of the Russian government toward the Jews. British statesmen refused to join the United States in the passport controversy. In general, it should be clearly understood that British "democracy" is for the British only. It does not preclude legal discrimination against civilized native races in Egypt and in India. The present Liberal government, which joined forces with Russia in destroying constitutional government in Russia, is not in a position to preach the Rights of Man to the Czar.
There are optimists who believe that the gallantry shown by Jewish soldiers on the battlefield will earn to the Jews the removal of their disabilities. Still, did not the Jews fight as valiantly in the Russo-Japanese war? Public opinion in Russia after the close of the war was outspokenly pro-Jewish, yet the legal status of the Jews remained unchanged. The fact is that public opinion does not count in Russia.
The real attitude of the Russian government toward the Jews in the present war has manifested itself in the deportation of the families of Jewish reservists called to the colors from Riga, where they had resided by virtue of special exemption in favor of certain privileged classes of Jews. The governor ruled that inasmuch as these families had enjoyed the privilege to reside in Riga solely by virtue of the exemption in favor of their husbands and fathers, and so long only as they resided with their husbands and fathers. Now since the latter had departed from Riga to the fighting line, their families forfeited the privilege to stay in Riga. This ruling is amply supported by precedents from the time of the Russo-Japanese war. How little Jewish patriotism is appreciated, is illustrated by the refusal of the Russian Red Cross to accept the services of Jewish nurses.
If we consider the general effects of a Russian victory upon the political situation in Russia, it is obvious that the Czar's government would gain, not only in repressive power, but also in moral prestige. It has already succeeded in winning over the whole opposition, with the exception of the Social Democrats. The lustre of military glory would make all disaffection fade into insignificance, and the government could treat all criti-
cism of its policy with supreme contempt. It would take many years before a new leadership would come to the front which could resume the struggle for political reform. As the Russian bureaucracy is extremely hostile to the Jews, it is evident that the Jews in Russia have nothing to hope for from a Russian victory. On the other hand, the Jews of Prussian Poland and Galicia at present enjoy all rights of citizenship, whereas if these provinces are annexed by Russia, the Jews living there would be reduced to the same status as the Jews of the Russian Empire.
In Eastern Galicia, according to the Russian Governor-General, Count Bob- riasky, the Russian government intends to pursue a vigorcus policy of Russian- ization, claiming this to be an ancient Russian territory—“Red Russia” or “Cal- itch”, The truth is that Galicia is no more Russian than Alsace and Lorraine are German. For centuries it has been under Polish rule. The present ofhcial language of Russia, the so-called Great Russian dialect, was never spoken in that section. The substitution of Russian as the official language for Polish and German, would deprive thousands of professional people, government clerks, railway and telegraph employees of their means of support. As for the economic effects of the war, it spells ruin to the Jews whichever side will ultimately come out the winner. The war on the Eastern frent is fought in sections thickly populated by Jews. Many towns and villages have been destroyed, and their Jewish population has been left homeless and proper- tyless. Hundreds of thousands will find it impossible or extremely difficult to make a living.
Whenever any portion of the old world is visited by a famine, a flood, an earthquake, or a war, it is generally assumed in this country that the vietims of the castastrophe will make a rush for Ellis Island. Investigation of the immigrations of the Russian peasantry within the Russian Empire however, has, established the rule that the causes which make emigration most advisable at the same time operate as a check upon emigration. Asa rule, it is not the poorest that emigrate, but those of middle groups who can raise the funds for emirration. The