More than 150 Jewish businessmen on the South Side, many of whom suffered considerably in this last bloody race riot, gathered last night at the Odd Fellows Hall, 3337 South State Street, and organized an association to protect their interests, and to stand as a permanent guard against the recurrence of those horrible events of two weeks ago.

Everyone took an unusual interest in this organization because, as many of them said, they could have gotten the militia on the first day, if they had been organized, and this would have saved human lives as well as Jewish merchandise which was damaged and stolen.

Though the extent of Jewish losses is not definitely known, it appears to run into tens of thousands of dollars. Mr. Elijah Neyerman, 3020 South State 2 Street, says that on State Street alone, between Twenty-eighth and Thirty-first Streets, eleven stores were affected, the damage amounting to twelve thousand dollars. Mr. Hyman Greenberg, owner of a grocery and delicatessen store at Twenty-fourth and State Streets was robbed of his entire business, valued at nine thousand dollars. Another Jewish businessman, at Thirty-seventh near Dearborn Street, was robbed of a stock worth twenty-five thousand dollars. There are many other similar cases.

Those affected are planning to collect their losses from the city. Many spoke with contempt about a local Jewish Socialist paper which, in those riotous days, attempted to minimize the huge Jewish losses, and tried to imply that the Jews had not suffered at all. Some said that such irresponsibility almost injured their chances of securing protection from the police. One man said that it seemed as though this newspaper was determined to prevent the unfortunate storekeepers from claiming their losses from the city. The group appeared quite satisfied with the punishment given that paper by Jewish residents, for the newspaper had lost its circulation in that neighborhood.

Mr. Meyer Reifman, 3208 South State Street, chairman of the newly organized association, praised the Courier highly for the deep interest it had shown in the Jewish people of the South Side, and for exerting every possible effort to protect their lives and property.

Wednesday, July 30, during the midst of the riots, a representative of the Courier approached Chief of Police John J. Garrity and asked protection for the Jewish residence. The following day, July 31, Mr. Harry A. Lipsky, general manager of the Courier, wrote to the Chief of Police asking what had already been done to protect Jewish life and property. Mr. Garrity answered, by letter, that all the necessary steps had been immediately taken to protect the Jewish residents, in addition to the police who had been sent into that district.

A group of Negro businessmen were invited to yesterday's meeting. The Jewish storekeepers want to create a basis for continuous harmony with the Negro community. Mr. Terrel and Dr. Jones, vice-presidents of the Negro Protective 4Association, which is made up of all the local Negro churches, lodges, and other Chicago Negro organizations, addressed the meeting, and expressed great satisfaction with this union of Jewish and Negro businessmen. It would enable them to work together for their mutual interests.

A committee was elected to draw up a constitution for the association, and to see that all businessmen of State Street and the vicinity join the organization. Mr. N. T. Landy, 3136 South State Street, is secretary of the association. The organizing committee consists of the following businessmen: B. Karnik, S. Talsky, J. Cohen, R. Marshall, A. Cohen, J. Rosh, M. Talsky, M. Finklestein, H. Kaplan, J. Johnson, S. Seiger, and L. Gratch. The next meeting will be held soon, at which time, an application for a state charter for the organization will be filed.