Chicago Raises First Million Towards Overseas Chest of U.j.c.

Chicago has the distinction of having raised the first million toward the $15,000,000 “Overseas Chest” which is being asked of the Jewry of this country by the United Jewish Campaign.

This announcement was made yesterday by David A. Brown, chairman of the United Jewish Campaign, who said that the news had been telephoned by Jacob M. Loeb, chairman of the drive in Chicago, who informed him that the United Drive for $4,000,000 in that city had gone “over the top” by nearly $100,000 forty-eight hours ahead of the time fixed for it to close. Chicago’s million dollar quota for the United Jewish Campaign is in addition to a personal contribution last September by Julius Rosenwald of $1,000,000 which makes the total contribution of that city actually over $2,000,000.

Loeb’s “call to arms” rallied 2000 volunteers for his army of workers, with Julius Rosenwald a canvasser, and Eddie Cantor and “Al” Jolson, stellar figures on the American stage, giving both money and service.

“The success and speed that has marked the Chicago drive, the first of several hundred local drives for the $15,000,000 Overseas Chest scheduled to be run during the next few months will be a great inspiration and incentive to the thousands of splendid men and women throughout the United States and Canada who have enlisted in this great human cause,” said Mr. Brown.

“Chicago has always been the first to come through,” he added. “and in each case it has come through under the remarkable leadership of Jacob M. Loeb, who is one of the outstanding generals of philanthropy in the country. In the last Jewish war relief drive in 1921. Chicago took the initiative. It crystallized public opinion in favor of a campaign for $14,000,000, invited the national conference at which Jewish leaders from all over the country agreed that such a campaign should be waged, staged the first drive, and then exceeded its quota by over $300,000.”