Dr. Joseph Rosen, head of the Agro-Joint, the agency in Russia of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, was tendered a luncheon by the American Ort upon his arrival in the United States.
Dr. Henry Moskowitz, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Ort, introduced Dr. Rosen and thanked him for the cooperation and service rendered by him to the Ort and for his general service rendered to the Jews of Russia.
Dr. Rosen told of the work being done in Russia and particularly of the work being done by the Ort. He said in part:
“Most people are of the opinion that Dr. Rosen believes in making every Jew in Russia a farmer. This is not so, for I do not consider it either practicable or desirable that every Jew should become a farmer, and, therefore, the work of making artisans out of the Jews of Russia is a work of urgent necessity at the present time. Among the organizations that are doing work in Eastern Europe there is none that is doing more effective work in the way of rehabilitating Jews along the lines of handicraft and industry than the Ort. As a matter of fact, it enjoys an enviable position, as the confidence of the people of Russia is shown in every town, city and village, because there are still people in these places who were formerly connected with the Ort and who have knowledge of the excellent work done by it even before the War,” he said.
“The work done by the Ort at the present time, in actually putting Jews upon a sound footing as artisans and handicraftsmen cannot be over-emphasized, because as development goes on in Russia the cooperatives become stronger and the State industries more integrated. The condition of the trader becomes more and more difficult. It. therefore, becomes imperative that the Jews learn trades and receive tools, machinery and raw materials, so that they may be able to become a part of the country. The present undertaking of the Ort, known as the Ort Credit Corporation, should meet with a response commensurate with its importance, for the idea of the American relatives in Europe through the medium of the Ort is necessary even in those cases where the European relative is able to make loans or get credit, for as it often happens, the European relative when he borrows money needs it for other purposes and is unable to buy the machinery or raw materials needed.
“I want to say that the Ort in Europe today has a splendid organization that is doing an excellent work and has been helpful to the Agro-Joint and the other agencies working in Europe today,” Dr. Rosen declared.
Dr. D. Lvovitch, representative of the European Ort, now in America, thanked Dr. Rosen on behalf of the European Ort for his cooperation in all Ort undertakings in Russia.
Judge Jacob Panken, president of the American Ort, commented upon the value of the Ort trade schools and the role they played in preparing Polish Jews to function as self-supporting units in Polish life.
MAYOR’S CITY HOSPITAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Despite the dropping of charges against six internes of Kings County Hospital by the three Jewish internes who were hazed on June 20, Mayor Walker’s investigation into all city institutions, precipitated by those charges, will continue today.
While making no official announcement to this effect, it is known the Mayor has a primary objective in view in hastening the hospital survey that Commissioner of Accounts Higgins is making. The survey is expected to be completed today.
Mayor Walker has long thought of abolishing the Department of Public Welfare, or at least taking the supervision of all city hospitals from the department, and thus from Commissioner of Public Welfare Bird S. Coler. The hazing episode of June 20 made the thought an active one, and the subsequent public hearings on alleged race discrimination are now said to have left the Mayor more determined than ever.
In its stead the Mayor would create a city hospital department directly under his control and in line with his many times mentioned plans for simplification of city government.
At today’s meeting in City Hall, some fifty or more former patients at Kings County Hospital will testify. They will be heard first and the Kings County Hospital matter probably disposed of as a whole, before Mayor Walker goes into other city hospital matters.
GUGGENHEIM FUND AIDS TRANSATLANTIC AIR LINE
A step toward establishment of regular passenger air service in various parts of the country was announced by Harry F. Guggenheim, president of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics.
Mr. Guggenheim said the trustees of the fund have authorized use of some money for equipment loans for passenger air lines.
These loans, Mr. Guggenheim said, are to be made only to existing companies for purchase of the most modern, multi-engined planes of maximum safety and comfort so that an actual demonstration of performance and safety will be available as an incentive for further development of passenger air lines in the United States.
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