The repture between the Nanking Government and Soviet Russia has seriously affected Russian Jews in Shanghai, Hankow and Canton. The condition of these Jews, according to the report received by the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society of America from the Central Information Bureau at Harbin, is deplorable. The report states that Jews who have settled in the Far East cannot engage in manual labor since they are unable to compete with the Chinese coolies. They are engaged in business and many of them were employees in mercantile houses. The Government institutions in which Jews found employment have been liquidated.
Many Jews in Northern China earn a livelihood by engaging in the fur trade, particularly in raw skins. Lately, America ceased importing these skins and many American firms in Tientsin and Harbin, have either liquidated their affairs or decreased their operations. These two factors have compelled many to emigrate.
A Jewish immigrant by the name of Vigdorowithch had been manufacturing soap which removed stains from silk and other thin material Many young men had been peddling this soap and earning between $5 and $10 a day. Many of these young men would sell the soap in the interior of the country. Owing to the suspicion with which Europeans are regarded this means of earning a livelihood has come to an end.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
