| Show THE JEWISH PROBLEM when representative jews a few months ago met in switzerland for the purpose of discussing the jewish question and especially some plans for a national gathering in the land of their fathers an attempt was made to belittle the movement particularly by hebrews of the modern rationalistic school it was contended that there is at present no hebrew problem before the world and that the idea of a nation of jews belongs to the dreams dream 1 s of the past A more thorough stud study y of the matter would seem to lead to a different conclusion mr arnold white the confidential friend and associate of the late baron hirsch believes that the existing conditions are likely to develop into a crisis that may shake the european states to their foundations in the pall mall mail gazette mr white asks lord salisbury to issue an invitation to a congress for the purpose of discussing the european hebrew question he calls attention to the fact that of the eleven million jews about eight millions are leading a life of poverty and misery the jewish immigration from russia he says has nearly ceased owing to the restrictions placed on immigrants in the united states and this will add to the distress of the russian jews the outlook for the coming winter is said to be very dark for that class of people the doumanian Rou manian jews are in a similar position about half of them are destitute about seventy per cent of the jews in galicia are said to be beggars in austria the jews have according to the law equal rights with the christians but the law is a dead letter and the hebrew race is suffering oppression in various ways in hungary the anti semitic is burning as a subterranean fire and in persia and morocco persecution of jews Is the order of the day these dark pictures are rendered still more sombre when contrasted with the luxurious life of the wealthy jews mr white says these in the large cities of europe live in elegant palaces and enjoy all that art and money can procure the chasm between the rich man and Laz arual in Is becoming wider every day the radical chronicle speaking on the same subject points out that the world is being governed by the wealthy hebrews they are preventing france from demanding the evacuation of egypt they successfully opposed the popular clamor of europe in the matter of the greek public debt the press of germany and austria 18 largely in the hands of the hebrews 1 there is in all this no legitimate cause of complaint the position some of the hebrew race have they ther have won in fair competition and notwithstanding obstacles of most formidable nature but it certainly shows that the jewish problem is not yet solved and cannot be solved as als long as the jews remain a people among the other nations numbering millions and necessarily exercising great influence where they live it appears to have assumed the form of a dilemma either the jews will have to abandon the chief characteristics of their race and suffer themselves to be absorbed by the nations among which they dwell or they must go to some place of refuge where they can again resume existence as an independent nation the jews themselves seem to be divided between the two alternatives |
