HOMELESS JEWS,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 881, 29 July 1910, Page 5

HOMELESS JEWS,

A RUSSIAN .VISITOR.

"ITembor of an organisation' intended to assist the emigration of persecuted Jews from Uussia to any tree country that will grant k them shelter," is how Mr. P il. Koonin, U.A., l-'./.5., described flimseu to a Dominion interviewer He is a Russian Jew who was exiled to Siberia on political and religious grounds and escaped only alter bitter privations! Mr. Koonin is now engaged in a lecturing tour of Australasia, with'a two-fold object in view. He desires.to thoroughly stamp upon the popular understanding, .wherever he goes, the truth about the position of the Jews in Russia so as to aid in promoting an ultimate international protest against tim domestic tyranny of Tsordom. Further, he endeavours to increase in every possible way : the scope and working power of the organisation to which he belongs. In this latter particular the tour wears' already a hocnlul aspect. While in West Austraila, Mr.. Koonin conferred with several State' Ministers, and they informed him that they were in communication with influential Jews and Jewish, organisations, and held out some prospect of land being set aside for. the reception of Jewish immigrants.

Interrogated ;m lo th* Victual condition of Jews in his native country, the enthusiastic liufsian overwhelmed his ' interviewer with a flood of information that would fill a vo'.ume. Tho broad facts are, however, sufficiently clear. The" Jew in Russia is almost barren of civil Tights, and possesses only the • merest ehndow of religious liberty. The authoriinstead of affording the Jews protection, cxizti,»{! in an organised' conspiracy against their welfare. It was under official sanction ihat 6000 Jews were expelled from Kioff last 'month. The only resource left thew poor wanderers was to join other Jewish communities already terribly overcrowded. In repeated instances the Jews have been made the object of brutal outrage, and it is felt that (heir only hope lips m emigration. There are five or six million Jews iii Russia who may be regan'od as standing, in need of assurance. The organisation to which Mr. Koonin is attaoliH has nested come 300' families to emigrate during the last two. years. ch'"flv to London and America!

Mr. Konnin mnVps it clear that bp is worVino- nuite of )l-.p Zir>n--Ist movement. To is content that his ( opnrp«P'l co-rpli?ionisfs should bo accommn''ntpd in nnv fr»". country, nnd hM-U, that if TrnnM bp <°l>ppr folly." where such an opnort""'f->- exists, to insist on emigration to Palestine.