MY OBJECTIONS TO THE JOLOKiaATION PLAIT
By Jacob H.-Rubin.
1. There is no telling how long the present form of
government of Russia will last.
2. If the present form of government do es last, there
is no way to predict whether or not the Ukraine and Crimea will
remain part of the Moscow government. The Ukraine forms a separate state, with a strong netional political party, with a national language, with a national culture and with national aspirations. It has been the center of practically all uprisings and
counter-revolutionary movements. since 1919, and outside of
Denikine's regime, it has been the scene of four great counterrevolutionary uprisings, under the robber chieftains, petlura,
Maotano and Tetunic. Although the land has been confiscated
from the petty nobility, fully 75 per cent, of these former landholders still live on the soil. These and the former officers
of the White loaders naturally form the nucleus of all counterrevolutionary movements. should they succeed eventually in
throwing off the soviet rule, they will exterminate the Jewish
colonists. 3ut even if the movement to win political independence
and co gain Daok their comiscated land is stamped down by the
Moscow gover:jiient, the land held by the jew ish colonists will
be the fdene of the struggle and the colonists will be slaughtered
'6. Granted that the Moscow government succeeds in
retaining the Ukraine and Crimea and stan ping out both the movements ior nationalization and for recovery of the land by the
petty nobility, -- the Jewish colonists will have to obey a
government which opposes any system oi education excepting its
own,which is inimical to all nationalistic movements (including
Jewish culture) and whose aim is to abolish all religion. That
process is now going on in Moscow and in the territory where the
Communistic government is strongest and will eventually extend
over all Russia.
4. The particular proposal is illegal, according to
the principles of the communistic constitution, in that it grants
special privileges to a racial and religious class -- by granting
the most valuaole land, romitting taxes for a certain period and
offering othor unusual forms of cooperation. If the agreement
is sustained by the present dictatorship, it could easily b«
annulled by a succeeding dictatorship. *Lut even if itcontinuos
to receive official sanction, it will not have the popular sanction of the masses, against whom it discriminates. It will
certainly gain an enmity, which the dispossesod nobility will
foment.
II 5. Besides the political ambitions of the national
Ukranian party and the desire to regain their land of the dispos sesed noblos, tho particular region which it is proposed to colonize has been the scene of every pogrom in the history of Russia
with one single exce^^tion. Since 1881 the pogroms which occurred
took place at Odessa, Kiev, Krimchok, Yolosavetgrad, Kharson,
Ekaterinoslov, Nicoliev, Komonetz, podolsk, Biolostoc, B-lta,
Znamunco, Niezin, and fifty four small towns and villages, in
that region. All of tho Donikine atrocities in which 72,000 Jews
were killed, took place south of Kharkov. it is the hotbed of
anti-Semitism, and tho region least under control of the central
government.
6. Besides being the seat of nationalistic movement s
and of anti-semitism, the regions to be colonized are the natural
strategic objectives in any struggle between poluxl, Lithuania and
Rouroiinia . in the event o f warfare between these states or involving them, the existence of any colonists, but especially
Jewish colonists, would be endangered.
7. Not only does tre particular region set aside for
colonization offer peculiar insurmountable obstacles, but any
mass colonization movement of Jews is likely to fail. None of
the Jewish colonies projected since Nicholas I, under the most
favorable of auspices, has succeeded. Mr. Brown's own statement
fails to show any evidence that any of the Jewish agricultural .'
settlements under the soviet regime have proved successful. On
the contrary tho evidence is that the colonists would have starved
were it not for the aid of the joint Distribution committo© the
American government and other agencies.
8. On the contrary, should the soviet government survive,
the now ora of reconstruction would provide labor for millions of
Jews in forms more certain of success, as well as more desirable,
than farming. The young Jews ot the cities have already entered
the crafts. They are skilled tailors, machine operators, mechanic
carpenters, etc. These trades, the history of the Jewish people particularly in Russia - has shown, are more suited to their natural abilities or. inclination, peasantry is not tho alternative to
business.
9. Any mass movement to colonize the Jews in soviet
Russia will be looked upon by the world as substantiation of the
charge that communism is a Jewish movement -- especially since
the communist government proposes to Set aside the most fertile
land in southern Russia and to grant unconstitutional concessions
to Jews alone.
10. Those who recall former attempts of tho doviet government to gain favorable propaganda by the granting of liberal
concessions will see in the present project an attempt to cnveigle
the foremost Jews of America luto the dame scheme. Incidentally,
in this connection, I was the first to expose the scheme of the
soviet government to Secure favors ble propaganda by offering v/. B
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Vanderlip concessions in Kamchatka worth three billion doll.rs.As.
the present case tho concession was illegal, although va-naerlip
was backed by some of the most influential American business men
and even United states senators. communist officials have an
exaggerated otunion of the influence of jews on tho American
government. Tne communistic theory is that V/all street dominates
America politically and economically and that the Jews control
V/all street. This is no hypothesis on my part, but the result
of many interviews with Russian officials and party leaders during
my sojourn there.
11. The object of gaining the backing of American
Jewry is not merely to force recognition by the United states
government, but, following that recognition, to gain foreign
capital for the development of Russia's huge natural resources.
According to the New Economic policy, Russia is not sufficiently
developed industrially to make communism successful. It is therefore necessary to entice capital into Russia while communism
takes a "breathing spell", and for capital to build up Russia
industrially until the communists are ready to strike for T7orld
Revolution. This last is merely a paraphrase of Lenin's own
explanation of the N. E. P.
12. Support of this movement at once stamps American
Jewry, as witnessed by its leading representatives, as friendly
to soviet Russia, and hence to the y/orld Revolution -- of which
the soviet government is only a part, up to the present the
Unitred states government has not recognized soviet Russia. in
negotiating with communist officials the leaders of American
Jewry signify their coniidence in the soviet government and show
disloyalty to their own country.
In conclusion, I have no objection to the raising of
money for the relief of the jews of Russia. But they should be
helped as individut Is, whether as craftsmen or as farmers — in
those particular cases where the individuals are adapted to
agriculture. But there should be no mass movement to colonize
the jews. This would crecte a Jewish problem not only in Russia,
but in this country.
I have no doubt that Mr. Brown is sincere or that Dr.
Rosen is a great admirer of the soviet government. On the other
hand, because I know many of the leaders personally, I do not
daubt that Tuchs and the other Russians with whom Mr. Brown
has been negotiating are agents employed by zinovief to enveiglo
American Jewry into his scheme for gaining American recognition
and capitalistic aid.