Jewish War Relief Gets $2,000, Unasked, Delinquents Scored

Two contributions of $1000 each for the Jewish Relief Fund from Joseph Kohnstamm and Edward Kohnstamm of New York City were received without solicitation, according to Henry H. Rosenfelt, national director of the American Jewish Relief Committee. Joseph Kohnstamm accompanied the remittance with the following letter in which he takes to task the war relief subscribers who have failed to pay up pledges totalling three million dollars.

“The attention of the writer has been ailed by Mr. Edward Kohnstamm, his brother, to an article in the NEW YORK TIMES of September 3rd and it is our desire to recognize the importance of what is intended as an appeal to the hearts of civilized human beings.

“We take great pleasure in enclosing our respective checks for $1,000 each, which go with our prayers and our best wishes for the successful raising of the fresh fund, the necessity for which seems to be due to the dereliction of various subscribers to the tune of three millions of dollars.

“It does not seem dredible that there could be so many heartless people in this country who would place their names to a pledge with so little thought of what it meant. It is conceivable that some of these contributors may have met with reverses in the meantime, but it cannot be possible that so many as would be indicated by a default amounting to three millions of dollars, could have come into so unfortunate a position. It seems too bad that some method cannot be adopted to force settlement out of those who have the ability to pay, and if there is no other way such delinquents should be ostracized by any decent Society or any decent people.

“We hope that the publication of the newspaper article may have prompted many of the apparent delinquents to do their duty.”

Copies of this letter have been sent to scores of communities throughout the country to serve as an inspiration to the delinquents who have not as yet paid their pledge to the European Jewish War Sufferers.