400,000 Jewish Families Desire to Become Farmers

Not less than 400,000 Jewish families in Soviet Russia are desirous of leaving their city dwellings and settling on the land as farmers, according to data collected by the Ukrainian Agricultural Commissariat, made known today.

In view of this situation, the Ukrainian Agricultural Commissariat is now negotiating with the Agricultural Commissariat of the R. S. F. S. R. (Russian Soviet Federation of Soviet Republics) concerning the allotment of land of the colonization reserves in Crimea, the Volga district and other suitable regions for Jewish colonization. Preparations to start colonization work on a larger scale are progressing. It is intended to colonize not less than 3,000 Jewish families during the coming Spring on a strip of land of 30,000 desiatin, which has been allotted for this purpose in the districts of Odessa and Ekaterinoslav.

The meeting of the “Committee for Settling Jews on the Land” also considered the question of the participation in the colonization work of Dr. Joseph Rosen, representative in Soviet Russia of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. The Presidium was authorized to conduct negotiations with the Joint Distribution Committee concerning this matter. The Committee also accepted the proposal of the Ort to facilitate the establishment of Jewish Settlers Societies in Russia. Mr. Julius Golde, chairman of the Russian Communistic Ort was elected assistant secretary of the General Committee.