Better for Russian Jews to Be Collectivized Than to Settle Individually, Says Dr. Rosen

It is better for the Jews of Russia who are colonized on farms today to be grouped together in collectives than to colonize them on an individual basis, according to the statement made by Dr. Joseph Rosen, director of the Agro-Joint in Russia, in an interview with S. Dingol of the “Day,” before he left New York last week to return to his post in Russia.

“Must the Joint agree to the collectivization of the Jewish colonies? Aren’t they protected against it in the contract which you have with the Russian government?” Mr. Dingol asked Dr. Rosen.

“This is not a question of ‘must,’ but a question of what is better for the Jews who are in the colonies,” Dr. Rosen replied. “We have before us the example of the German colonists, who started a rumpus aaginst collectivization and returned to their colonies only when the government allowed them to remain at their former system. What did they gain by it? They are hated by their neighbors. They are boycotted by the cooperatives. They cannot buy in the government stores and they are regarded as enemies of the government. We don’t want to place the Jews in such a position.”

“If it should come to a quarrel between the Agro-Joint and the government, have you a right to withdraw from Russia, and could you get back the capital which American Jews have invested there?” Mr. Dingol asked.

“There is a clause in our contract with the Russian government that in case of a dispute the question should be submitted to arbitration,” was the reply.

“Who are to be the arbitrators?”

“One is to be appointed by us, another by the ‘Comzet,’ representing the Russian government, and a third is to be the dean of the law faculty of either Harvard University, or of the university of Oslo, Norway—in any event a neutral party.”