J. D. B. News Letter

(By Our London Correspondent)

At the annual meeting of the Anglo-Jewish Association held here today with Leonard G. Montefiore, president, in the chair, Claude G. Montefiore, on behalf of the association, paid tribute to the services of Lucien Wolf. Mr. Montefiore said that they would like to be associated with the sentiments expressed at the recent meeting of the Board of Deputies with regard to the work carried out by Mr. Wolf.

Since he had become president of the Anglo-Jewish Association, he had been closely associated with the services of Mr. Wolf. There was not so much work in connection with foreign affairs at that time, but as time went on they were compelled to call upon the vast knowledge and skill of Mr. Wolf to lead them in that work. They witnessed his manifold labors and admired them.

Mr. Montefiore spoke of the work of Mr. Wolf at the Peace Conference in Paris and said that if they had succeeded in securing their rights through the minority treaties, it was due to the wisdom of Mr. Wolf, who surmounted all difficulties and brought this work to a successful issue. Mr. Montefiore concluded his address by mentioning the tribute paid to Mr. Wolf by Sir George Prothero, who stated that he had not yet found a man with such a vast knowledge of modern foreign history as Mr. Wolf, who was an authority of foreign treaties, and which was the more marvelous, had acquired his knowledge and carried out his successful work in spite of his ill-health and affected eye-sight.

Mr. Lucien Wolf said that he was greatly moved by the compliments paid to him, which were out of all proportion to his merits. The work itself had given him great pleasure as he had had the assistance of the members of the association. If they would like to underline the net results of their achievements, they should cast their eyes to the condition of the Jews before the war, which was very gloomy; then they would arrive at the measure of their accomplishment. Much of that success was due to the invaluable assistance of Mr. Claude Montefiore. The position of the Jews today was not without anxiety, but at any rate there was an existing tranquility and to a certain extent the Jews in Eastern European countries had secured their political rights, which was in a large part due to the efforts of the Joint Foreign Committee.

Mr. Leonard G. Montefiore, who had a statement with regard to the work of the Jewish Colonization Association (Ica) said that he had nothing striking to report. The colonization work in Russia was progressing satisfactorily. The land area had been increased and the settlers were mainly engaged in sunflower and tobacco growing as well as in the keeping of dairy yards. The Ica was very conscious of the difficulties in connection with this enterprise but they were determined to carry it through, and should the scheme be fully realized, they would be instrumental in settling 15,000 souls on the land. The cost of this settlement scheme would be only one-fifth of the cost of similar settlements in any other country.

As to the colonization work in other countries, he could only say that it was progressing gradually. The nature of the work, however, was such that they were often faced with difficulties and even disappointments. Nevertheless, the Ica was doing its utmost to help the colonists not only financially but also spiritually by establishing schools and synagogues.

It was resolved not to undertake the maintenance of the Shamash School at Baghdad. It was pointed out that the local Jews were extremely wealthy and the burden of the schools should be borne by themselves.

Mr. Leonard G. Montefiore was re-elected president of the association.