached hereto R- 10,000.00 And for the organization of 4 hospitals of 160 beds and additional 60 beds for the hospital of Minsk, counting 100 R. per bed 22,000.00 Total R. 32,000.00 This expenditure is intended to be carried out in the course of the coming two months, and, therefore, the immediate outlay for the month of March will amount to 16,000 R. The Committee, therefore, asks for an assignment for actual medico- sanitary- relief work for the month of March of a sum of 95,000 R. (79,000 R.— 16,000 R.). For the maintenance of "homes" during the month of March and already in activity, with a number of 4,876 children at a cost of 10 R. per child (as per report) R. 48,760.00 And with the further intention of organizing "homes" for an additional number of 5,000 children, for which plan an immediate outla}^ of money to the amount of 8 R. 94 k. (as per report) per child, a total of 44,700 R. will be required, and while it is expected to carry out the organization of such homes during the month of March only to the fourth part of the entire projected plan, the outlay of money invested in same will amount to R. 11,000.00 And for the maintenance of the fourth part of the number of 5,000 children, will be required the sum of 12,500 . 00 Total R. 23,500.00 And thus, concerning this item, the Committee asks for the month of March the total sum of R. 72,000.00 And for the lunch kitchen for school children with the care of 6,485 children per 2 R. 50 k. each, will be needed the sum of . R. 16,212.50 And expecting to increase the number of such kitchens in order to care for an additional 1,200 children at the same cost 3,000.00 Total R. 19,212 . 50 Or, to rovmd out the sum 19,000.00 Thus, the total the Committee is asking for the carrying out of medico-sanitary work, for the covering of expenses incurred during the months of January and February R. 81,200.33 And for the month of March (95,000 R.— 72,000 R.— 19,000 R.) is 186,000 R., and, subtracting from this the sum of 25,000 R. assigned to the Committee by the Committee of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolayevna, the request will amount to the sum of 161,000.00 Total R. 242,200. 33 Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 59 vn. EDUCATIONAL RELIEF. This phase of reUef work, as explained above, is reaUzed with the co-operation of the Society for the Spread of Education among the Jews of Russia. Up to this time, the work has been carried on in 88 locahties — 115 schools, in which 18,635 children are being instructed. From September, 1915, up to the present time, the furnishing of these schools, svipphes and books have cost R. 18,528.83 The maintenance of these schools, excluding the sums received from local Committees of relief, has amounted to 116,609.04 And in order to quickly organize this chain of schools a number of instructors and district inspectors were needed whose remuneration amounted to 17,236.05 And the transportation of these teachers to their places... . 336.00 Total R. 152,709.92 To cover this expenditure, the sum of 30,000 R. was assigned by the Com- mittee of Her Imperial Hignesss the Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolayevna, while a sum of 77,757 R. remains still uncovered, or, to round out the sum, 77,000 R. The Committee, therefore, is asking for the sura of 77,000 R., 17,042 R., a total of $94,042.94, or the round sum of R. 94,000. vin. RELIEF BY SECURING WORK. As stated in the November report, this phase of relief work is done through local Committees of relief, but its organization and realization is chiefly directed by the Society for Manual and Agricultural Labor Among Jews, which has organized a special branch for the securing of work for refugees and which is maintained by funds assigned by the Jewish Committee for the Relief of the Victims of the War. This relief work consists of the following: (a) In organ- izing and maintaining an employment agency serving as middleman between the employer and the refugee who is capable to work. In localities with a small number of refugees there is no necessity of organizing such employment agency, but in localities where it is possible to expect a number of vacancies for working people, a so-called "reference bureau" is organized. Until the month of March 47 employment agencies have been organized and 15 reference bureaus (report is attached hereto.) The cost of their maintenance, as will be seen from table attached hereto amounted in January and February to: Employment Bureau R- -'^'JJfnnn Reference Bureaus JUMJU Total R- 24,340.00 2. The organizing of manufacturing shops (for the making of shoes, linen, knitted goods, cloths, etc.) 14 shops. This phase of rehef work necessitates an immediate outlay of money. The monthly expenditure, however, is small, as it is covered by the sale of the products manufactured. For the organization of these shops in January and February, according to data already on hand and covering the 14 shops, a single sum of K. y.»o^- '^ was expended, while their maintenance amounted to ^,zov. io Total R.12.095.91 60 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. 3. The organizing of manual training classes for boys and adults able to work, but who in their permanent homes did not do any physical labor, living from the proceeds of small business, peddling, etc., or whose profession did not require physical labor. In order to adapt this element of refugees to productive labor, it is necessary to give them at least a short time for the study of kinds of labor, which would enable them to become useful workers, qualified to answer the call for a considerable number of hands should a time come when such will be needed. There are two shops of this kind: in Ekaterinoslav, one for seamstresses and one carpenter shop; in Mariupol, for embroiderers; in Lugansk, for seam- stresses; in Nizhni-Novgorod are practical courses for the working on metal, organized, supplied with the necessary tools; in Ekaterinburg, a knitting shop; in Simferopol, for seamstresses and others. For the organization of 8 shops the sum of 26,204.20 R. was spent, including the cost for the organizing of courses for work on metal, which was 22,071.45 R. Having in view that for this last-named course were required expensive tools and that, after they have served their purpose of training of refugees they will sttU have a certain considerable value, it is expected that a great part of this expenditure will bring reimbursement; therefore, out of the above-named sum only 6,000 R. must be referred to as being expended, and thus immediate outlay of money will amoimt to 10,122.75 R. (26,204.20 R.— 16,071.45 R.). The maintenance of these shops for January and February, the account for which is on hand, amounts to 2,611 R., making a total of 12,733.75 R. 4. Shelters for apprentices. There is a considerable percentage of youngsters between 12 and 17 years of age who, owing to their age cannot be sent to ele- mentary schools, and also because they have finished these schools. In order to organize these young people and to prevent them from acquiring the habit of loafing, and as it is impossible to place them into business places, it is necessary to adapt them to a life of work. The best means to attain this is to have them learn a trade in a manual training shop. Specialists have agreed that the insti- tution "apprenticeship" has outlived its day. Experience has shown that apprentices spend considerable time helping in the household of employers, that they live in bad sanitary and moral conditions and usually forget what they have ever learned in school. Consequently, the number of schools for manual and technical training has increased. However, their organization and main- tenance need considerable sums, and, besides, cannot be realized when the need of training the young element of refugees is so imperative. A few years before the beginning of the war the Society for Manual and Agricultural Labor Among Jews began the reorganization of apprenticeship by founding so-called "shelters" for apprentices. This institution, tested and tried out in normal times, proves to be of the greatest usefulness for the present. The department of "relief through securing work" has, therefore, begun to organize such "shelters" in different localities. At the present time there exist shelters in 10 different localities, as follows: in Ekaterinoslav, Kazan, Lugansk, Samara, MeUtopol, Odessa, Elisavetgrad, Kursk and Voronezh, for the placing of 500 apprentices into different shops. Local relief organizations point out the best shops where apprentices may be placed, while a contract is drawn up with the proprietor of the shop and even a certain sum assigned to him as payment for lost or spoiled tools. The work of the children is supervised by a specially appointed officer, who several times during the week visits the shop Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 61 where the apprentices under the care of the shelter are working; in addition to this, courses have been organized for the afternoon, for the attendance of which the young people are freed for certain hours, as per agreement with the employer. These courses not only review the studies the children had in school and further develop them, but they also teach drawing and technical drafting, according to the trade they are learning. From the attached account covering a shelter of 50 apprentices during one year, it will be noted that the organizing of a shelter needs the immediate outlay of 200 R. and a yearly expenditure of 5,000 R., that is 100 R. per apprentice. For the months of January and February the cost of organizing and main- taining 8 shelters has amounted to 5,760 R. 5. The supply of tools. Data on hand shows that for January and February local Committees have expended 21,305 R. on this item. 6. Salary to the instructor and to executives for the organization of the • relief through securing work during January and February amounted to 13,899.10 R. Thus this phase of relief work has needed and expended: (a) Employment agency and reference bureaus, 24,840 R.; (b) for manual training shops, 12,095.91 R.; for apprentice shops, 12,783.75 R.; (c) for shelters, 5,760 R.; (d) supply of tools, 21,305 R.; (e) salary to staff, 13,899.10 R.— a total of 90,633.76 R., which sum has been entirely covered by funds of the Central Jewish Committee. The total necessary to cover the expenditure of the item "relief through securing of work" amounts to the following sums: (a) It is intended to open nine additional employment agencies (see report). For the maintenance of these as well as of those already existing (47 in number), it is necessary to have the sum of R. 14,775.00 (b) For the opening of 30 additional reference bureaus and their maintenance as well as that of already existing points 22.070.00 (c) It is intended to organize six new manual training shops, namely in Bobruisk (shoemaker's shop), in Perm (tailoring shop), in Samara (a hatter's shop), in Great Tokmak (a knitting shop), in Borisoglebks (knitting shop), in Kharkoff (knitting shop). For the opening of these shops an immediate outlay of 8,815.00 (Budgets covering different shops are attached.) For the maintenance of already existing shops as well as for that of shops expected to be organized 2,165.00 Total R. 10,980.00 (d) It is expected to organize manual training shops, in the nearest future, in Elisavetgrad (seamstress, carpenter, embroidery, corset), in Ekaterinoslav, 3 shops (tailors, ladies' clothing, courses for cutting), in Alexandrovsk (tinsmiths), in Bakhmut (tailoring shop), in Mariupol (tailors and tinsmiths), in Kazan (engraver's shop), in Arzamass (locksmiths), in Pensa (carpenters', shoemakers' and engravers' shops), in Perm (carpenters' and knitting shops), in Poltava (carpenters), in Krementshug (tailors), in Romni (seamstress and saddlers' shops), in Samara (seamstress), in Great Tokmak (seamstress), in Melitopol (carpenters' and artistic embroidery shops), in Simferopol (carpenters ancl seamstress), in Tambov (ladies' clothing), in Kozloff (locksmiths' and tinsmiths' 62 . Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. shops) , in Kharkoff (carpenters and courses for cutting) , in Sumach (seamstress) . in Odessa (locksmiths and ladies' clothing). The immediate outlay for the organization of these shops, as well as for the enlarging of those already existing in Mariupol, Tsaritsin and Simferopol, it is necessary to have the sum of 71,516 R. From the total number of shops it is expected to open only the fourth part during the month of March, which will necessitate the sum of (71,516:4 R.) 17,879 R. For the maintenance of shops already in operation for the month of March, 1,305 R., and the fourth part of expenditure for the maintenance of new shops (13,960:4 R.), 3,400, making a total of 4,795 R. Thus the expenditure concerning this item for the month of March will amount to 22,674 R. (e) For the organizing and maintenance of shelters for apprentices it is expected to spend 3,000 R. (f) For supplying workers with tools for the month of March, 15,000 R., and (g) Salary to instructors and executives and their traveling expenses during March will amount to 4,500 R. The total sum for this phase of work for March will amount to 14,575 R., 2,070 R., 10,980 R., 22,674 R., 8,000 R., 15,000 R., 4,500 R.— 77,799 R. Thus the Committee is asking for the item of "relief through securing labor" for the months of January, February and March an assignment of 90,633.76 R., a total of 168,432.76 R., or the round sum of 168,000 R. IX. ORGANIZATION EXPENSES. The expenditure for the organization and maintenance of the Committee's ofifices are as follows: In January R. 10,707.20 In February 11,521 .58 Total R. 22,228.78 This sum includes the expense of organizing and maintaining an information and statistic bureau (in the November report submitted to the Special Council the work of organizing and the problems of this phase of work have been stated in detail). The Central Russian Bureau of Registration attached to the Com- mittee of Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolayevna, has agreed with the Central Jewish Committee to submit all inquiries concern- ing Jewish refugees to the Central Information Bureau attached to the Committee, who in turn satisfies these inquiries direct. From October 1st to March 1st the Committee of Her Imperial Highness, Tatiana Nikolayevna, has referred 7,600 of inquiries to the Committee, 1,749 people being found through the work of the Committee. The total number of inqturies concerning the whereabouts of refugees amounts to 60,000 since the opening of this information bureau; up to March 1st, 20,896 people having been found. The total number of regis- tration cards amounts to about 130,000 received from registration bulletins from local Committees covering 235 points, from inquiries coming direct from refugees who give their address. At the present time, as stated above, the material concerning registration is being classified, and at the present time the bureau has accurate data of former and present addresses of refugees as well Russian Jewish Relief Committee. 63 as data concerning sex, age and profession of more than 125,000 from the total number of 185,000 refugees taking advantage of the Committee's relief. The expense of maintaining a great number of local offices and executives must naturally be a large one. It is necessary to keep in view that the duty of the office is to keep the lists of contributors and the keeping of accounting books registering contributions. In addition to this, the salaries of executives, their traveling expenses and mail expenses must be counted, the number of executives being 36. The necessity of sending these executives to different localities where the organizing of refugees is imperative is called forth by the fact that the refugees are centred in the provinces of the front line and in such localities where the local forces of relief work among refugees, scattered in small points, are not sufficient. If one keeps in view that the best social forces, the local young element, are called to arms, it will be easy to understand the necessity of sending out people from the centers, people who are experienced and reliable. These executives, being the representatives of the Central Jewish Committee, supervise the correct compiling of reports, the expenditure of fimds and supervise the accounting. The expense for salaries to executives and their traveling money amounts to: In January R. 11,,536.59 In February 12,143.70 Total R. 23,680.70 The total expenditure for the maintenance of offices for the Committee and salaries and traveling money paid to executives during two months amounts to R. 45,909.07 This expenditure is not expected to decrease for March and thus the expense is foreseen to be 22,954.53 R., that is, the necessary sum to cover the expense of this item will be 68,863 .60 In view of the fact that this expense is of necessity large, the Committee believes it would be right to divide it into two parts, referring one part to the funds of the Committee, funds consisting of philanthropic contributions, while asking the Special Council for a loan to cover the second part, that is 38,631 80 IMMEDIATE OUTLAY OF SUMS FOR THE MAKING OF UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR EASTER. Aside from the sums named above for which the Committee is asking the Special Council, the Committee also takes the liberty of submitting to the Special Council the consideration of the following need, which has to be referred to as the satisfying the religious want of Jewish refugees, for which up to the present time no assignments have been asked. As well known, one of the fundamental laws of the Jewish faith is the prohibition of bread during the Passover Week, which is substituted by unleavened bread made from flour of a special grist. Having in view that the Jewish Easter comes in the beginning of April, the Committee deemed it its duty to take the care of preparing unleavened bread for refugees into its hands. This phase of reHef work has and will still require considerable expenditures, including the cost of making and delivering unleavened bread for Jewish soldiers at the front as well as for Jewish refugees in care of 64 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. local Jewish Committees. Naturally the expense for the making of unleavened bread for Jewish soldiers will be covered by philanthropic sums in the possession of the Committee. As to the making of unleavened bread for the population of refugees, the Committee is asking for the necessary funds, which could be regarded as an addition to the food ration received by refugees. According to an estimate, it is necessary to have 10 lbs. of unleavened bread per refugee. It is necessary to have in view that from this unleavened bread cereal is made, as the use of other cereals and flour is not permitted. Count- ing the average cost of unleavened bread as 6 to 8 R. per pood, a weight of 40 Russian lbs., the cost of this will be from 1 R. 30 k. to 2 R. per refugee, according to the locality in which the refugees are centred. According to this estimate, the supplying of 150,000 refugees with unleavened bread calls forth the expense of 1 R. 75 k. per individual, a total of 262,500 R., the assign- ment of which sum the Committee is asking the Special Council. In view of the fact that the loan of 200,000 R. to professional people assigned in February has only been received in March, the account covering this item will be submitted in time, and the Committee does not, therefore, ask for a further assignment for this same item. II. POLAND. (Territory Occupied by German Troops.) The work of the Jiidisches Hilfskomite fur Polen, in whose care most of the American money has been placed, has been largely one of investigation and coordination. This committee has endeavored to encourage the various afflicted communities to support themselves as far as possible, and it has regarded it as its chief function to make appropriations to the relief funds already established in the various communities. In this way, the Jiidisches Hilfskomite fiir Polen has been able to husband the funds sent from America, so that it has been in a position for the past few months to give considerable help in such places where funds originally raised from other sources had been exhausted. The committee reports to us under date of February 1, 1916, that at the present time there are about 1,360,000 Jews in Poland, and that about one-third, or 455,000 Jews are dependent upon the support of the relief funds. This number the committee reports as growing from month to month, inasmuch as there are but few opportunities for employment. Small traders and emplo^'Ces, as well as artisans, are eating up their savings. In Lithuania there are at the present time about 400,000 Jews, of whom more than one-half— at least 250,000 — ^are dependent upon the rehef funds for support. The misery of the Jews of Lithuania is even greater than that of the Jews in Poland, inasmuch as Lith- uania in general is industrially in a worse position. In Courland there are but 10,000 Jews left. These Jews can get along without support from the reHef funds for the present. On February 1, 1916, there were about 700,000 Jews in Poland and Lithuania absolutely dependent upon the relief funds. The number of such persons is growing from day to day. The Jewish relief committee for Poland is of the opinion that in addition to other relief funds secured from other sources, the American relief fund will have to appropriate at least 400,000 marks a month for the year 1916. The appropriations made from the American fund up to March 9, 1916, were as follows: 65 66 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. APPROPRIATIONS FOR VARIOUS TOWNS. (Up to December 31, 1915.) Kalisch Mk. 26.433.30 Lodz and vicinity 61,666.80 Czenstochov, Dombrova, etc 45,000 .00 Lomzha, Suvalki 43,333 . 40 Tomaschow 6,666 . 70 Warsaw 73,333 . 35 Bendzin and vicinity 16,665 .70 Brzcziny 5,000.00 Konin 1,665 . 00 Plock 3,335.00 Vilna 10,000.00 Szczuczyn 5,000.00 Biala, Lukow 2,000.00 Schaulen 1,000 .00 Wieruschow 1,000 .00 Sanniki 2,000.00 Warsaw 105.900.00 Lodz 7,500 . 00 Warsaw 25,000.00 Kovno 15.000.00 Kalisch 4,000.00 Czenstochov, Sosnowitz, etc 10,000 .00 Grodno 10,000 . 00 Bialystok 20,000.00 Lida 3,000.00 Szczuczyn 5,000.00 Chorzelle 2,500.00 Vilna 50,000.00 Volkowisk 2,000.00 Przasnaysz 2,000 .00 Lodz 2,300.00 Skaudwilie 500.00 Preny 500.00 Military Rabbi, Dr. Tanzer 5,000.00 Novo-Grodek 2,000 .00 Chaplain, Richard 2,000.00 Lukow 2,000.00 Plock 1,000.00 Knyschyn 1,500.00 Field Rabbi, Dr. Baeck 600.00 Bitten 1,000.00 Lodz 1,000.00 Jwje 500.00 Thorn 2,000.00 Oszmiany 1,200.00 Slonirii 2,000.00 Buschany 1,500 .00 Zdunska-Wola 1,000.00 Field Rabbi, Dr. Levy 5,000 .00 Sieradz 1,500.00 Simno 500.00 Suwalki ■ , 10,000.00 Mariampol 500.00 Field Rabbi, Dr. Sonderling 5,000.00 Augustovo 1,000 .00 Kalvaria 500 .00 Wilkowischki 1,200.00 Lomzha 3,000.00 Judisches Hilfskomile fur Polen. 67 f^^j^^o j,jj^. 2,000.00 i'°^'^f 500.00 %,^\-- : 2,000.00 Ostrolenka 1,000.00 ^'■^"s^^ 1,500.00 ^°s,^" 2,000.00 Loaz 500.00 To M. M. Warburg & Co., Hamburg for expenses 597 90 Transfer to Warsaw 12 ! 50 Various expenses for transfer, etc 909 ! 65 Mk. 632,819.30 bhare of remittances of the German Central Relief Committee. . 11,633.35 Total Mk. 644,452.65 RECAPITULATION. Total receipts Mk. 3,441,450.00 Expenditures 644,452 . 65 Balance on hand Mk. 2,796,997.95 Of this balance, there was in the Berlin Disconto and Commerz Bank Mk. 281,932.95 Of this, the following sums have been expended: Wolkowisk Mk. 2,000 .00 Prascnitz 2,000.00 Novo-Grodok 2,000 .00 Lukow 2,000 .00 Plock 1,000.00 Points near border (Thorn) 2,000 .00 Zdunska-Wola 1,000.00 Sieradz 1,500.00 Lomzha 3,000.00 Grajewo 2,000.00 Losize 500.00 Ostrolenka 1,000 .00 Pinsk and vicinity (Dr. Tanzer) 5,000 .00 Points at the Front (Dr. Baeck) 300 .00 Points in the Rokitnos marshes, Chaplain Richard 2,000.00 Kahsch 4.000.00 Czenstochov, Sosnowitz, etc 10,000.00 Places in the District of Schtutschin, Graj- ewo, Rajgrod, Wonsosz, Radzilow und Gonionds 5,000.00 Chorzele 2,500.00 Lodz 10,800.00 Warsaw 25,000.00 Bialystok 20,000.00 Grodno 10,000.00 Vilna 50,000.00 Carried forward Mk. 174,600.00 68 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Brought forward Mk. Augustovo Bitten Boiansk Jwje Kalvaria Kielmy Kovno and Slobodka Knyschyn Lida Mariampol Oschmiana Breny Pruzana Skaudvill Skidel Simno Slonim Wilkowischki and Pilwischki Pultusk Vilna Places in vicinity Vilna (Dr. S. Levi) Schavli and vicinity (Dr. Sonderling) Alexandrov Total Mk. Balance on hand 174,600.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,500.00 500.00 500.00 500.00 15,000.00 1,500.00 3,000.00 500.00 1,200.00 500.00 1,500.00 500.00 2,000.00 500.00 2,000.00 1,200.00 2,000.00 5.000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 1,000.00 227,000.00 54,932.95- Mk. 281,932.95 RELIEF ADMINISTERED JOINTLY BY THE JEWISH RELIEF COM- MITTEE FOR POLAND AND THE GERMAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR THE RELIEF OF THE NEEDY IN RUSSIAN-POLISH TERRI- TORY OCCUPIED BY GERMAN TROOPS. The Jiidisches Hilfskomite fiir Polen has also cooperated with the Deutsches Central Hilfskomite fur die Notleidenden in den von deutschen Truppen besetzten Teilen Russisch-Polens. $100,000 was appropriated by the Joint Distribution Committee towards this cooperation. Up to the present time, we have received the following report of this cooperation. Jewish ReHef Committee for Poland German Central Relief Committee for Russian Poland Together 1915 Marks Marks Marks Mar. 5 — In aid of the needy in the district of Chenstochov 45,000.00 45,000.00 Mar. 5— Same for district of Bendzin 30,000 .00 30,000 .00 Mar. 5— Same for district of Kalisch 15,000.00 15,000.00 Mar. 27 — -To cover deficit of the Lodz People's Kitchen 100,000 . 00 100,000 . 00 Mar. 30— To the Civil Chief of the East for distribution 50,000.00 50,000.00 Judisches Hilfskomite fur Polen. Jewish Relief Committee for Poland German Central Relief Committee for Russian Poland 1915 April 10 — Lodz Jewish Benevolent So- ciety May 12 — Single distribution for needy of the districts of Kalisch, 15,000 — Lodz, 25,000 — Dombrova - Tchenstokovo, 15,000 May 12 — Monthly subventions for the same districts as follows : Lomza-Suvalki 5,000 . 00 Kalisch 2,500.00 Lodz 5,000.00 Commimities east and west of Lodz 5,000.00 Dombro va- Tchenstoko- vo 5,000.00 June 8- July 1- Aug. 5- Sept. 15- Oct. 28- Nov. 12- Dec. 6- June 18- June 18- June 18- July 1- July 14- July 14- Sept. 2— ' Sept. 15- Oct. 16- Nov. 13- -Same for June ■Same for July •Same for August (2,500 addi- tion for Dombrova- Tchen- stokovo) -Same for September as Au- gust ■Same for October ■Same for November (10,000 additional for Warsaw) . . . •Same for December (10,000 additional for various places) •To the Civil Chief of the East for distribution Subvention for district of Tomashov Subvention for district of Brzeziny •Establishment of a convales- cent colony in Lodz •Establishment of a convales- cent colony in Kalisch •To relieve distress in the burnt down villages of the dis- trict of Plotzk, 10,000, and Konin, 5,000 •To relieve Germans in Libau (600 weekly for 4 weeks) . . Same for 4 weeks more Same for 4 weeks more •Same for 4 weeks more Marks 3,333.30 15,000.00 15,000.00 15,000.00 16,666.65 16,666.65 36,666.65 16,666.75 6,666.65 5,000.00 Marks 1,666.70 7,500.00 7,500.00 7,500.00 8,333.35 8,333.35 8,333.35 33,333.25 13,333.35 10,000.00 10,000.00 5,000.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 Together Marks 5,000.00 36,666.70 18,333.30 55,000.00 22,500.00 22,500.00 22,500.00 16,666.65 8,333.35 25,000.00 25.000.00 25,000.00 26,666.65 8,333.35 35,000.00 45,000.00 50,000.00 20,000.00 15,000.00 10,000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 2,400.00 2.400.00 70 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Jewish Relief Committee for Poland German Central Relief Committee for Russian Poland Together 1915 Marks Marks Marks Sept. 25— To the Civil Chief of the East for distribution 100,000 .00 100,000 .00 Dec. 1— To the Civil Chief of the East for distribution 100,000.00 100,000.00 Oct. 13 — Subsidy for the district of Vloclavek 3,000.00 3,000.00 Oct. 14— SameforPlotzk 2,000.00 2,000.00 Nov. 29 — Establishment of a home for children in Lodz 12,000.00 12,000.00 Nov. 29— Various small sums 670.00 670.00 Oct. 29— Subsidy for Warsaw 60,000 .00 60,000 . 00 Total 291,666.65 633,103.35 924,770.00 THE (GERMAN) JEWISH RELIEF COMMITTEE FOR POLAND. Chairman Dr. James Simon, Berlin. Treasurer Max M. Warburg, Hamburg. Secretary Dr. Bernhard Kahn, Berlin. Executive Committee. Dr. James Simon, Berlin. Max M. Warburg, Hamburg. Dr. Bernhard Kahn, Berlin. Privatdozent Dr. Oppenheimer, Steg- litz. Dr. Paul Nathan, Berlin. Justizrat Waldstein, Altona. Captain Carl Melchior, Berlin. Members. Justizrat Bodenheimer, Cologne. Landtagsabgeordneter Geh. Justizrat O. Cassel. Assessor Dr. Friedmann. Dr. Max Ginsberg. Baron Rudolf von Goldschmidt-Roth- schild, Frankfort-am-Main. Professor Dr. Eugen Mittwoch. Kommerzienrat C. L. Netter. Professor Soberheim. Herman Struck. Geh. Justizrat B. Timendorfer. Professor Otto Warburg. Kommerzienrat Eisner. Justizrat Dr. J. Blau, Frankfort-am- Main. Geh. Justizrat Fuchs. Direktor Karl Herzberg, Frankfort-am- Main. Justizrat Horwitz. Lucien Picard, Frankfort-am-Main. Ludwig Schiff, Frankfort-am-Main. Justizrat Bernhard Breslauer. Direktor Paul Mankiewitz. Jiidisches Hilfskomiie Jiir Polen. 71 (Note— In the smaller towns and villages relief is administered by the committee in the nearest large town or city.) LOCAL COMMITTEES IN THE LARGER TOWNS AND CITIES. Vilna: Dr. Wygodsky. Attorney Rosenbaum. Rabbi Rubinstein. Dr. Schabth. Saul Lewin. Dr. Rachmilewitsch. A. Scheskin. Grodno : Dr. M. Anzelewltsch. Chose (Hotel Owner). Salmon Lipschutz. Herz Dreer. Drischtepinsky. Arkin. Sackheim. Rabbiner Gelbort. Lida: Son-in-law of Rabbi Reines. Cantor (Brewer). Jewish Community. Schavli: Jewish Community under leader- ship of Army Chaplain, Dr. Sonderling. Jurburg : D. Hermann. ■ Jewish Community. Salanty : Rabbiner M. A. Rabinowitz. N. Gutkin. L. Rosen. A. D. Lewin. N. Berkowitz. L. Siew. Wiscni : Rabbi M. Wisanski. Jewish Commimity. Wilkowischki : E. A. Grun. Jsak Drushin. Eschiel Bejlsken. F. Schalchotzki, Chairman. M. Glicksohn. Bialystok : Executive of Jewish Community. A. Tyktin, Chairman. A. Lapidus. A. Rappaport. Barrasch. Sch. Herschberg. Rabbi Halperin. Pilwischki : S. Goldberg. A. London. S. Roschugolski. J. Flensberg. Neu-Sigind : Rabbi Schapiro. Jewish Community. Kruki: Rabbi Abramowitz. Jewish Community. Libau : Chief Rabbi Nurok. Kaufmann Hcrzberg. Jewish Community. Kovno ; Army Chaplain, Rabbi Dr. Rosenak. Rabbi J. N. Kark. K. Markus. S. Wiriicky. Moses Schapow. Leon Reinberg. Leon Rabinowitz. Ksaak Dwonetzky. M. Hellermann. E. Garbatzky. Lasar Segall. Chaim Chassmann. Kovno-SIobodka : Rabbi Nisson Zablonski, Treasurer Kalmann Ipp. Meyer Barber. Hillel Fin. Chaim Blom. Joel Joels. Mariampol : A. Nathanson. Ch. L. Kaplan. Jewish Community. Rabbi Sch. Botnicki. Suwaiki: K. Schapiro (Treasurer). F. Danielewitsch. Jewish Community. Kalvaria : O. Baxsinow. J. Epstein. Jewish Community. 72 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Augustov : Leib Lewatinso. Abram Wejdenbaum. Isaac Rottenberg. B. Marcus. Wirballen : M. D. Friedlander. Schaki: P. Pfeifermacher. Warsaw:* Communal Relief Committee. Nathanson (Chairman). Rundstein (Treasurer). Cooperative Organizations in Re- lation to Fugitives — Relief So- ciety for War Victims. Muttermilch (Chairman). Dr. Poznanski. Farbstein. Goldflam. Consul Eiger Lodz: Stanislaw Jarocinsky Rabbi Dr. Brawde, Neumann. Ursysohn (Treasurer Lindenfeld. Prechner. Grawe Schwartz. Bailder. Cohn. Pabianice : Faust Bornstein. Zgierz: Ring Naphtalin. Konstantinov : Hanf tworcel . Chairmen. Alexandrov : Rabbi Singer. Kalisch : Relief Committee of the Jewish Community. Dr. Brockmann (Chairman). A. Kaplan (Secretary). A. Guttfreimd (Treasurer). Rabbi Liebschutz. Selig Friede. City Councillor Kaufmann. Chenstochov: Dr. Edward Cohn, Chairman of the Benevolent Society for Jews. Chief Rabbi N. Asch. Jewish Community. Sosnowitz : Stanislaus Reicher. Jewish Community. Bendzin: Relief Society. Dr. Weinziher (Chairman). Rabbi Graubert. Jewish Community. Dombrova : Relief Society. Kaufmann Siegreich. Benevolent Society. Rabbi Landau (Chairman). Kaufmann Weitzen. Executive of Jewish Community. Grajevo: Rabbi M. Awigdor Amiel. Jewish Community. Lask: Abram Lefkowitz (Chairman). Meyer Berkenwald (Secretary). Jewish Community. Kielce : Jewish Citizens' Committee. Dr. Lewin (Chairman). J. Sternfeld. S. Hirsch (vSecretary). Ozorkov: Dr. L. Famiter (Chairman). Dawid Swistowitz (Treasurer) Wolbom: Rabbi Ch. B. Dembinski. Jewish Community. Pinsk: Dr. Alexander Lurie. Attorney Boruschek. Attorney Samuel Wohl. Hirsch Hiller. Israel Lewin. Samuel Avigdor Lewin. *The Joint Distribution Committee at a_ meeting held March 20, 1916, added to the Warsaw Committee: Mes.srs. Levi Lewin- Epstein, Wagmeister, Segal, Medom, Dinensohn and a representative of the workingmen, to be designated later. Judisches HilfskomiU fiir Polen. 73 DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF. The following sums have been distributed to the most needy of the Jewish population by Leon Scheinhaus of Memel through local rabbis: Garsden (May) M, 100. 00 Krottingen (May) 125. 00 Polangen (May) 50. 00 Wewerzany (May) 100. 00 Schweksnja (Mav) 175. 00 Salanten (May) .' 200. 00 Telschen (June) 1,200. 00 Schkudy (June) 200. 00 Plungiany (June) 300. 00 Womy (June) 200. 00 Lankowo (June) 150. 00 Neustadt Sugind (June)... . 450.00 Chweidan (June) 350. 00 Ritawen (June) 150. 00 Dorbiany (June) 100. 00 Kul (June) 40. 00 Civil and War Prisoners (August).. 30.00 Telschen Kurschany Trischki Lukniki Naherany Siady Olsiady Murahjewo Wekschnie Krottingen . Schkudy . . . (Aug. 23).... 1,500.00 300.00 150.00 M. 5,940.00 Laukowo Neustadt Sugind Chweidan Schillel Plungiany Kul Andrejewo Womy Ritawen Twer Telschen ] Kurschany Lukniki Trischki Naweramy Siady Olsiday Murawjewo Wekschne Illoki Poppeliany .M. 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 150.00 100.00 50.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Aug. 30 1,080.00 Weinuten M. 90. 00 Krosze 144.00 Skandwill 144.00 Kelmy 180.00 Polangen 315.00 Chweidan 90.00 Schweksnje 108. 00 Neustadt-Sugind 108. 00 Schillel 90.00 Kul 72.00 Plotel 72.00 M. 8,433.00 Plungiany M. 144. 00 Salanten 90.00 Schkudy 108.00 Seriamy 45 . 00 Ritawen 90.00 Wewessany 63 . 00 Laukowo 72.00 Dorbiany 90.00 Womy 90.00 Krottingen 153.00 Massiady 54.00 Koltynian 54.00 Pojursche 54. 00 Schweksnje 100.00 Wessany 100.00 Ritawen 100.00 Krottingen 100.00 Jurburg 100.00 Andrejewo 60. 84 11 Communities in Telschi. . 1,500. 00 Plungiany 300.00 Salanten 300.00 Total M. 12,200.84 74 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF THROUGH MILITARY RABBI DR. SALLY LEVI. The following sums were distributed through Army Chaplain, Rabbi Dr. Sally Levi, formerly of Suwalki, now of Wilna. July 21— Pilwischken. M. 200. 00 Pilwischken 50. 00 Jeleniewo 20. 00 Wilkowischki for Kalwaria 200. 00 Kalwaria 150. 00 Wladislawowo for Schaky 300. 00 Wladislawowo 20. 00 Suwalki, Lechem Laanijim 300. 00 Suwalki, Moschab Sekenim 100. 00 Various Individuals 60. 00 For Carpentry Work 110. 00 July 28— Augustowo 50. 00 Augustowo for Stabin Lipsk 50. 00 Kalwaria 100.00 Aug. 23 — To cover notes due 50. 00 Committee on Distribution of Bread through Frau Recht- sanwalt Danielowitsch and Becker Liskowski 800.00 Minor appropriations and artisans for labor performed. . . 140.00 Sept. 14— To the Steward of Alvensleben for Racki 500. 00 Suwalki, Bread Distribution 150. 00 Suwalki, People's Kitchen 200. 00 Kalwarja 200.00 Nov. 13 — fitape Commanders of Mariampol 500. 00 Cantor Sirota, Mitau 50. 00 Schaki (for plundered persons) 400 . 00 Total M. 4,700.00 The following sums were distributed through Eugene Laaser. Sept. 10— Jurburg M. 50. 00 Nowo-Mesta 50. 00 Keidany 100. 00 Rosiemmy and vicinity (R. A. Lewin) 300. 00 July 30 — Tauroggen, Skautville, Schilehnen und Opino '. . 300. 00 Sept. 14— Opino, Tauroggen 100. 00 Chwidan 100. 00 Sept. 20— Schaulen 50. 00 Nov. 15— Jurburg, 100. 00; Welona, 50. 00 150. 00 Seretniki, 75. 00; Wilki, 75. 00 '. 150. 00 Eivolagda, 50. 00; Beitagola, 50. 00 100. 00 Nov. 27— Schitlowo 100. 00; Sitowiany, 100. 00 200. 00 Kroki 100. 00 Dec. 15— Kroki, 100.00; H. Wulff of Libau, 10.00 110.00 Treschki, 100. 00; Opino, 50. 00 150.00 Total M. 2,010.00 The following sums were distributed through Rabbi Dr. Vogelstein of Konigsberg : Aug. 13— Wilkowischki for Fugitives from Pilwischki M. 200.00 Wilkowischki for Fugitives from Kalwaria 200 . 00 Pilwischki 150. 00 Mariampol for Fugitives from Kalvaria and Ludwino 200. 00 Mariampol 100. 00 Kalvaria 200. 00 Rabbi Dr. Levy for Suwalki 180. 00 Rabbi Dr. Levy for Schaki 200.00 Total M. 1,430.00 Judisches Hilfskomite fur Polen. 75 The following sums were distributed by Max Amsdorf of Konigsberg: October— Jurburg M. 100.00 Wilonen 155. 00 Srednik 339. qo Wilki 200.00 Kovno 600. 00 Total M. 1,394.00 REPORT ON TRIP THROUGH COURLAND AND LITHUANIA. December 12 to 31, 1916. Dr. Paul Nathan and Dr. Bernard Kahn undertook a trip on behalf of the Judisches Hilfskomite fiir Polen through Courland and Lithuania from December 12 to 31, 1915. Introduction. The situation of the Jews in the districts visited, with the exception of Courland, is worse even than in Poland. Even though the people in Poland have become impoverished, there are autonomous Jewish communities which are able to raise some of the funds for cultural and charitable purposes through taxation. There are no such autonomous Jewish communities in other parts of Russia. Jewish communal and charitable needs are met by voluntary contributions and by two forms of taxes especially imposed on the Jews: the so-called candle tax and the meat tax. The candle tax is only nominally the old tax on Sabbath candles. It is really a more recent and direct tax imposed by the authorities upon the Jews. The revenue from these taxes covers about one-half of the cost of maintaining the schools and similar cultural undertakings. The meat tax is an indirect tax, assessed upon each head of cattle slaughtered. What was left of these taxes after passing through the hands of the police admin- istration was devoted to various Jewish charitable purposes. Most of the Jewish charitable institutions had depended upon the meat tax. Many of them also owned real estate, from which the rents were devoted to charity. It has not been possible to maintain the meat and candle taxes under the German administration except in a few places. In Vilna, for example, the meat tax is still in force. The income from the rents of houses owned by the charitable societies has fallen off almost completely. Then, again, the communities in Lithuania have not the financial resources of the Polish communities, nor are they able to raise funds for charitable uses through municipal loans or investments in municipal bonds as the Polish com- munities do. An experiment in Bialystok with a municipal loan failed com- pletely. It is true that in Poland the municipal securities have depreciated considerably, but their purchasing value is nevertheless increasing. In Bialystok the municipal securities purchased are worthless, as anyone accepting them as legal tender is liable to imprisonment. These conditions have increased the general distress, already aggravated by the commercial standstill and the heavy requisitions from which the Jewish population has suffered most. 76 . Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. The better-to-do Jews have almost all left the country, not so much of their own free will, but because of the pressure of the retreating Russians. It is obvious that the possibilities of raising funds to maintain the charitable institutions and to relieve the suffering in Lithuania, are much slimmer than in Poland. We must therefore make larger grants here than in the Polish districts west of the Vistula. Courland. Courland has a population of about 700,000, of whom 50,000 (or 7.5 percent.) are Jews. Four-fifths of the Jews were driven out by the Russians, so that only 10,000 to 11,000 were able to remain. About 8,000 are in Libau. Cities which had large Jewish communities have now few or no Jews, as, for instance, Mitau, with a former Jewish population of 7,000; Tuktum, 2,000; Windau, 4,000; Pilken and Talsen, each 1,000; Frauenberg, 4,000; Goldingen, 3,000. All of the Jews of Kantau, Zabel and Sasniki — 500 in each town — were driven out. Three thousand Jews were either expelled from lUukst, or left on account of the military operations. The Jews remained undisturbed only in Hasenpot and Polangen, where each community numbered about 1,000, as also in a few small places like Grobin, near the German border, which were occupied so early in the war that the Russians had no time to expel the Jews. The condition of the Jews of Courland in normal times is very fair. As only old settlers had the right of domicile there, a large influx of Jews was impos- sible. There being no congestion in the Jewish community, competition was not too keen, and the dire poverty of the overcrowded cities of Poland, Lithuania and other parts of the Pale of Settlement was unknown. Now, 40,000 or 50,000 of the Jews of Courland are homeless. They are wandering hither and thither in Russia. It is doubtful if they will be able to return to their homes, even after peace is restored. In any event, their eco- nomic condition will inevitably be very bad for a long time thereafter. Libau. In times of peace, Libau had a poptilation of 80,000 to 90,000, of whom 11,000 to 12,000 were Jews, 45,000 Letts (Evangelist), 15,C0D Germans, 5,000 Russians, 3,000 Poles, 15,000 Lithuanians (Catholic). Now the population is reduced to 50,000, including 7,000 Jews. The Libau Jews were mostly merchants and artisans. Most of the commerce was in Jewish hands. There were large export houses, a number of Jewish factories, a very large number of Jewish commission merchants and business agents. The situation of the middle-class Jews is now extremely wretched. Still, compared with the dreadful lot of the Jews of Lithuania, the Jews of Libau are not so badly off, because they are able to do without much help from the relief funds — or perhaps it shoiild be said that they must do without — the distress elsewhere being so much greater. The city of Libau has floated a loan of M. 2,000,000 in the form of municipal bonds for relief purposes. Lithuania. After Libau, the first place to be visited was the city of Schaulen. The journey thence took us through a number of smaller places. Wekschnia is a Judisches Hilfskomite fur Polen. 77 ruin; some of the 2,000 Jews were expelled, others left the town perforce when the town was destroyed. Popeliani has 3,000 Jews, only a few are employed, the rest are in great need. There are 200 Jews in Schaffkiani. 15,000 of the 20,000 Jews of Kurschany have lost all their possessions through the partial destruction of the city. Schaulen. Schaulen is desolate. It was a prosperous town of 36,000 inhabitants, among them 20,000 Jews. Now it is nothing but a great heap of ruins, after having been burnt down b}' the Russians. The principal section was destroyed, but a few houses are left on the outskirts. The Jews were all expelled. Instead of 20,000 Jews there are left 115 families of 520 souls. Half of these arc former residents of Schaulen, the other half from the vicinity who live in some partly restored ruins and carry on a small trade with the German soldiery. The district east of Schaulen has been hard hit. Many villages were completely destroyed. Most of the Jews of the nearby towns were expelled — from Ponewiesch, for instance. Kovno. Kovno had 70,000 inhabitants before the war — 45,000 of them Jews. All of the Jews in the fortress of Kovno were expelled by the Russians. During the German advance, some of the Kovno Jews returned from Vilna, where they had taken refuge. Many others came back from the villages nearby, so that there must now be 5,000 to 6,000 Jews in Kovno. Homes and shops were looted in the absence of Jewish owners, who often found nothing but bare walls on their return. The need is overwhelming, and increases daily. New groups of Jews are continually returning from various places of refuge. Many come in from the vicinity in the hope of finding employment, though the opportunities are very few. Arrangements have been made to distribute bread and small sums of money. A loan fund has been started. A children's kitchen, a warm lounging room and a large public kitchen were in prospect while we were there. The necessary funds cannot possibly be raised locally. M. 10,000 a month are abso- lutely necessary to meet the most urgent needs. Slobodka. The distress in Slobodka is appalHng. Slobodka is a suburb of Kovno, and the seat of a famous Yeshiba. The town is a collection of wooden huts with a normal population of 10,000, mostly Jews. There are only about 5,000 to 6,000 Jews left. People's kitchens must be opened there as well, and head- quarters established for the distribution of suppHes. M. 5,000 are needed for these purposes. • , i-r To restore Kovno and Slobodka to their important place m Jemsli Me, the Jewish schools and seminaries should be given especial consideration. At the very least, the teachers and pupils must be given the preference in the distribution of supplies, etc. 78 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. VUna. Vilna, the chief city of Lithuania, had 200,000 inhabitants before the war — over half of them Jews. Vilna has always been a city where Jewish misery was obviously poignant. Conditions are now a hundred times worse than ever. The population has dwindled to 150,000, about half being Jews. About 30,000 Jews and 20,000 non-Jews must therefore have left the city. Soon after the war began, Vilna became a centre for refugees from Poland and Lithuania. A refugees' relief committee was organized in August, 1914, to take care of the refugees who either passed through the city or remained. Over 150,000 refugees have come to Vilna. At the time of the entry of the Germans, there were still 22,000 of them in the city. The figures cited are only for the poor refugees. Large numbers of well-to-do people with means of their own are not included. The income of the Vilna relief committee from its inception was about 808,000 roubles: 404,200 roubles were contributed by the Jewish ReUef Committee of Petrograd, 85,000 roubles by the Grand Duchess Tatiana Relief Committee, 8,200 roubles by the municipal administration of Vihia, 2,000 roubles by the All-Russian Mimicipal League, and there were collections amounting to 25,161 roubles. The rest came from various sources, including a round 100,000 roubles realized by the Food and Fuel Commission. At the time of our visit they had 2,050 roubles on hand, with a minimum budget of 25,000 roubles a month to meet the most urgent needs. At the time of the German occupation on Septem.ber 18, 1915, there were, as above stated, 22,000 Jewish refugees in Vilna, who came from 150 places. All except 4,660 were repatriated at the expense of the reHef committee. Of those who remained, 915 were lodged in public shelters at a cost of 4,436 roubles a month. 3,400 persons were placed in private houses at 10 kopeks a day each: 340 roubles a day, or 10,200 roubles a month. In addition, 710 refugees receive meals from the people's kitchens at 9 kopeks each — 64 roubles a day, or 1,920 a month. Just as in Warsaw, the distress increased rapidly after the occupation of the city. All the factories were shut down, affecting 15,000 Jewish workers. Commerce came to a standstill, food rose to famine prices, and there was general unemployment. The institutions which must be maintained for the Vilna population and the refugees are the following: (1) Ten sheltering houses: monthly maintenance of 1,000 persons R. 4,436 (2) A public kitchen for 1,400 children: monthly. . 4,500 (3) Two children's homes for 500 to 600 children. (The children are fed in the children's kitchens) 300 ' (4) Care of refugees impossible to repatriate: 190 monthly 2,300 (5) For insane (originally 70—30 having smce died) 40 monthly 600 (6) For care of sick: monthly 900 (7) For care of (full) orphans 300 (8) Lodging of refugees in private homes : monthly. 10,000 (9) For wives of reservists 15,000 (10) For people's kitchens 3,000 (11) Additional grants for people's kitchens, open air kitchens and workingmen ' s kitchens- -monthly 500 Total per month R. 41,836 Judisches Hilfskomite fur Polen. 79 There is a whole series of Jewish institutions besides. Then there is the task of finding means for the care of the shame-faced poor. For the present these activities can somehow be taken care of by the Vilna community, though with great strain and difficulty. Some funds can still be raised from the Korobka (meat tax). The above sum of 40,000 roubles a month, however, must be found if the Jewish population of Vilna is not to find itself in extremities. The dire poverty of the people is best illustrated by the fact that it has become necessary to establish public kitchens in the streets of Vilna, where thousands crowd for the little water soup that often serves as a day's rations. The health of the population is greatly affected by these circumstances. The mortality rate for 1915 has doubled, and is still rising, though the population has decreased by a third. The district around Vilna, thickly dotted with Httle Jewish villages, has suffered severely as well. Lida. The normal population of Lida is 12,000, of whom 8,000 are Jews. There are only 8,000 left, including 6,000 Jews. Every means of livelihood has been cut off, the people have eaten up their savings and are destitute. Bread and other supplies must be distributed. An appropriation of M. 3,000 a month is necessary. Grodno. Grodno had a population of 60,000, including 40,000 Jews. There are only 24,000 people left in Grodno, of whom 18,000 are Jews. A public kitchen has been opened, which serves 180 midday meals free. Headquarters must be established for distribution of bread and wood, and a kitchen is needed for the shame-faced poor. This will require M. 10,000 a month. The numerous villages in the vicinity also need substantial assistance. Bialystok. -Bialystock, with its 100,000 inhabitants (of whom 80,000 were Jews), is the manufacturing and industrial centre of Lithuania. In normal times, the indus- trious Jewish population is in fairly good circumstances. Now the situation is very precarious. About 30,000 Jews of the well-to-do class have left the city. Thousands and thousands of destitute Jews have streamed into the city from far and near, so that Bialystock to-day harbors 70,000 Jews. The poverty is extreme. The people's kitchen provides 3,300 midday meals daily, at a cost of M. 20,000 a month. For other relief purposes and for suppHes at least IM. 10,000 a month are necessary. The maintenance of a separate workingmen's kitchen requires M. 2,000 a month. The community has reorganized itself under the German administration, with the right to assess taxes, so that hereafter some income is to be looked for. However, M. 20,000 a month still appears to be the sum necessary for the various institutions. The distress in the \ncinity of Bialystok is likewise very great. Jews 212,666 280,489 204,686 Per Cent. 13.77 17.49 12.86 80 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. SUMMARY. Lithuania. The Lithuanian districts occupied by the Germans comprise the following provinces : Total Population (1) Kovno 1,544,564 (2) Grodno 1,603,409 (3) Vilna 1,591,207 4,739,180 697,841 10.51 (4) A small section of the provinces of Minsk and Pinsk may be left out of consideration, as a small part of the Province of Vilna is still in Russian hands, so that the figures for the respective populations offset each other. Of the 700,000 Lithuanian Jews, about one-fourth were expelled, and 125,000 voluntarily followed the retreating Russian army. We have therefore to reckon with the 400,000 to 450,000 Jews still in Lithuania. Half of the Lithuanians are in sore need of relief, and the distress grows from day to day. Courland. Courland included 50,000 Jews among its 700,000 inhabitants. 40,000 were expelled. The absolute minimum needed monthly in each of the cities and provinces will be listed in a later statement. For the present, the sum absolutely necessary for Lithuania is M. 125,000 monthly For the north Polish provinces of Lomzha and Suwalki 25,000 monthly Hitherto we have allowed for Poland west of the Vistula M. 45,000 a month. With the in- creasing distress, we must raise the figure to at least 71,500 monthly Total needed for relief in Poland and Lithuania M. 221,500 monthly If it be realized that these M. 221,500 a month are intended to feed a starving population of three-quarters of a million, it will be obvious that this seemingly large sum will have to be spread out very thinly. Unfortunately, we must expect to furnish relief for a long time to come, and therefore feel compelled to limit ourselves to the above-mentioned monthly appropriations. FINANCIAL SURVEY. Up to date the following sums have been disbursed: (1) For Kalisch, Mk. 35,000, of which two-thirds from the Jiidisches Hilfskom _. Mk. 23,333. 30 Separate remittances from the Jiidisches Hilfs- kom 3,100.00 (2) For Lodz and vicinity, Mk. 85,000, of which two- thirds from the Judisches Hilfskom 56,666.80 Separate remittance from the Judisches Hilfskom 5,000. 00 (3) For Provinces of Chenstochav, Dombrova, Zawierce, Bendzin and vicinity, Mk. 67,500, of which two-thirds from the Jiidisches Hilfskom. . . . 45,000.00 (4) For Provinces of Lomzha and Suwalki, Mk. 65,000, of which two-thirds from the Jiidisches Hilfskom 43,333. 40 Judisches Hilfskomiti fur Polen. 81 (5) For Tomaschov, Mk. 20,000, of which one-third from the Judisches Hilfskom Mk. 6,666. 70 (6) For Warsaw: Separate remittance from the Judisches Hilfskom 50,000. 00 Separate remittance from the Judisches Hilfskom 10,000. 00 Mk. 20,000, of which two-thirds from the Judisches Hilfskom 13,333. 35 (7) For Bendzin and vicinity, Mk. 50,000, of which one-third from the Judisches Hilfskom 16,665. 70 (8) For Brzeziny, Mk. 15,000, of which one-third from the Judisches Hilfskom 5,000. 00 (9) For Konin, Mk. 5,000, of which one-third from the Judisches Hilfskom 1,665.00 (10) For Plotzk, Mk. 10,000, of which one-third from the Judisches Hilfskom 3,335. 00 (11) For Vilna: Separate remittance from the Judisches Hilfskom 10,000. 00 (12) For Szczuczyn, from the Judisches Hilfskom 5,000.00 (13) For Biala, Lukow (Jews from Brest- Litovsk), from the Judisches Hilfskom 2,000. 00 (14) For Schaulen, from the Judisches Hilfskom 1,000. 00 (15) For Wieruschow, from the Judisches Hilfskom 1,000.00 (16) For Sanniki, from the Judisches Hilfskom 2,000.00 Mk. 304,099725 All told 461,600 Marks were spent for the Jews of the above-mentioned provinces. Of this sum, the Interconfessional Committee for Poland contributed 157,500.75 M. and the Judisches Hilfscomite fiir Polen 304,099.25 M. For the month of January, 1916, we intend to distribute the following amounts : A. For Poland. (1) For Lodz, hitherto, Mk. 5,000 Mk. 7,500. 00 (2) For vicinity of Lodz 5,000. 00 (3) For Chenstochov, Dombrova, etc., hitherto, Mk, 7,000 10,000.00 (4) For Warsaw, hitherto, Mk. 10,000 15,000. 00 (5) For Kalisch, hitherto, Mk. 2,500 4,000. 00 (6) A group of smaller towns between Lodz and War- saw 10,000. 00 (7) PoHsh border country near Konigsberg, Thorn. Memel, 5,000 10,000. 00 (8) For Refugees in Poland 10,000. 00 (9) For Provinces of Lomzha and Suwall'A'ol, Sienno, Skabrczysko, Stromiec, Tarlov, Vasniov, Viesbice, Virzbnik, Zarnov, Zvolen, Radon. Through the Relief Committee in Kielce — Pinczov, Dzjaloscize, Skalniex, Checiny, Lopuszno, Sopkov, Bodzentin, Novo Slupje, Suchednjov, Miechov, Slomnik, Proszovice, Valkskions, Olkusz. Pilica, Volbrom, Vloszova, Szczekoczyn, Malogoszez, Jendscejov, Woidslav, Chmelnik, Busk, Szidlov, Stopnice, Viszlica, Nove Miasto Korczyn (Neustadt), Kielce. 114 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. RELIEF ON BEHALF OF THE REFUGEES ADMINISTERED BY THE ISRAELITISCHE ALLIANZ ZU WIEN IN COOPERATION WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE RELIEF COM- MITTEE IN WEST AUSTRIA, UP TO DECEMBER 31, 1915. Total Subventions of the Israelitische Allianz zu Wien, up to December 31, 1915. Kjonen Vienna 151,090 Bohemia 131,574 Moravia 98,310 Hungary 66,588 Various assistance 4,340 General assistance for refugees and other war sufferers 10,216 Total 462,118 VIENNA. (About 100,000 Jewish fugitives without means.) Disbursed Out of Local Ftmds Subvention of Allianz Aid for fugitives by IsraeUtische Allianz Clothing for children of fugitives People's kitchens Tea-rooms and distribution of bread To supplement government aid: Through central office Direct to rabbis, teachers, students, etc. . . Total Kronen 215,000 30,000 400,000 250,000 Kronen 4,450 27,200 4,700 55,000 59,740 151,090 Israelitische Allianz, Vienna. BOHEMIA. llo Relief Committees of the Number of Jewish Community Refugees Arnau Auscha Aussig a. E Bergreichenstein . BiHn Bodenbach B. Leipa Brux Buchau Budweis Budyn Caslau Chlumetz Chotebor Chrudim Dasic Dauba Dux Elbekosteletz . . . . Elbogen Falkenau Fransenband. . . . Friedland Gablonz a. N. . . . Goltch Jenikau. . Habern Hermanmestes . . Hohenelbe Hokau Holitz Horitz Hostau Jechnitz Jicin Jungbunzlau .... Kaaden Karbitz Karlsbad 200 *267 1,450 157 *800 1,800 2,000 1,532 *212 *5,042 *150 520 *268 *320 1,200 *180 800 * 1,400 252 1,060 300 1,400 *689 766 92 92 354 *210 *150 *560 461 300 *350 689 1,500 230 3,400 Disbursed Out of Local Fimds Subvention of Allianz Kronen 4,200 13,800 *5,000 22,430 127,000 193 1 1.747 *5,000 14,600 t2,500 5,000 tl2,000 10,200 t29,000 *30,000 2,400 tl,855 2,500 1 1,600 7,000 t3,000 456 1 1,700 2,300 t4,900 2,150 t7,880 18,500 t60,000 *2,880 18,350 1300 t850 13,390 *630 t500 2,400 t800 t3,566 *5,500 46,000 t30,noo Kronen 600 400 1,000 400 400 2,000 1,000 1,000 250 13,000 200 500 300 200 500 350 1,000 1,500 300 1,500 900 5,800 800 700 200 200 300 300 100 300 650 500 600 500 500 2,500 300 9,000 116 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. BOHEMIA— Continued. Relief Committees of the Jewish Community Number of Refugees Disbursed out of Local Funds Subvention of AUianz Kladno 3,360 Konigssaal 197 Konigstadte *220 Konigswart 317 Kolin *1,000 Komotau *1,150 Kralup a. M *600 Kuttenberg 668 Laun... *200 Leitmeritz 256 Libochovitz 144 Lobositz *153 Lubenz *239 Luck 150 Marienbad *1,198 Melnik 620 Mies 1,500 Mnischek Munchengratz 724 Nimburg 642 Pardubitz *300 Perutz Petschau *1,000 Pilgram *550 Pilsen 14,000 Podebrad 340 Podersam 758 Postelberg *393 Prag 5,700 Pribam 400 Rakonitz 434 Raudnitz a. E *160 Reichenau 1,040 Reichenberg *2,400 Rumburg 2,000 Kronen Kronen 4,900 12,160 1,900 2,000 t2,500 500 500 3,i6o tl,100 500 600 *io,66o 2,300 400 156 t2,300 750 *2,570 400 3,900 14,400 200 900 t900 400 *3,000 850 500 1,000 1 1,000 200 *8,025 7,600 5,000 tl,200 1,600 4,320 t2,000 400 200 1,950 t3,750 1,600 495 t453 500 400 100 1,000 300 134,750 t76,044 27,600 2,164 t800 550 1,250 t3,350 1,100 *5,000 500 470,560 1250,000 200 1,500 t6,400 1,000 6,740 t6,740 300 *2,500 700 t6,760 1,700 . 12,235 t5,000 3,000 IsraelUische AUianz, Vienna. BOHEMIA— Concluded. ir Relief Committees of the Jewish Community Saaz . . . Schlan . Soborten . . Strakonitz . Tabor Tachau. . . . Teplitz . . . . Trautenau . Tarnau. . . . Unt. Kaalovitz. Varnsdorf Vlaschim Volin Zaluzan Various places. . . Prayer books, etc . JDisbvirsed Subvention Ntunber of Out of Local of Refugees Funds AUianz Kronen Kronen 3,700 1,000 t2,400 3,550 1,009 8,500 t2,400 3,550 *180 300 *700 500 *200 *3,666 250 750 5,329 t8,320 600 *1,090 *550 *6,666 1.000 500 3,540 12,315 400 120 1,500 200 595 4,200 te.ioo 800 608 550 tl,600 1,000 350 2,300 400 200 400 2,424 Total 131,574 HUNGARY. Relief Committees of the Jewish Community Number of • Refugees Disbursed Out of Local Funds Subvention of AUianz Budapest Grossvardein Pressburg '. '. . .30,000 Kronen 61,115 3,473 2.000 Total 66,588 118 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. MORAVIA. Disbursed Subvention Relief Committees of the Number of Out of Local of Jewish Community Refugees Funds AUianz Kronen Kronen Brunn 6,182 124,420 300 Damboritz . . *640 500 Gaja 5,570 45,000 t5,000 11,750 Holleschau . . 400 t5,500 300 Kanitz 212 6,000 200 Kostel 150 1,750 t500 200 Leitomischl . . 100 Lindenburg. . *350 3,000 400 M. Trabau.. ** 1,800 715 t3,561 1,600 Neutitschein 2,000 2,875 1,200 Nikolsburg . . 8,000 20,000 t29,000 51,250 Olmutz 255 31,000 tl4,500 300 Pohrlitz *4,280 *40j000 10,750 Strassnitz . . . *180 300 Trebitsch .... *50 *200 200 Ung. Hradisch **89,850 8,510 tl04,430 1,500 Vischau 280 1,025 t500 400 Zwittau for PoUcka . 900 1,000 t2,000 800 Refugees in Nikolsburg, PohrUtz, Gay a a. Kanitz Total 16,260 98,310 * Figures as of last summer (1914). Later figures not available. t Cost of supplies distributed. X Cost of supplies distributed not included. ** Way stations en route. ft Includes 60,000 kronen for Galician refugees in Hungary. MISCELLANEOUS GROUPS OF REFUGEES. Relief Committees of the Jewish Community Number of Refugees Disbtirsed Out of Local Fimds Subvention of Allianz Kronen Kronen Amstetten Brack a. L Gars Graz Vaidhofen a. Th . . . Sarajev Total 400 1,000 35 800 '. 2,666 14,666 600 540 100 2,000 100 1,000 4,340 IV. GREECE AND TURKEY, EXCLUSIVE OF PALESTINE. In October, 1915, the Joint Distribution Committee sent a first appropriation of $5,000 to the Hon. Henry Morgenthau, American Ambassador at Constantinople, for distribution in Turkey. The following letter, dated November 16, 1915, from Ambassador Mor- genthau describes the manner in which this sum was distributed: With reference to the $5,000.00 which you sent me for distribution amongst the needy Jews outside of Palestine, I desire to inform you that after having conferred with the Grand Rabbi here, I concluded to distribute the amount in question (for which I obtained Ltq. 1,219.51 at the rate of 4.10) in the following proportions : Received Ltq. 1,219. 51 Adrianople Ltq. 100. 00 Dardenelles 100. 00 Aleppo 100. 00 Smyrna 100. 00 Beirut 50. 00 Broussa 50. 00 500.00 Ltq. 719.51 Paid for Commission and telegraphs 4.31 Balance for Constantinople Jews Ltq. 715. 20 I have sent to the various local relief committees the above specified amounts and enclose herewith such receipts as I have thus far obtained from them. As you will notice from the enclosed receipt of Grand Rabbi Nahoum, I have already paid Ltq. 200 to the Constantinople Relief Committee, so that I have now a balance of Ltq. 515.20 which I shall pay them at the rate of Ltq. 215 a month. I am sending you with this mail a few photographs showing the distribution of this fund among Jews in one of the suburbs of Constantinople. Tlie misery that one can witness here is simply appalling, and I assure you that the timely assistance of your Committee is deeply appreciated by all the Jews here. Committee for Dardenelles and GallipoU. Following is a report of the ReHef Committee for the Sufferers of the Dardenelles and Gahipoli submitted to the American Ambas- sador on September 22, 1915: Six months ago, following events which are famihar to you, the Jews of Dardenelles as well as the entire population of that city were obliged to abandon 119 120 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. their homes and to seek refuge in a certain number of neighboring locahties, such as Lapsaki, Gallipoli, Bigha, Constantinople, and the villages of Dardenelles. Our co-religionists, the greater part of whom live from hand to mouth, suddenly found themselves deprived of all resources and without shelter. To crown their misery it was on the eve of the Passover holidays which every Jew wished to observe scrupulously. As the community of Dardenelles had not had the time to prepare matzoth, rich and poor ran the risk of being compelled to eat ordinary bread during the entire festival. A desperate appeal on behalf of the poor was thereupon addressed to His Eminence, the Grand Rabbi of Turkey, and to the Order B'nai B'rith, which were not slow to consider it and to take the necessary steps to aid the unfortunate families. The Community of Dardenelles practiced a number of economies and sent them sixty pounds Turkish which made possible the distribution of relief to almost all the needy. After the Passover, the situation of these families improved but slightly. Their number had a tendency to increase because those who had some resources exhausted them little by little and finally augmented the number of the needy. It was impossible to abandon these unfortunate persons to their fate. It was necessary to cast about for some means of supplying them with their daily bread, although this task would be a very difficult one. While His Eminence, the Grand Rabbi, the members of the Society B'nai B'rith, and the notables of Dardenelles were studying at the capital the best means for coming to the aid of these unfor- tunate people, it was learned that their number had doubled, perhaps tripled, the inhabitants of Gallipoli also having been compelled to leave their homes, to lose their livelihood and to seek asylum elsewhere, some even as far as Rodosto, Panderma, Tchardag and Lapsaki. Following the receipt of pressing dispatches and letters which were arriving from all parts to His Eminence and to the Society B'nai B'rith, a new subvention of 100 pounds Turkish was voted, and at the same time a special commission composed of notables of Dardenelles was constituted tmder the auspices of the latter society and was charged with the gathering of information concerning the suffering families, the collection of donations and the judicious distribution of the money raised among the various places. Immediately upon its constitution, the Committee set to work, and rendered aid in the most urgent cases. At the same time, it communicated with the Community of Dardenelles and with the charitable organizations of that city asking them to turn over to the Committee all sums which they had at their disposal. On his side. His Eminence, the Grand Rabbi, was good enough to intercede on behalf of the two stricken communities with His Excellency, the Ambassador of the United States of America, who did not.hesitate to telegraph to a charitable society in his country and to remit to us a short time afterwards $2,500.00 or about 590 pounds Turkish. These liberalities permitted us to respond to all the demands which we received. As the number of those who required assistance increased, we were compelled to exercise the greatest economy if we did not wish that our work should have an ephemeral duration. Having these considerations in mind, we decided to grant only forty paras (five cents) per day per head to the families composed of three members or less, and thirty paras (less than four cents) per day per head to the families composed of more than three members. Thanks to these precautions, we have been able Committee for Dardenelles and Gallipoli. 121 to assist 1,760 persons during more than three months. These persons are scattered in about 20 localities of which we give the following list : People Bairamich ^ 60 Bigha ' 44 Birgas 25 Bilinkeuy 2 Dardanelles 23 Eusboc 120 lapildag 76 Gallipoli 45 Isine 45 Kara-Djoglou 13 Kanguorli 48 Komel 47 Kourchourlou 40 Ichocler 5 Lapsaki 200 Noussakouy 15 Pandorma 35 Sari-bojdi 15 Suledje 30 Rodosto 708 Tchardag 200 Total 1,764 Relief was administered by the following committees: At Rodosto under the presidency of the Director of the School of the Alliance, at Lapsaki by the Director of the School of the Alliance of Dardenelles, and at Panderma by the Director of the School of GallipoU. From Lapsaki kind persons went into the neighboring villages and assisted the sufferers. Although on principle no more than 30 or 40 paras were to be allowed for each person, as a matter of fact account had to be taken of the needs of each family, and this sum was augmented or diminished according to the abihty or inability of the family in question to procure help from other sources. We are persuaded that we have done useful work not only in assuring the daily bread of more than 1,700 unfortunates, but also and especially in having aided a large number of heads of families to pass over first critical weeks of their arrival in the villages and by procuring them the means of resuming little by little their work which was so rudely interrupted. It is with a feeling of joy that we have learned that some heads of families have been able to resume business and to count no longer exclusively upon us for suljsistence. To-day our funds are exliausted although our work is by no means finished. If some families no longer need our aid, there still exists a large number of widows, orphans, families of soldiers who are deprived of all resources and who look to our aid as our ancestors in the desert looked for the manna from heaven. What will become of these unhappy ones now that we are unable to help them? What will become of them to-morrow when the great frosts will begin, and when it will be necessary to provide them not only with bread, but also with fuel, clothing and shelter? To-day many families live in brans or camp in the open air. Will they be able to do this in the season of rain, of snow and of wind? They will 122 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. be forced to again migrate to take up again the path of the exile, to go to new regions where other families who are themselves suffering will be absolutely unable to assist them. Commission for the Assistance of Families of Jewish Soldiers. Following is a report of the Commission for the Assistance of Families of Jewish Soldiers, in Turkey, explaining the condition of the Jews there. Immediately after the participation of Turkey in the great war, the first concern of the Grand Rabbinate was for the fate of those poor homes, barely managing to exist from day to day, who would be deprived of their natural protectors. The general mobilization has in effect thrown a great number of families into the most abysmal misery from the very beginning. The urgency of relieving the suffering devolved upon our community, which, in spite of continued financial difficulties, had maintained the work. To meet this situation, the "Commission for the Assistance of the Families of Jewish Soldiers" was organized. Our first task was that of procuring a list of such families, the number of members in such families, and their condition. To effect this we had to have the cooperation of the Rabbis and administrators of the Capital. When the lists were drawn up, a subscription was opened among our co- religionists; each brother, forgetful of his own misfortune, engaged in mutual rivalry in generosity towards the work of humanity and Jewish solidarity. Even before the result of the subscription was known, our Commission raised some funds in order to meet the direct and most immediate necessity. In September, 1914, 13,847 piastres were distributed among 2,750 souls, five piastres (25 cents) a month being allowed for each person. The relief was, of course, the extreme minimum, each of the families relieved being barely able to buy bread. The Commission was cognizant of this, but on account of the rapidly increasing niunber of families made destitute by the calling of all classes to the colors, and the comparative meagerness of our resources, was forced to limit itself. The result of the local subscription reassured us, for it permitted us to carry on our charitable activities for eight months. The amount reached was 286,101.75 piastres. Besides these monthly distributions during the Passover, the Committee distributed matzoths (which were double the price of bread), underwear and shoes to the most needy as well as all things necessary for the accouchement of poorer women. Also those soldiers stationed near Constantinople received matzoths, and a subsidy in coin from 10 to 20 piastres each. The entire Passover expenditures came to 43,050 piastres. It was impossible for us to directly cover all parts of Constantinople for investigations, registrations, etc. To obviate difficulties, sub-committees were formed in the various Jewish districts of the city, the members of which were chosen by the Rabbis, notables and aides of the civil administration. The sub-committees are in continual correspondence with the Central Committee; they are charged with the distribution of funds, investigations, enrollments, etc. The detailed account of each distribution, properly signed, is sent to us fre- Reports of Chief Rabbi of Salonica. 123 quently. Inspections are constantly made in all quarters of the city, as is also the search for needy cases. At the beginning of June, when we had only enough for a final distribution, we had recourse to the benevolence of Mr. Morgenthau, to whom we explained the desperate situation in which those families would be placed if the relief was to give out. Mr. Morgenthau gave renewed proof of his exalted soul and endeavored to interest the Jewish benevolent committees of New York. We have now, owing to the appropriation of $2,500 from New York, proceeded to the July and August distribution, and we are now preparing the lists for the September distribution of this generous gift. Our Committee is happy to express on this occasion our continued gratitude to our American co-religionists for their noble actions towards our community in response to the appeal of Mr. Morgenthau. A poignant question now confronts us, "What about October?" The season will bring forth miseries, some of which we cannot foresee. The economic condition of the country is growing worse, and it will be physically impossible for our Jewish citizens to give any large contributions. Commerce, trade are paralyzed, and we look forward to a disheartening winter. As a piece of simple information we digress and give the following. In the center of Constantinople there is a Jewish district called Haskeuy, where a congested population of 15,000 Jews, mostly indigents, are gathered. The con- dition of this population has grown more and more horrible since the war began. Having been informed of this state of affairs, our community has formed a Commission under the presidency of our Grand Rabbi to improve the situation. This committee has been working for some time. It tries to obtain small capital for the heads of families, to care for the sick, to assure a pension to the widows and orphans, to distribute articles of accouchement, underwear, fuel, to aid the schools. For eight months we have continued this relief. The Commission of relief, which has its headquarters at the Grand Rabbinate, is now permanent, having a monthly drawing account of between 1,000 and 1,200 piastres from the communal funds. Although our community has shown clear proof of solidarity in the moments of stagnation and precariousness, the Commission cannot continue its work without the generosity of our American brethren. Having a profound faith in their charitable sentiments, we hope that in these sad days they will obey the traditions of Jewish generosity and not leave us in our great misfortune. REPORTS OF CHIEF RABBI OF SALONICA. In November the Committee received an urgent appeal for help from the Grand Rabbi of Salonica. The sum of $1,000.00 was sent to him through Mr. Morgenthau. Following is a letter, dated November 17, 1915, acknowledging receipt of this sum: I have the honor to bring to your knowledge the fact that His Eminence, Mr. Morgenthau, Minister of the United States at Constantinople, has remitted to us the sum of 5,162 Drachmas, equivalent to $1,000.00, on account of your Honorable Committee. Not having received any advice from you on the subject of this remittance, T have been led to presume that it is intended for the aid of 124 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. the Jews expelled from Syria who have taken refuge in Can6e. As I have alreadj^ explained to you in my letter of the 29th of September, last, the care of these refugees until the end of the war having been assured hy the Consulates of Eng- land and France at Can^e, I have considered it unnecessary to send this money to the presumed destination, and am keeping it at your disposal until the arrival of your instructions. Mr. President, it is with the most profound emotion that I find myself obliged to come a second time to solicit your help in favor of the Jewish com- munity of this city. You know very well that our community has imposed upon itself up to the present time all the possible sacrifices in order to meet all its own needs without having recourse to the generosity of outsiders. Unfor- tunately, the community finds itself at the present time in an impasse from which it is impossible to go for the following reasons: In about four months we will have the festival of Passover. In order to provide matzoths for the poor families of our city alone, it will be necessary to expend the sum of 80,000 francs, although the sacrifice for this purpose needed formerly was only about 30,000 francs. The quantity of matzoths distributed free of charge to the poor in normal times, which was 55,000 ocques, will cost this year 65,000 francs, at a price of 1.50 francs per ocque, although formerly this price was not more than 60 centimes. This is a sacrilice which our community will never be able to bear. This condition makes us tremble and obliges us to turn to your benevolence. Intercede, I pray you, with your Honorable Committee in order that we may get its powerful support in this critical time. Although four months separate us from the approaching festival of Passover, our community must now begin to make preparations for getting the necessarj' wheat. Lend us once again your efficient help and put us in a position to relieve a large number of families once well-to-do, and to-day in the greatest misery. Our community will guard your memory forever and the relieved families will not cease to bless the names of their benefactors. I beg you to be good enough to excuse, Mr. President, the liberty which I am taking to approach you in these circumstances and with my thanks in advance, I beg you to accept the expression of my most devoted sentiments. The Grand Rabbi. (Signed) J. Meir. In December, 1915, the Joint Distribution Committee sent the sum of $25,000.00 to the Grand Rabbi of Salonica, instructing him to administer this fund for the relief of destitute Jews in Salonica and in^the interior of Greece. Following is a letter, dated March 7, 1916, from the Grand Rabbi, stating how this money was to be distributed : I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the kind letter which your Treasurer addressed to me under date of December 28th, last, and which reached me yesterday after a lapse of almost two months; I have also received your honorable letter of the 24th of the same month, to which I have not replied, it having crossed with my letter of January 10th, last. The sum of $25,000.00 which you have sent me was turned over to me on Reports of Chief Rabbi of Salonica. 125 January 5th through the good offices of Mr. Kehl, Consul of the United States at Salonica, in the name of the Secretary of State at Washington. I am seizing this occasion to express to you, Mr. President, on behalf of the entire Jewish population of this region as well as in my own name, our thanks for the noble act which your honorable Committee has been good enough to perform in these circumstances. I hasten to inform you that as soon as I came into the possession of the sum mentioned above, I charged a commission, formed by the Presidents of the three councils of this community, to prepare a program with regard to the distribution of this money. Up to the present time, important assistance in supplies and in currency have been distributed to needy families in Salonica. A part has been appropriated for the different communities of the interior and a large sum has been set aside to supply the needs of our co-religionists for the approaching Passover holidays with regard to which I wrote to you on November 17th, last. The number of Jewish famiHes to be assisted on this occasion and the subsidies to be accorded to the Jewish soldiers of the various armies now at Salonica, and who exceed 3,000 in number, cannot be determined at the present moment. It is therefore not possible to send you just now the detailed report for which you ask. After the Passover holidays, we will be in position to give you a satisfactory statement. The following is a letter, dated May 10, 1916, explaining the principles v^hich guided the committee in Salonica in the distribution of the various amounts remitted. This letter is followed by financial statements rendered by the Grand Rabbi of Salonica: I have the honor to confirm my letter of the 7th of March last, and complying with your wish, I present herewith a statement showing the distribution of the donation of $25,000 which your honorable Committee has been good enough to appropriate in favor of the needy Jews of Salonica and vicinity. I beg to inform you that the special commission which has cooperated with me in the distribution of your gift, and w-hich is, as I informed you in a previous letter, composed of the presidents of the three communal councils, taking into consideration the present critical situation in this region and desiring to provide for events which are likely to occur at a future date, has considered it advisable to exercise a certain amount of reserve in the distribution of help. In fact, although it would have been necessary to expend very much more money in order to relieve the misery which obtains at the present time among various classes of the Jewish population, yet recognizing the sound basis of the reasoning of the special commission, I have felt obliged to abide by this advice and have permitted the holding of a reserve fund of about 40,000 drachmas, of which I shall make it my duty to commvmicate to you later. I take advantage of this occasion to announce to you that the thousands of needy families, both of Salonica and of the interior, who have benefited by your generosity, do not cease to bless the names of their benefactors and to pray to the Almighty to accord to them prosperity and good fortune. I add my most sincere prayers to those of all the communities of our region and invoke the benedictions of all the members of your honorable Com- unittee, who by such noble acts have raised the prestige of universal Judaism. 126 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. STATEMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF $2,500 SENT BY THE AMERI- CAN JEWISH RELIEF COMMITTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE POOR JEWISH FAMILIES OF EPIRUS. Receipts. Drachmas March _ 30, 1916, from the American Jewish Relief Com- mittee through Mr. Kehl, Consul of the U. S. at Salon- ica, $2,500.00, which is equiv- alent to 12,685 Total Drachmas 12,685 Disbursements. Drachmas April, 1916, sent to the com- munities of Epirus: At Janina 6,560 At Arta 2,500 At Preveza 2,000 At Delvino 300 At Philippiada 300 At Arguirveastro 200 At PhUiath 200 At Parga 200 At Metzovo 200 At Paramitia 200 Expenditures 25 Total Drachmas 12,685 STATEMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF $1,000 SENT BY THE AMERI- CAN JEWISH RELIEF COMMITTEE FOR THE RELIEF OF THE NEEDY JEWS OF CRETE AND OF THE JEWISH REFUGEES FROM SYRIA. Receipts. Drachmas November 17, 1915, from the American Jewish Relief Com- mittee, through Mr. Morgen- thau, U. S. Ambassador at Constantinople, $1,000.00, equivalent to 5,162 Total Drachmas 5,162 Disbursements. Drachmas May, 1916, sent to Crete for the following: For 125 refugees from Syria 2,000 For 280 native Jews 840 For expenses of the school for refugees. . 300 Total Drachmas 3,140 Balance on hand May 10, 1916 2,022 Total Drachmas 5,162 Reports of Chief Rabbi of Salonica. 127 STATEMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF $25,000 SENT BY THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE FOR THE RELIEF OF THE JEWS OF SALONICA AND VICINITY. Receipts. Drachmas Jan. 6, 1916, from Joint Dis- tribution Committee through the Department of State of the U. S., equivalent to 126,550 Carried forward 126,550 Disbtirsements. Drachmas Feb. 20, 1916, to the committee of the charitable Society Yechouoi Verahamun for im- mediate assistance, such as coal, clothing, milk and other' food for indigent sick 10,000 March 30, to the special com- munal commission for the distribution of matzos to the needy 40,000 April 10, to the Society for the support of the Rabbinat for subsidies to be given to poor families of the members of the Rabbinat 5,000 April 10, to the Committee for the distribution of relief for subsidies to the hitherto prominent families at pres- ent in need 10,312 April 10, sent to the communi- ties of the interior: Serres. . . .Drachmas 3,000 Monastir 3,000 Fiorina 440 Veria 100 Chios 33 Zakintos (Old Greece) 300 6,873 April 20, subsidies given to refugees from Istip, Strum- nitz, Monastir and other places now in Salonica 2,500 April 20, cost of 3,200 kilo- grams of matzos sent to Jew- ish soldiers of the Allied armies on various fronts. . . . 4,490 April 20, subsidies and matzos given to 230 Jewish soldiers of the Greek army on fur- lough, in Salonica, for pass- over 1,500 May 1, cost of food for 200 Jewish soldiers of the Allied armies on furlough in Salon- ica during Passover (5,080 meals) 1.160 May 1, cost of food and matzos sent to Jewish soldiers in the garrison of Sedes • 200 May 1, loans to Serbian fami- lies now in Salonica 515 Carried forward 82,550 128 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Receipts — Continued. Disbursements — Continued. Drachmas Drachmas Brought forward 126,550 Brought forward 82,550 May 1, to the commission for the protection of the Hirsh quarter, to repair the bar- racks of poor Jewish famihes, damaged by a recent aerial bombardment 3,500 Total Drachmas 86,050 Balance on hand May 10, 1916 40,500 Total Drachmas 126,550 Total Drachmas 126,550 Report of the disbursements of the funds, received at the Grand Rabbinat from America, in conformity with the instructions of the Department of State at Washington, contained in the letters of March 8th and of March 10th, 1916, and conveyed to the Grand Rabbinat by Hon. Mr. PhiUip, Acting Ambassador of U. S. A. at Constantinople : 1. Dardanelles. — A Committee composed of Messrs. I. Bosaldo, D. Calderon and S. D. Levy was created, and $1,500.00 or £352 placed at its disposal. This sum was distributed among the Jewish refugees in this city in proportion to their needs. Besides this, and before the arrival of this help, we distributed £100 to supply the special needs for Passover. This was distributed further with the assistance of Mr. S. D. Levy, President of the Colony of Refugees from the Dardanelles in Con- stantinople. We have deducted this sum from the relief money which we received from America. 2. Aleppo.— The $750.00 or £176 intended for this city has been forwarded to Chief Rabbi Hizkia Schabetray on April 27th, to be given to a Committee, composed of Messrs. Yom-Tov Schamasch, Joseph Schamasch, Murad Tawil, Yesaia Rafoul, Aaron Silvera and Rabbi Salomon Elia Laniado. This city was also helped at regular intervals with sums varying between 40 pounds and 50 pounds out of the money which the Jewish Committee in New York placed at our disposal. 3. Gallipoli. — We have written to Mr. Preciado Yohai to inform him that the sum of $500.00 or £117, had been received for the use of the poor of the city, and we have requested him to organize a Committee, of which he should be a member, for the purpose of distributing the relief money. This Committee has just been formed, and we have turned over the sum mentioned, also furnished it with instructions as to the method of organizing the relief work. 4. Magnesia.— On April 27th £19 or $80.00 was forwarded to Mr. Behor Gomel, with the urgent request to have it distributed among the needy families, with the collaboration of Messrs. Moise Gomel and Feyzi Nahoum as members of the Committee. This community had a share in the general relief funds from America. Reports of Chief Rabbi of Salonica. 129 5. Monastir.— The sum of $200.00 intended for this city has been sent to Mr. David Pipano, Rabbi of Sofia, through the Wiener Bank Asso- ciation of our city, and exchanged for Bulgarian money, about 1.233.75 levos. Prior to that, on January 25th, we had sent to Monastir, through the same medium, 854 levos, which Hon. Henry Morgenthau instructed us to send there. The instructions contained in the letter from Mr. War- burg have been conveyed to Rabbi Pipano, requesting him to organize a Committee of Distribution in this city, to be composed of Messrs. S. Nathama, I. Arouste, A. Alosldi, S. Aroesti and M. Testa. 6. Tchorlou. — The Committee composed of Messrs. B. Behar, R. Barocas, M. D. Barocas, I. Eskenazi and B. S. Barocas, took charge of the S102.00 or £24 of April 28th. Since the last earthquake, this city has suffered great want, and the Jewish section especially, which was entirely destroyed by fire. At that time, a subscription bureau was opened by the Chief Rabbi. Assistance was given to those who needed it most urgently. The Committee which had been organized at that time, decided to apply the balance remaining from the subscriptions in order to construct a few huts. This project could not be put into execution, because of the existing con- ditions, and we have been obliged to draw upon this fund in order to send £200 to the Committee of Tchourlou before Passover, for the relief of the families in distress because of the present war. 7. Mrs — We have had this lady, to whom the sum of $10.00 had been sent, report to us. She lives at , in the home of her maternal uncle, Mr She never before appealed to the Chief Rabbi, because she received the regular pension which the government gives to the families of soldiers who are without support, but when her husband died the pension was cut off. Then she appealed to the Chief Rabbi, who immediately entered her name on the register of "The Committee of Assistance for the Families of Jewish Soldiers," and apportioned a monthly pension to her. Besides this, the Chief Rabbi is trying to find some suitable work for her in order to ameliorate her con- dition. (This is one example, out of hundreds, of the information we are obtaining from our correspondents in answer to appeals of Jews in America for news of their relatives and friends in the different War Zones, Palestine, etc.) In addition to the above, a detailed report is being prepared, containing the complete information relative to the organization and work ttndertaken since the second month of the general mobili- zation; the method of distribution; statistics of the families assisted; widov/s of the soldiers; orphans, etc. It will be ready as soon as the distribution for the month of May is completed. As to the Provinces, we are waiting for the replies which we have asked from the various cities, in order to complete our second report. V. PALESTINE. On August 31, 1914, $50,000 was appropriated for Palestine relief as follows: American Jewish Committee $25,000. GO Jacob H. Schiff 12,500. 00 Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs (Nathan Straus) 12,500. 00 A report as to the plan of distribution of tliis fund was presented on October 21, 1914, by Mr. Maurice Wertheim, who went to Pales- tine for the purpose of carrying the money there, and of worldng out a plan for distribution. This report has been presented in full in the American Jewish Year Book of 1915-16, on page 360. The following reports have been received from the committee in charge, consisting of Dr. Ruppin of Jaffa, Mr. Ephraim Cohn of Jerusalem, and Mr. Aaron Aaronsohn of Haifa. REPORT OF DR. ARTHUR RUPPIN (To Provisional Zionist Committee) July 1, 1915, On the $50,000 Fund Distributed by Mr. Maurice Wertheim. Appropriation. American Jewish Committee $25,000.00 Jacob H. Schiff 12,500. 00 Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs (Nathan Straus) 12,500.00 .$50,000.00 or 251,998.02 Francs. Distribution. Fund , ,„ , , No. Relief Loans totals 1 Taffa Fr. 14,140.00 16,697.72 30,837.72 2. JudaeanColonies.'.'.'.V.:::::::.;. 4,850.00 24,150.00 29,000.00 3. Jerusalem 72,698.52 45,513.06 118.21-58 4. Samaria and Galilee 67,924.28 67,924.28 Fr. 159,612.80 86,360.78 245,973.58 Balance on hand 5,119. 53 Administrative Expense (Travel- ling Expenses, Postage, etc.) •^"•*- ''^ 159,612.80 86,360.78 251,998.02 131 132 Reports Received by Johil Distribution Committee. SUMMARY OF STATEMENT BY DR. RUPPIN, MAY 5, 1915. I. Vaad Hakalat Hamischber (Committee for Relief in Crisis). The outbreak of the great war in August, 1914, created an economic crisis in Palestine, which was intensified when Turkey declared war several months later. In the belief that the crisis would not last more than a few months, the Vaad Hakalat Hamischber was organized for the purpose of alleviating the distress of the Jewish population and to raise the funds locally. The Vaad affiliated itself with the council in charge of general Jewish afifairs in Jaffa, and collections were begun in Jaffa and Tel- Aviv. It soon appeared that the Vaad, with its limited means, could not cope with the situation alone. Special com- mittees were therefore organized for particular purposes: the Vaad Hakemach (Flour Committee) for the distribution of bread and flour; the Vaad Hamuchad, representing the laborers and artisans; a committee on public works for the employment of penniless laborers, etc. Before any relief funds arrived from America, the Vaad Hakalat Hamischber distributed bread, flour and other food supplies through sub-committees of the Yemenite, Sephardic and Ashkenasic communities of Jaffa. Public kitchens were established and maintained. A kitchen was established for working people, but was later given up when their economic condition improved. A tea-room was opened nearby. Loans were granted to several Jaffa institutions (the hospital, for instance) and to private individuals who were cut off from their financial connections in Europe and America. n. Vaad Hakemach (Flour Committee). In normal times Palestine produces enough grain for its own consumption and even for export. But a bread famine was threatened early in the war because of the heavy military requisitions, and because of the difficulties of transporting grain from the Hauran and Galilee to Jaffa and southern Palestine. A few well- to-do men organized the Vaad Hakemach and obtained a loan from the Anglo- Palestine Company on their personal guarantees. They bought up flour all over the country, had it milled, and placed on sale at 2 to 3 francs per bag below the market price. The most important achievement of the Vaad Hakemach was in keeping the market price of flour down bj?^ having large quantities on hand, and thus saving the public from the speculators. The Vaad Hakemach was also very helpful to the public kitchens, the school kitchens, the working people's societies and the Vaad Hamischber, because by selling them flour at a low price and delivering it promptly, they were able to keep up their work. III. Supply Shops of the American Relief Fimd. Although there were adequate supplies in the country at first, there was serious danger that speculators would corner the market and have the public at their mercy. Three shops were opened with American relief funds in different quarters in Jaffa, where food and petroleum were sold at cost. These shops were also of great service because they accepted the checks of the Anglo-Palestine Company at a discount of only 10 per cent., and thus practically compelled Report of Dr. Arthur Ruppin. 133 private merchants to do the same. When the Government forbade the circula- tion of these emergency checks, the shops issued booklets to their customers in which credit was given for the amount of checks deposited with them, less 10 per cent, discount. This prevented the loss of several hundred thousand francs' worth of the checks in circulation in Jaffa. The American Relief Fund allowed space in its shops to the Vaad Hakemach for the sale of its bread and flour. This was done to save rent and other expenses for the Vaad Hakemach. The shops suffered from a heavy military requisition, and by May, 1915, their supplies were exhausted. They were then expecting to replenish their stocks from the food ship "Vulcan." IV. Public Works. The Committee on Public Works, organized early in the war in the interest of the unemployed and destitute Jewish laborers of Jaffa, cooperated with the Vaad Hamuchad (the Laborers' committee) in working out plans for public works to keep the needy employed. The funds available were to be used only for the payment of wages, but not for building materials, etc. Streets were laid out, drains and irrigation work undertaken, pavements laid and repaired, the students' quarters at the Gymnasia Ibrit completed, etc. When the Gov- ernment prohibited the laying of streets near the seashore, the smaller works were continued. Finally, arrangements were made with private builders who had had to suspend their operations because of lack of funds. The wages of the laborers were met by the committee, which also granted loans to the builders at low rates of interest, payable after the raising of the moratorium. V. Public Loan Fund. Loans were granted to about 900 persons who were in straits because their communications with foreign countries had been interrupted by the war. These loans were granted on valuables, property and checks not now redeemable. Jaffa institutions hitherto largely maintained by contributions from America are now subventioned and partially supervised by the Distribution Committee of the American Relief Fund. Among these institutions are several public kitchens (e. g., the Gymnasia Ibrit pupil kitchen, the Alliance school kitchen, where several hundred children are fed, several Talmud Torah kitchens, etc.), the Jaffa hospital and the orphan asylum. About 1,000 francs were appropriated for flour for needy Arabs. The flour was placed at the disposal of the local Commandant and Mufti for dis- tribution. The sum of 800 francs was used to aid poor Jewish soldiers near Jaffa. 134 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. AGREEMENT FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF FUNDS IN PALESTINE. The Joint Distribution Committee accepted on November 29, 1915 the agreement which had been entered into between the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs and the Central Jewish Relief Committee, for the distribution of the relief funds in Palestine. The various committees agreed that in future all relief funds sent to Palestine should be transmitted in accordance with this agreement, which is as follows; Agreement entered into on October 27, 1915, between the Zionist Provisional Committee and the Central Committee for the Relief of Jews Suffering through the War, with reference to the sending of reUef funds to Palestine. Central relief for Palestine shall be designated in the following proportions and shall be brought into one common treasury and forwarded in the names of the parties to this agreement: Per cent. 50 Jerusalem, Hebron, Moza 5 Tiberias 13 Safed, Einstitun, Pekein 4 Colonies of Galilee 3 Haifa 25 Jaffa and Judean Colonies, including Zichron Jacob and Hederah The money shall be sent to the U. S. Consul at Jerusalem for all of the cities in Palestine except Safed and Tiberias. The latter two cities to be reached through the medium of the U. S. Consul at Beyruth, it being nearer to the last- named places. The Consuls shall pay out the money in the above proportions against vouchers to be signed by an authorized committee, named below, in whom this power is to be vested. The Committee on Vouchers for Jerusalem. Asher Yelinsky, David Yellin, Solomon Soloweiczik, Joseph Elysher and Solomon Rubin. The Committee on Distribution in Jerusalem. Zalman Rubin, Solomon Perlman, Asher Yelinsky, Mayer Adler, Aaron Mordecai Sommer, Isaac Chagis, Wolf Shocher, Bar Epstein, Alter Rivlin, Isaac Shiryon, Mendel Nuneshter, Zalman Soloweiczik, Dr. Auerback, Samuel Kuk, Chaim Solomon, Selig Lider, David Yellin, Dr. Maze, Samuel M. Rafaheli, Solomon Roth, Joseph Elusher, Moses D. Shub, Joseph Mejuchas, Solomon Musioff, Eliezer Kliansky for Hebron, Elijah Panizel and the Chairman of the Yemenite Community. Agreement for Distribution in Palestine. 135 The Committee on Vouchers for Jaffa. Haham Bashi, Rabbi Uziel, Rabbi Schach and Dr. Ruppin. The Committee on Distribution for Jaffa. Rabbi Abraham, Isaac Kuk, Rabbi of Jaffa, or, in his absence, Rabbi Solo- mon Schach, Samuel Askenazy, Dr. A. Ruppin, Dr. Chesin, Abraham Lew, Elias Aaron, Cahane, Jacob Saltzman, Zalman Meisel, Bezalel Lapin, Baruch Perlman, Hanam Bashi, Rabbi Ben Zion Usiel, Joseph Shlush, Bezalel Jaffe, one Yemenite to be elected by the Yemenite Community, and the Chairman of the V'ads of all the Judean Colonies. The Committee on Vouchers for Tiberias. Haham Raphael Bibur, Solomon Gress and Ben Tovin. The Committee on Distribution for Tiberias. Solomon Gross, Ben Tevin (Anglo-Palestine Bank), Matthias Sandberg and Toledano. The Committee on Vouchers for Safed. Elia Klinger, Sender Tra\'itz and Haim Margolies-Kalvarisky. The Committee on Distribution for Safed. Haham Elia Entebi, Mones Steinberg, Elias Klinger, M. Karmiel, Manager A. P. C. Ben Zion Carsendo, Sender Travitz, Haim Goldman, Moses Barzel, Haham Nachman Abu, Haim Margolies-Kalvarisky and Rabbi Isaac Robbin. In the event of the death or removal from the city of any one or more of the committee on vouchers in any city, the signatures of the remaining members of that committee shall be accepted by the consuls until the vacancies are filled by appointment by the cx^mmittees who are parties to this agreement. 136 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. As to funds sent to the American Relief Committee in Palestine, up to the 11th of April, 1915, the following statements have been received : Jaffa, March 3, 1915. Mr. Henry Morgenthau, American Ambassador. Very dear Sir: CONSTANTINOPLE. I beg to confirm the receipt of: $14,649.04 Sent by the American Jewish Committee through Mr. Brylawski, out of which are destined for General ReUef upon your orders 10,000. 00 (I shall designate in future this fund as American ReHef Fund No. III.) For charitable institutions and individuals as per list No. 1 sent to me by Mr. Lewin-Epstein on January 1st, a copy of which was sent through the American Consulate of Jerusalem. Nearly the whole of of the latter sum has already been distributed 4,649. 04 Relief Fund No. III. : You were so kind as to wire your approval of my proposition to use these $10,000, partly for distributing flour or bread to destitute persons and partly for small loans against securi- ties. In accordance with this programme I venture to give you here- with the following details: For distribution by the American Consulate at Jerusalem, at Mr. Glazebrook's discretion, to persons who appeal for help direct to the Consulate 500. 00 To cover small loans to Russian Jews in order to enable them to pay the fees for their Ottomanization so as not to be treated as for- eigners and expelled as such 1,000. 00 To cover expenses for food for persons about to leave the country while waiting for the steamer and on the voyage 500. 00 For distribution by local committees (about two-thirds for food- stuffs and about one-third for small loans against securities) 8,000. 00 in the same ratio as heretofore, viz : 47 per cent, at Jerusalem and Hebron $3,760 .00 26 per cent, at Jaffa and the Judean Colonies 2,080.00 27 per cent, at Haiffa and Galilee 2,160.00 $8,000.00 I have instructed the respective committees to manage the funds put at their disposal so that they would last until Passover, when we hope the steamer "Vulcan," with foodstuffs from America, will arrive, and render it possible to continue the work of relief still more efficiently. Yours very faithfully, (Signed) DR. A. RUPPIN. Soup Kitchens, Food Ship "Vulcan." 137 Va. SOUP KITCHENS On September 28, 1915, the Joint Distribution Committee granted the request of Miss Theresa Dreyfuss for a subvention for three soup kitchens which she had estabHshed in Jerusalem, by voting $1,000 a month for five months. Miss Dreyfuss also received a contribution of $500 a month for five months from an individual donor. When, at the end of March, 1916, the appropriation was exhausted, another grant of $1,000 a month for five months was voted up to September 7, 1916. The soup kitchens had been con- ducted under the personal supervision of Miss Dreyfuss prior to her coming to America to enlist support for her work, as she had already succeeded in doing in Germany and in Holland. Although Miss Dre5rfuss returned to Palestine to resume her activities, she was not permitted to land. The disbursement of the funds and the general supervision of the soup kitchens have been taken in hand by Dr. Otis A. Glazebrook, U. S. Consul at Jerusalem. Vb. PALESTINE FOOD SHIP "VULCAN." In addition to the foregoing, the American Jewish Relief Com- mittee, the Central Relief Committee and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs sent a shipment of food stuffs to Palestine on the U. S. Collier "Vulcan," on March 13, 1915. The distribution of the food stuffs on the "Vulcan" was conducted under the auspices of representatives of the American committees, Mr. Louis H. Levin of Baltimore, and Dr. Samuel Lewin-Epstein of New York, who went to Palestine on the "Vulcan." As to the distribution of "Vulcan" supplies in Jerusalem a complete printed report in Hebrew, entitled "Hamaschbir" has been issued by the Jerusalem committee under the chairmanship of Mr. David Yellin. The following is a brief account of the "Vtdcan" relief expedition: The relief ship was sent to Palestine by the American Jewish Relief Com- mittee and the Provisional Zionist Committee, in March 1915, because information had reached this country from trustworthy sources that there was insufficient food in Palestine, and that the population was faced with actual star\^ation if supplies were not brought in from without at once. About 1,000 tons of foodstuffs, 90 per cent, of which was flour, were sent; but there was also a goodly quantity of sugar, rice, coffee and tea, and many other articles in small lots. The value of the cargo was probably $100,000. The cargo was entirely contributed by Jews, mainly by the American Jewish Relief Committee, the Provisional Zionist Committee, The Central Committee, Mr. 138 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Nathan Straus and Mr. Jacob H. Schiff. Many private contributions in kind were received, but they formed a comparatively small percentage of the whole. The supplies were sent by the U. S. Collier "Vulcan," which, by the courtesy of the American Government, was placed at the disposal of the commit- tees for the purpose, the space of 1,000 tons being reserved for the food shipment. The American Government obtained permission for the safe landing of the goods under the condition that they be distributed by American officials, and that Turkey give assurance that none of the supplies would be requisitioned by the military authorities. Not only was this assurance given, but the Turkish Government permitted the entrance of the goods duty free ; and some concession was gotten from the railroad in Palestine in the matter of transportation. The Egyptian Government permitted for the first time the purchase of supplies in Alexandria and the exportation of them to Syria, and the American Government allowed the "Tennessee" and the "Vulcan" to sell their surplus supply of tea and sugar to the expedition. The cargo was intended for the whole population, Moslems, Jews and Christians, though it was contributed entirely by the Jews and was effected by committees acquainted with local conditions, the Jewish committees taking care of the Jewish needy, and the Moslem and Christian committees doing the same for their people. There was food in the country, but such staples as flour and sugar had increased in price enormously, and, on the other hand, money was extremely scarce. The contributions that used to come in from Russia and Galicia had entirely stopped, and little came from Germany or other European countries. Even from America hundreds of people who used to receive remittances regularly, from relatives or from their investments, were either not getting anything at all or receiving funds at such long intervals as to amount to a cessation of contribution altogether. Besides, business was at a standstill, many had fled the countrj^ or had been driven out, and the people were less able than ever to do the little for themselves that they can do in normal times. The exactions of the Government, by way of requisition and taxes, fell heavily on merchants and private individuals; and the plague of locusts threatened the crops and plantations of the farmers, and gave warning of still harder times to come. The "Vulcan" cargo was sent out in charge of Mr. Louis H. Levin of Balti- more, Secretary of the National Conference of Jewish Charities, and Dr. Samuel Lewin-Epstein of New York acted as his assistant.^ Concerning the distribution of ''Vulcan" supplies in Jaffa, the Judaean colonies and the Samarian colonies, we have the following statements from Dr. Ruppin of Jaffa: Jaffa, September 20th, 1915. Dear Mr. Levin: Some time ago we sent you a general statement (a copy of which we enclose) about the distribution of the victuals brought by the "Vulcan" to Jews, Christians and Mohammedans. The reports on the distribution to Mohammedans and Chris- tians, Dr. Glazebrook, the American Consul at Jerusalem, will certainly give you. Concerning the 55 per cent, which fell to the share of the Jewish population of Palestine, which (according to the prices fixed here) are worth 257,568.63 Francs, I take the liberty to inform you as follows: Food Ship "Vulcan.^' I39 As you will remember, the percentage for the Jews in the towns and colonies was fixed as follows: Per Cent, of Goods Total Worth (a) Jerusalem with Hebron and Motza Fr. 154,541. 18 60 (b) Jaffa 23,161.17 9 (c) Haifa with Akko, Merchawia and Mesra 9,014.91 3i (d) Sidon 1,287.85 \ (e) Tibenas 15,754.11 6 (f) Saffed with Einsentun and Pekin 30,908.23 12 (g) Colonies in Judea 11,590. 59 4^ (h) Colonies in Lower Galilea. ..... 3,863. 53 1^ (i) Colonies in Upper Galilea 2,575.69 1 (j) Colonies in Samaria 5,151. 37 2 Frs. 257,568.63 100 On account of the high charges for transport and because victuals are cheaper in Galilee than at Jaffa and Jerusalem, the towns of Saffed Haifa, Akko, Sidon, and partljr Tiberias, and the colonies in upper and lower Galilee have preferred to sell their part of the foodstuffs to the Committee of Jaffa, Jerusalem and the colonies of Judea and to receive the equivalent in ready money. The quantities of foodstuffs received by the several committees are as follows : (1) Samaritan Colonies: Flour, 9,298. 20 kilos, worth Frs. 4,463. 28 Sugar, 475 kilos, worth 536. 75 Rice, 196 kilos, worth 87. 60 Other products, worth 63. 74 Frs. 5,151.37 Besides these victuals, the Committee of the Samaritan Colo- nies has bought from the committees in Galilee other goods amount- ing to Frs. 127.47 making a total of goods worth 5,278 . 83 We shall place the 127.46 frs. with the money the committee will receive from the American ReHef Fund. Until now I have not yet received a report from the committee as to the manner in which it disposed of the foodstuffs. I shall forward it to you upon receipt. (2) The town of Tiberias received out of its part of frs, the following food-stuffs worth 15,454.11: Sugar, 1,495 kilos, worth Frs. 1,685. 96 Rice, 465 kilos, worth 319. 20 Other Products, worth 743.91 Frs. 2,749.07 Ready Money 12,705. 04 (3) In transporting the victuals from Jaffa to Jerusalem wc met with great difficulties, the railway being placed at our disposition only once for a quantity of about 70,000 kilos (about 40,000 kilos for Jews). The rest of the victuals were transported to Jerusalem by camels. As there were not a sufficient number of camels the entire transportation occupied about three months. By 140 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. exercising great economy the Jerusalem committee succeeded in making the victuals last until September 1st, 1915. In the months of June, July and August victuals worth 50,000 frs., monthly, were distributed to about 20,000 poor people. By far the greatest part of the victuals were distributed gratuitously at Jerusalem; only a small percentage was sold on credit. Jerusalem received altogether: Flour, 281,445. 82 kilos, worth Frs. 126,650. 62 Sugar, 18,000 kilos, worth 16,949. 96 Rice, 8,011 kilos, worth 4,633. 14 Coffee, 1,046. 50 kilos, worth. 4,729. 94 Other Victuals, worth 6,849. 66 Frs. 159,813.32 Jerusalem should have received 60 per cent, of 257,568.63 154,541.18 It therefore received an excess of Fr. 5,272. 14 We shall deduct this sum from the amount of the new relief fund for Jeru- salem. The Jerusalem committee has now put in print a detailed report about the distribution of the goods of the "Vulcan." You will receive this report in a few weeks. It will give you an insight not only into the distribution of the victuals, but also into the economical condition of the Jews at Jerusalem. The town of Jaffa received : Flour, 39,593 kilos, worth Frs. 18,560. 03 Sugar, 1,708. 5 kilos, worth 1,969. 52 Rice, 942. 7/8 kilos, worth 569. 52 Other Goods, worth 2,445. 61 Frs. 23,544.68 which have been distributed among the Jews according to the enclosed table. Moreover, the Jaffa committee bought 95,000 kilos of flour, which has been sold to Jews in small quantities. The foodstuffs have lasted at Jaffa for seven weeks. (6) The colonies of Judea have received: Flour, sugar, rice and other merchandise for frs. 11,590.59 which have been distributed among the colonies according to the enclosed table. Moreover, the colonies of Judea have bought goods for 9,175.07 frs. and have sold them in small quantities to their inhabitants. From those committees which received their share not in food but in money, for instance, Saffed, Haifa, Tiberias, colonies of Lower and Upper Galilee, I have not yet received a report about the manner in which the money sent to them was distributed. Generally speaking, these committees have followed the practice of distributing a part of the sum in ready money and buying flour, which is cheap there, for the balance, in order to distribute it among the poor population. The committees have succeeded in making these victuals last until now and in distributing weekly either small sums or a fixed quantity of flour. As soon as I receive from these committees the detailed reports, I shall forward them to you. Finally, I enclose an account of the money which you have turned over to me. I have added the balance of 6,823.87 frs. to the American Relief Fund. Very faithfully yours, (Signed) Dr. Ruppin. VI. ALEXANDRIA (EGYPT). REPORT OF COMMITTEE FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF JEWISH REFUGEES FROM SYRIA AND PALESTINE. On December 18, 1914, a telegram from Port Said, addressed to the Russian Consul at Alexandria, announced the imminent arrival of almost 700 Russian Jews who had been expelled from Palestine. This first contingent was to be followed by many others. In fact, from December 19, 1914, to January 31, 1915, the various steamers arriving from Syria and from Palestine brought 7,475 expelled persons, and since that time up to December 5, 1915, 3,802 others came, making a total of 11,277 refugees. It is our duty to mention the special kindness which the American authorities evidenced towards our refugees through the intervention of the Hon. Henry Morgenthau, the U. S. Ambassador at Constantinople. The Cruisers of the United States Navy, and especially the "Tennessee" transported about 1,000 IsraeHtes ex- pelled from Syria and Palestine to Alexandria, free of charge. On board the Cruisers, these refugees received the special consideration of the commandants and officers. Mr. Arthur Garrells, the U. S. Consul at Alexandria, himself assisted at the disembarkment of the refugees from the Cruisers; assisted them in every way possible and made special inquiries as to the conditions under which they made the voyage. The situation of the refugees upon landing was pitiable. They were completely destitute, without shoes, clothing or linen. Some had been rudely arrested in the street and forced to embark without being able to carry anything with them; others had been withdrawn from prisons in which they had been confined for several weeks as subjects of an enemy, and conducted directly on board ship; others, finally tired of struggling against misery and frightened by the prospect of greater sufferings to come, left the country of their owti free will. It was heartbreaking to see this dejected crowd come from the steamers and land on the docks. Husbands looked for their Tvaves, parents for their children, a large number of whom 141 142 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. were seeking their mothers. The exile had separated members of the same family. These people upon whom misfortune had descended so heavily- had not all known misery. Among them there were rabbis, students who had consecrated their lives to the study of the law, others who belonged to the liberal professions, persons who possessed property, merchants, laborers who had acquired an honest competence by work. And now, all these found themselves cast away upon a foreign shore, their hearts full of anxiety. Formation of the Relief Committee. As soon as he received word of the approaching arrival of the Russian Jews from Palestine, the Russian Consul convened some of the leading Jews of his colony and placing himself at their head, constituted a committee charged with the purpose of providing immediate necessaries for the exiles. The committee consisted of the following: A. M. Petroflf, Russian Consul, President, M. Gruchkin, B. Levontin, Treasurer, J. Herzenstein, Mme. G. Stein, W. Jabotinsk3^ W. Gluskin, M. Margolis. This Committee assumed a task which required a great deal of work and devotion. We had to gather all these refugees to- gether, to furnish food; to clothe them; to organize a medical service for them; to protect the young women against the evil designs of certain individuals who attempted to take advantage of their misery ; and, to re-establish communication between the refugees and their relatives who remained in Turkey, or lived elsewhere, so as to pro- vide them either with the means to remain in Egypt, or else to enable them to rejoin them wherever they were. It was also neces- sary to find employment for some, and enable others to work at their different trades, besides providing instruction for the children. Besides this, this Committee was the intermediary between the refugees and their Consuls; pleaded for them before the different public authorities, etc., etc. With the assistance of Prof. Raphael Delia Pergola, the Grand Rabbi of Alexandria and his assistant Haham Abraham Abikzar, an appeal was made to members of the local Community and appeals were also made abroad. ■ The response was immediate. A public subscription was opened and gifts both in kind and in money flowed in. Alexandria Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees. 143 The Russian Consul established the first relief fund, allowing us F^r. . 50 per day, per soul. When the French refugees arrived, the French Consul allowed us the same subvention for the support of his countrymen. The most important Sub-Committees, were, the Committee on Supervision of Hygiene and Clothing, and the Committee on Education. We quote from the reports of these Committees: Committee on Supervision of Hygiene and Clothing. A large number of ladies offered their services. The refugees were inspected every day and given their most careful attention. In their hygienic work, they were assisted by the doctors of the city and by doctors from Palestine. Many institutions of the city, specially made and gave underwear and clothing. Among others, we may mention the ladies of the Convent "La Mere de Dieu." The work-rooms of the Colonic Francaise; of the Dames de Colonic Suisse; of the Jeunes Filles dTsraelites, etc., etc. The various Committees, soon brought order out of the con- fusion of the first few days, until the 15th of February, 1915, arrived. This date inaugurated a new period in our activity. As a matter of fact, during the month of January, 1915, ItaHan ships and the American cruisers, did not cease bringing us new refugees, of whom a certain number were of French and English nationality, and also a few belonging to other European countries, whom the fear of what might happen, had driven out of Turkey. We had to look after and sustain about 7,500 refugees. For this, a sum of about £3,000 per month was needed. This task was beyond our means, and eventually the "Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees from Syria and Palestine was founded." The Committee consisted of the following: Grand Rabbi R. della Pergola .... Hon. President. Marc Margolies President. Wolf Gluskin \ Vice-Presidents Jacques Oettimger / David Levontin . Simon Mani Treasurer. Secretary. Messrs. D. Block-Blumenfeld, Danon, R. della Pergola, L. Berlin, Hahani Abraham Abi Klizir; Messrs. Maurice Aghion, Joseph Danon, Daniel Gaon, L Gouchkin, Jacob Herzenstein, David Idelovitch, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Dr. Joseph Kohn, Harry Kaplan, E. Levy and David Mizrahi. J. Pewsner, Accountant. 144 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Up to the end of January, the Committee's receipts had approximated £9,790.919, of which the American Jewish ReHef Committee had, up to December 31, 1915, contributed £1,198.065, and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs, £398.065. From December 20, 1914, to February 15, 1915, the Committee spent £1,910.948 for food, shelter, clothing, debarkation and equipment of refugees. From February 15, 1915, to December 31, 1915, the Committee spent £6,969.69 for the following purposes: Subsistence £3,227. 169 Repatriation 588. 702 Traveling expenses of refugees to the Interior 36. 905 Loans to artisans and small dealers 111. 585 Telegrams from refugees to their relatives 94. 815 Sundry advances 376. 345 Various subventions 64 . 295 Subsidies to schools 100. 400 Medical assistance 452. 477 Subvention to shops 219. 887 Expenses of traveling in the interest of the refugees 21. 170 Office expenses 381 . 275 Other expenses 290. 973 The Committee appointed the following sub-committees to devote themselves to the details of the relief work: 1. Committee on Debarkation and Housing. 2. Committee on Subsistence (to procure and to distribute food to the refugees). 3. Committee on Supervision of Hygiene and Clothing (this com- mittee consists of women who have volunteered their services in looking after the hygienic condition of the refugees and furnishing them with clothing.) 4. Committee on Employment and Labor. 5. Medical Committee. 6. Bureau of Correspondence (for establishing or renewing com- munication between refugees and their families in Russia or elsewhere). 7. Committee on Repatriation (to facilitate the departure of such refugees as were able to leave Alexandria to join relatives), 8. Committee on Education (for the maintenance of schools for the children of refugees). The refugees were not all located in camps. There were many of them, who for one reason or other, were located in the city, but who were entirely dependent upon us. By order of the Russian Consul, only the women, the old men and children of Russian nationaHty were left in the different camps. The adult Russians were sent back to Russia after remaining one month from the date of their arrival. (This order was afterwards rescinded when the Alexandria Committee for the Assistance oj Jewish Refugees. 145 communication with Russia was intfemipted). In the meantime, our Committee was compelled to support them. We also had to take care of a certain number of refugees, who for one reason or another were not recognized by their Consuls. Sub-Committee on Subsistence. This Committee up to December 31st, 1915, spent £6,269.690 in caring for the refugees that it was necessary to allow to remain in the city, and also for a certain number of refugees, especially Russians left in the encampments, who were also cared for at our expense. Our expenses for the refugees living in the city, were also increased every month, through the fact, that many families, found the resources, that they had brought with them were becoming exhausted, or who did not any longer receive the assistance which their relatives in Russia or elsewhere had been in the habit of sending to them. Besides the regular assistance given to the refugees, we distributed £199.170, in giving assistance to people who thus were in temporary distress. The Rabbis and the students were given special consideration and received larger subsidies than their companions in exile. Committee on Emplojonent and Labor. Unfortunately, the conditions were not at all favorable at first, in consequence of the crisis throughout Egypt caused by the war. Besides this, the ignorance of the languages spoken in Egypt did not permit a large number of refugees to work, or to occupy them- selves in their usual professions. We were therefore; compelled to create several work-shops, a carpenter shop, dress-making rooms and a book-binding shop, which we supported from our funds and from funds placed at our disposal by the Alliance Israelite Univer- salle and by AeHahou Hanabi Lodge of the Order B'Nai Brith. These work-shops gave us considerable trouble., and were the cause of a great deal of expense, because they were not conducted as co-operative work-shops, but they did not entirely fail in their intention. As a matter of fact the presence of a large mmibcr of British Troops in Egypt, made it possible to establish a number of industries in which our refugees found employment; carpentering, boot making, iron-working, washing, etc. 146 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Sub-Committee of Education. As soon as the refugees were located in the various encampments and their support was assured, tliis Committee had only one care which was to give proper instruction to the children. All the Jewish schools in Alexandria received a large number of the little refugees. Nurses, classes for mothers, and primary classes were established in the different encampments. This Sub- Committee decided to create only temporary organizations, very simple ones, and to adapt methods and programs so that the pupils could either continue the studies commenced in Palestine, or which would prepare them, so that they could follow them when they return. It is for this reason that we have attached great importance to the study of Hebrew, which was the basis of the instruction; English, French and Arabic, being the secondary languages. In May, 1915, Miss Landau, the directress of the Evalina De Rothschild School in Jerusalem arrived in Alexandria. At the request of Mr. Homblower, Mr. Lewis Levine, Mr. Jack Mosseri, and Mr. N. Bentwich, the representatives of the American Jewish Relief Committee in Egypt, she devoted herself to the little refugees. The number of children in the different camps amounted to more than 1,000. The idea therefore, was conceived to create a large Central School, and the Committee asked Mr. Jack Mosseri, who turned over £800 for distribution among the refugees, to occupy himself specially with the school question. Unfortunately, the Central School project could not be put into effect, in consequence of it being impossible to find a location sufficiently large to hold all the children. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Mosseri, the construction upon a very simple plan, of the Wardin School was undertaken, upon a site which provides all the necessary hygienic requirements. The number of children attending this school amounts to about 400, divided into 7 classes. The teachers were recruited from among the refugees. The program of the school was arranged so as to give as much importance as possible to the learning of Hebrew, and it also includes the learning of EngHsh and Arabic. The school was officially opened in the month of November. The results shown are excellent and due honor must be given to Miss Landau, whose talent for organization is above praise. Mr. Mosseri succeeded in obtaining a sum of about £250 left over from the subscription organized for the Kishineff victims, Alexandria Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees. 147 which had been lying for several years in Cairo and which was also used towards the construction of the school at Wardin. Mr. Bentwich approached the Anglo-Jewish Association in order to have it nominate Miss Landau as directress of the school, and it undertook to pay her salary. It also voted a credit of £100 for school supplies. Ovir Committee allowed the school a subvention of £250 for the year 1915-1916. Mr. Homblower, on his part, consecrated a legacy of £200 to this work and £100 was taken from a special fund contributed out of the profits, realized upon the contracts for work relating to the refugees. From these special funds, the administration was able to distribute Cod Liver Oil to the children under four years of age, milk to the niu-sing mothers and in general to those who were in a weak condition. Close to Chouna and for the encampment there, Mr. Sloutskin opened a school which he supports at his own expense. It has about 130 scholars and eight teachers. In all these schools the children are not only taught, but they acquire the habits of order and cleanliness. An ingenious system of prizes, stimulates their zeal. Confectionery is distributed; they are taken out for promenades. Little treats in the school, sustain order and give a little pleasure to their broken hearts. Neither the Jewish section of the city, nor those of the camps, could provide instruction for all those who were anxious to obtain it. A certain nrunber belonging to some of the camps, and a large number living in the city, already somiewhat advanced in their studies, did not know where to go for them. It was necessary therefore, to create an estabhshment which was similar as much as possible in advancement and methods to the Palestinean schools. Before creating anything permanent and rendering our budget Hable for expenses that would be too heavy, we decided to estabHsh two "trial" classes. We appealed to Mr. Joseph Piccotto, and he put two rooms at the Free School at our disposal. They were under the direction of Dr. J. Loruie of Jaffa. Eighty pupils were able to continue their studies in the Hebrew language, which they had commenced in Palestine. The trial was encouraging. The requests for admission were so numerous, that the Committee considered it its duty to recognize them and to undertake the necessary sacrifice to give satisfaction to the need of instructing the little refugees. As quickly as possible we created a Hebrew School in the center of the town, which now has 300 scholars including the eighty pupils who formerly comprised the two special classes at the Hebrew Free 148 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. School. This school is under the direction of Mr. Bogratchoff, the director of the Jewish Gymnasium of Jaffa. His budget calls for £50 per month. Conclusion. In furnishing the preceding details, the Committee desires as shortly as possible, to indicate the many needs which press for its attention and the efforts they have made to satisfy them. There are other needs equally pressing, which have been called to its attention, but it has not been able to satisfy them, through lack of funds. The situation to date, of the refugees, causes us to arrive at the following conclusion: There are now at Alexandria about 4,400 refugees, of whom about 1,200 are absolutely dependent upon us. In spite of all the splendid co-operation which has been given to us from elsewhere, the condition is lamentable, and demands vigilant attention and sustenance from us. Neither the Government Authorities nor the "Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees from Syria and Palestine," has ever spent more than 60 centimes per day per person, and this in spite of the fact that the price of food gets higher day after day. The condition of the refugees therefore, grows worse, without over being able to do anything at all to remedy it. If it is difficult for a person to live on such a small amount under ordinary circum- stances, what must be the condition of oirr refugees, of whom a great number have always lived in comfortable circiunstances? As we have seen, out of the 12,000 refugees who were landed at Alexandria, there are today about 4,400 left in the country. The others have been able to escape from actual misery, either by finding something to do, or by leaving Egypt. The great majority of the refugees who are now left in our charge, constitute the most interesting part of the expelled Pales- tinean population. They are, for the most part, people who after having suffered unheard of indignities in the country of their origin, after having left all that they possessed, went to Palestine and there established homes, or else established large agricultural, industrial or commercial enterprises. They are attached to the country by every fibre of their hearts; their dream is to retturn to Palestine; their ideal is to consecrate themselves with ardor and with fervor to Jewish work; there they could continue their work of civilization, and be an element of material prosperity in the land Alexandria Committee for the Assistance of Jewish Refugees. 149 of their ancestors. What a disaster for them, if again they are compelled to become exiles, to direct their steps towards some other countries! There are other cares which confront us: Many of the refugees succeeded in bringing funds with them, and up till now were able to support themselves, free from all care, the more, because during the first ten months of their exile, they were able to communicate with their friends and agents and in this way add to their resoiu-ces. Today they are absolutely isolated. Their resotuces are exhausted, and our assistance becomes absolutely indispensable. The niimber of these people grows larger every day and we are doing all we can to assist them. Even with the very strictest econom}^, it is how- ever, impossible for us to do this at this time, with the means at our disposal. We must have £750 per month to cover the most urgent expenses. It is impossible to reduce this amount. We cannot reduce it any more, without adding to the misery of the refugees. At this moment, the amount on hand, is hardly enough to meet the needs of a single month. What will happen if our funds are not augumented? Hundreds of old men, women and children will roam around the streets, vainly holding out their hands, con- demned to misery, to sickness and to despair. Our thoughts refuse to conjure up so horrible a spectacle, especially after the many evidences of solidarity which have been shown to us from all over the world. On the contrary, we are persuaded that now that oiu- needs have grown greater and have become more urgent, our brethren in Egypt and abroad will sustain us in our efforts to accomplish the task which we have assimied. We therefore, most urgently appeal to all our friends to continue to aid us. We have need of their assistance. VII. SWITZERLAND. REPORT OF THE CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITTEE FOR JEWISH STUDENTS IN SWITZERLAND. On March 2, 1915, Mr. Hermann Conheim received a telegram from America announcing an appropriation of $2,500.00 for needy Jewish students in Switzer- land and naming a committee on distribution. Being a stranger in the country (an American), Mr. Conheim immediately consulted with the Rabbi of Zurich, Dr. Littmann, and the President of the B'nai B'rith Lodge of Zurich, Dr. BoUag. Dr. Pinkus, of Zurich, proved tobe the "Pinsky of Bern" named in the American telegram, and he brought together the other members of the distribution com- mittee: Messrs. Ben-Ami, Aberson, Chanis, Rabbi Segal, of Geneva, and Mr. Epstein, of Lausanne. Mr. Gorelik could not be traced, as there were several men of that name in Geneva, and Mr. Chanis, who had suggested inviting him, was still in America. The Rector of the University of Geneva was not included, because that would have involved inviting the Rectors of the Universities of Bern, Zurich, Basel and Lausanne, with ensuing complications. The above-mentioned gentlemen formed the Central ReHef Committee for Jewish Students in Switzerland, and coopted members of Jewish students' organizations in all of the university towns as expert advisers on student needs. The secretarial work was conducted by Mr. Conheim and Dr. Pinkus at the latter's office, which has also served as the headquarters of the Central Relief Committee. The first step was to distribute blanks to the students' committees, to be furnished by them to students in need of help. Bulletins were posted in the universities announcing that such blanks were obtainable from the students' committees. The result was as follows: There were received from Geneva 20 requests amounting to Fr. 3,067. 00 Lausanne 27 " " " 3,585.00 Bern 31 " " " 8,550.00 Zurich 55 " " " 23,400.00 Basel 14 " " " 4,750.00 Totals 147 Fr. 43,779.00 There was a sum of 13,448.40 in hand to meet these requisitions, which obviously could cover only a fraction of the needs. A public conference was held in Bern on April 18, 1915, where the method of distribution was adopted. Representing the Central Relief Committee, there were present Mr. Conheim, Dr. Pinkus, Dr. Littmann, Mr. Chanis and Mr. Ben-Ami. Messrs. Segal, Aberson and Epstein sent their excuses. The 151 152 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Jewish students of the various universities were represented by about twenty delegates. The expenses of the conference and of the relief work itself were borne by Mr. Conheim. At this conference, Mr. Chanis reported on his trip to America and pre- sented the views of the American contributors. Dr. Pinkus then made a statement on the requisitions received, and pointed out that the requisitions from Geneva and Lausanne were for fewer persons and more modest amounts. This he ascribed to the fact that in both Geneva and Lausanne the administrators of the Jewish students' relief funds had made thorough investigation of their applicants' needs. Dr. Pinkus suggested that there were two available methods for the distribution: first, to consider few applications, but to do them full justice, especially to students near the completion of their courses; or, second, to assist a large number of students with moderate sums, so that their bare living necessities would be covered for some time to come. The conference chose the latter method. It was decided to appropriate 2,900 francs each for Geneva, Lausanne, Bern and Zurich, and 1,400 francs for Basel; total, 13,000 francs. A balance of 448.40 francs for special purposes remained with the Central Relief Committee (see Financial Statement attached). The Distribution Committee for Geneva consisted of the Executive Com- Committee of the local Jewish Students' Relief Fund under the supervision of Mr. Ben-Ami, as a member of the Central Relief Committee. The Lausanne Distribution Committee was composed of the Executive Committee of the local Jewish Students' Relief Fund with Mr. Epstein as the supervisor for the Central Relief Committee. In Bern, the committee consisted of the representatives chosen at a meeting of the general Jewish student body under the chairmanship of Herr Messinger, the head of the Jewish community of Bern, supervised by Dr. Pinkus on behalf of the Central Relief Committee. In Zurich, where a union of the students was most difficult to achieve, a committee was constituted by the appointment of one representative each from the Jewish students' club and from the two Zionist societies, "Hachower" and "Ivria," together with Mr. Conheim and Rabbiner Dr. Littmann. In Basel the Distributing Committee was organized under the supervision of Mr. Conheim and with the kind assistance of the president of the Zionist Federation of Switzerland, Rechtsanwalt Dr. Arnstein. It was made up of the executive members of the newly established Jewish relief fund in Basel. In accordance with the decision of the conference at Bern, the distribution committees all devoted themselves to relieving the most urgent needs of the students. Only after that could students' requirements for pursuing their studies be considered. The party affiliations of the students were naturally disregarded when they presented their situation. The distribution is now completed, and the most necessary means furnished for a brief period. But the Central Relief Committee dreads the overwhelming distress that the end of the summer semester will inevitably bring. It therefore appeals once again to the generosity of the Jewish Relief Committee, for America is the only land to which the Jews of the agonized old world can look for help. From the purely Jewish viewpoint, there is this to add to the above report on the relief work. The Central Relief Committee felt itself in duty bound to draw student representatives only from the Jewish organizations. The Jews affiliated with the Russian students' societies were extremely dissatisfied with this course. They contended that they were entitled to representation in the Central Relief Committee for Swiss Students. 163 relief work because they had already established students' relief funds and the majority of the members of the Russian students' societies were Jews (in many instances there would be only one or two Russian Christian members). They felt themselves entitled to a leading role in the distribution, and should have preferred that the funds be turned into their treasuries. The Central Relief Committee did not agree with this attitude, and ignored numerous objections and protests, because (1) The relief funds of the Russian studei;its' societies are devoted (apart from the Christian Russians) to Russian Jewish students only. Jewish students from Galicia, Palestine, Germany and so on were con- sistently refused when they asked for aid. Therefore, cooperation with these societies was ruled out from the first, because we could not very well recognize a mode of distribution to Jewish students according to their birth- places. (2) In the Russian students' societies there were gathered Jewish student elements which set their Russian loyalties above their Judaism — most of them denying their Judaism in public. The Central Relief Com- mittee could not in good conscience strengthen societies so pernicious to Jewish life by allowing them representation in purely Jewish relief activi- ties, where their voice and vote would count. Justice was fully done when in individual instances relief was given even to those who had denied their Judaism publicly. The Central Relief Committee felt strengthened in its attitude because of the decision of the conference at Bern, which unanimously adopted the prin- ciples above outlined, and because of the support it has received from the nationalist students, who everywhere strove to establish Jewish students' relief funds in places where none had existed, namely, in Bern and in Zurich. With the support of this fund, the so-called Russian colonies have come out as Jewish students' colonies, which maintain and strengthen Judaism. Mr. Conheim drew the Swiss Jews into the relief work from the beginning. In consequence, the relief funds had considerable local support, in Bern and Zurich, especially from the B'naiB'rith Lodge in Zurich. Now the communities of Geneva and Lausanne have become active. The various relief committees intend to unite, and the executive committee of the federation is to consist of the Central Relief Committee, together with delegates from each local relief committee. The federated relief fund will have its headquarters in the office of Dr. Pinkus in Zurich for the present. The Jewish Relief Committee (of America) therefore has the satisfaction of knowing that it has given impetus to the establishment of a permanent relief institution. The Central Relief Committee hopes that this will induce the American Jews to afford further assistance to the Jewish students in Switzerland. In view of the frightful sacrifice of the intellectual j^outh of Europe to this unholy war, it is simply a law of necessity to cherish those who remain. We therefore appeal urgently to America for help. The Central Relief Committee for Jewish Students in Switzerland. (Signed) H. Conheim. 154 Reports Received by Joint Distribution Committee. Financial Statement. (1) Remittance ($2,500. 00 from American Jewish Relief Com- mittee Fr. 13,448. 80 (2) Collections of Settimane Israelitica, Italy 392. 05 (3) Remittance from Provisional Executive Committee for Gen- eral Zionist Affairs 1,358. 75 Fr. 15,199.80 Appropriations : Basel Fr. 1,400. 00 Bern 2,900.00 Geneva 2,900. 00 Lausanne 2,900. 00 Zurich 2,900. 00 Special relief purposes: Zurich 100. 00 Lausanne 280. 00 Geneva 100. 00 13,480.00 Fr. 1,719.80* *The balance of Fr. 1,719. 80 is to remain in the hands of the Central Relief Committee until the affairs of the various local relief funds have been arranged — which_ will be soon. The distribution of this balance, as well as of future con- tributions, will be made on the plan outlined in this report. i 1 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 007 691 232 4 iia^ ■iill ! H ! i 1 1 • 1 '■ I illlH II ;!J.'IHlH m I