(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
James N. Rosenberg and Dr. Bernard Kahn, left Moscow for Warsaw.
On the eve of their departure a banquet was given in their honor by the Ozet. Many leading men of the Comzet and the Ozet were present at the Lanquet.
Mr. Weinstein, in his address, dwelt on the possibility of a Jewish Republic as crowning the achievement of the Jewish colonization work.
Summing up his impressions of his tour in Russia, Mr. James N. Rosenberg, vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, stated in an interview with the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here:
“I have spent three week in Russia, visiting fifty Jewish colonies. I have met leaders of all shades in Jewish public opinion in Moscow, Cherson, Simferopol and elsewhere. After lengthy meetings it was agreed that it is of primary importance that the agricultural work be continued and extended. Important government officials with whom I held long conferences stated that they were in constant and intimate touch with the work of the Agrojoint and are enthusiastic over its progress.
“The best proof of this progress is the fact that the land grants of the government for our settlers this year represents a pre-war value of $12,000,000. Besides the government is giving the settlers $250,000 worth of lumber and $1,000,000 in cash on long term credits for the purchase of machinery. Mr. Smidovitch, the vice-president of the Soviet government, is confident that the government’s support will be larger in 1927,” Mr. Rosenberg stated.
“Out of 25 groups that I questioned, literally every one declined to return to the cities. The settlers are capable and courageous men and women, no longer those bowed miserable, declassed people they once were.
“The investment of the Joint Distribution Committee in the agricultural work for three years will amount to $2,300,000,” Mr. Rosenberg stated. “The winter crops are in splendid shape and the farmers should produce crops, the value of which would exceed this value of which would exceed this amount,” he said.
“The work of Dr. Rosen represents the settling of 7,000 families under the auspices of the Joint and the Agrojoint, 2,000 families by the Ort in the District of Odessa. With the financial backing of the Joint Distribution Committee 2,000 young people settled in While Russia and 500 families settled in the old colonies. The total number of 50,000 persons were enabled to establish themselves on the soil through the financial aid of the Joint Distribution Committee and the Agrojoint. In addition 13,000 families in the old colonies and 2,000 tobacco growers in Podolia received assistance,” Mr. Rosenberg stated.
“I also visited the loan Kassas, the trade schools and the hospitals and was greatly impressed by these institutions as well as by the governmental support granted them.”
Mr. Rosenberg highly praised Mr. Lubarski, the agricultural assistant of Dr. Rosen.
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