Colonists in Russia Regard Themselves As Permanent Farmers

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

Dr. Wishnitzer, general secretary of the Hilfsverein der deutschen Juden, who has been investigating the position in the Jewish colonies in order to report to the Hilfsverein and to German Jewry on the advisability of supporting the Jewish colonization movement in Russia, left Moscow today on his return to Germany.

In the course of an interview with the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here. Dr. Wishnitzer said that he had interested himself in the Jewish colonization movement in Russia since he had been associated with the late Dr. Paul Nathan, with whom he had attended the Ozet Conference in Moscow a year ago. Now that he had seen the actual work in the colonies he had been able to obtain a complete picture of the extent of the work.

Dr. Wishnitzer said that he had visited the Jewish colonies in all the three colonization areas, in the Cherson and Krivoyrog regions and in the Crimea. “The colonies.” he said, “stretch over a large extent of land. One travels for a day, two days, three days, and always on Jewish soil The people impress one very favorably. With very few exceptions they regard their present occupation as permanent. This is so not only with the working people, but also with the former merchants and shopkeepers who all declare that they do not wish now to return to the towns. We have burnt our boats behind us, they say. This new life of ours is harder hut more sure and quieter.

“The feeling among the colonists,” Dr. Wishnitzer said, “is one of courage and determination. The economic position of the colonists who settled on the land during the first and second years of the colomization movement is becoming more firm, but even some of these colonists still require some assistance before they will be able to stand entirely on their own feet. The new settlers require, of course, much more assistance. The majority of the settlers still find things very hard, and it will take some time before they will be really firmly established on their land. The great need is to establish schools, libraries and to provide much more medical assistance.” Dr. Wishnitzer said that he hoped that his visit to the colonies would influence the Hilfsverein to start very soon the actual work of providing medical aid in the Jewish colonies.

Assistant Prosecutor Simon L. Fisch of Newark, N. J. was unanimously chosen grand chancellor commander of the New Jersey Knights of Pythias at their sixtieth annual convention in Atlantic City.