David ## Brown of Detroit, Mich. long prominently identified with the Joint Distribution Committee and other national Jewish organizations has offered to go to Russia at once to make a personal survey of the situation and to report to the Jews of America on the proposed Crimean colonization scheme for Jews of Russia, according to a statement made today to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency by James N. Rosenberg, Vice-Chairman of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Mr. Brown’s only stipulation, according to Mr. Rosenberg, being that the Jews of America indicate they will back this colonization work.
“I am ready at once to go to Russia and make a personal survey of the situation and find out for myself and for those who want my opinion what this is all about”, said Mr. Brown.
“When Dr. Joseph Rosen was in this country last fall”, says Mr. Rosenberg in his statement, “he spoke with enthusiasm to a number of the J. D.C. officials, including myself, as to Crimean colonization. He dwelt on the favorable relationship between the Tartars and the Jews. When I asked him about these large tracts of lands he pointed out to me that these were public lands which the Russian Government would distribute to peasant## and that the distribution would neither dislocate population nor cause any animosities for difficulties… In the light of the recent information as to the attitude of the Russian Government on this subject, I cabled Dr. Rosen and Dr. Kahn and have just received the following from Dr. Rosen:
“More than ever think Criman proposition feasible and greatest importance. Authorities very favorably disposed. At own initiative Government contemplating organization special committee including several highest officials for promotion of plan.”
“This cable came to me through Dr. Kahn who cabled that he concurs entirely with Dr. Rosen’s views and that support of the Crimean settlement proposition would influence many other Jews to settle independently.
“In all the work of the J. D.C. Dr. Kahn and Dr. Rosen are outstanding figures. They are neither visionaries nor theorists, but eminently successful, practical workers in the field. We have relied upon them in matters involving many millions of dollars and our reliance has always been thoroughly justified. Their argent support of the Crimean undertaking convinces me of its
immense possibilities…
“There are today probably 500,000 Jews in Russia in a semi-nomadic condition. The complete change of economic life has displaced them. The opportunity for the small tradesman has gone. The younger Jews must look to the land. Crimes is a land of fertility and sunshine. It is a thinly settled country, large in area, with room for immense population without likelihood of creating any difficulties. Here is a matter which arrests the attention of every thinking Jew in America…
“The question now is whether we Jews of America are going to do anything in this situation or whether we are going to rest supine. Rest supine? I know better. When we think back upon the wilderness of misery, persecution, pogroms and famine, which the human beings in the Ukraine have undergone in these past eight years, I can not believe that we will deny them that help which may truly ## them into a promised land”.
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