Hias Treasurer Pays Tribute to Franklin D. Roosevelt at Annual Meeting

At the annual meeting of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), Mr. Harry Fischel, the Treasurer, paid a glowing tribute to the humanitarianism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Presenting the annual report of the Society, Mr. Harry Fischel recalled that he had occupied the position of Treasurer since 1890. He said that during the period of 43 years the Institution had gone through all sorts of conditions. Most of the time they had had prosperity. They had also suffered several years of depression, but none equal to the present state of affairs.

“We are now going through the worst depression in the history of the country,” he said. “This depression has affected rich and poor alike.”

He went on to say that great miracles had occurred during the past two weeks. Franklin D. Roosevelt had accomplished the greatest miracle in the world’s history. In the short time of two weeks he had transformed the entire nation from a condition of distrust to a condition of confidence and cooperation. The speaker fully believed that if the President continued at the same rate of speed as he had done during the short period of his occupancy of his exalted office, there was no doubt that in a very short time the clouds of depression would disappear, and prosperity take its place. Business would revive with great rapidity, with the result that all charitable organizations, including the HIAS would have no difficulty in obtaining all the money needed to carry on the work in Europe and America.

“Furthermore,” concluded Mr. Fischel, “from my personal acquaintance with President Roosevelt, there is no doubt that the immigration laws will be changed so that the country may again become a haven of refuge for unfortunate and persecuted Jews of Europe.”