Yesterday, Jews of Chicago listened to the first report of Mr. B. Horwich who has recently returned from Poland. Those who heard Mr. Horwich's report in which he said that every Jewish reporter has to become a poet, knows that this is no exaggeration. Anyone reporting on Jewish life, so synonymous with the profound misery and suffering of mankind, must be an elegist, a mourner, because the tribulations of our people are as deep as the sea, as deep as the abyss of Hades. Mr. Horwich, neither poet nor orator, was elevated to poetic heights in his report to Chicago Jews regarding what he saw and heard in Poland. The poignant eloquence of his report rose beyond the phantasy of the poet and the imagination of the painter. Two or three illustrations from life, in fact the actual life and agony of the Polish Jew can soften a heart of stone and wring tears from eyes of steel.

From Mr. Horwich's first report we can realize that were it not for the 2American Jews, three million Jews in Poland would immediately be obliterated from the earth. There is no doubt that Jews of America will rise to this momentous occasion. They will, without a doubt, exert their greatest efforts to save Polish Jews from starvation, and to try also to accomplish important constructive relief work. Regardless of how much can be done by American Jews, they still cannot provide every requirement for establishing the Polish Jew immediately upon his own feet economically. Nor must we forget the Jews of Lithuania, Russia, Galicia, Rumania, Bessarabia, Hungary and other Balkan countries. We must remember also that the realization of Zionism will demand great financial sacrifices too. In short, we Jews of America must apportion our aid to various Jewish groups for we cannot concentrate all our energies upon Polish Jews only. Even if we could, it remains questionable whether our aid would immediately help place the Polish Jew on his feet.

We must do our utmost to feed the hungry Jews of Poland. Our reliance on relief work will not altogether help them and charity will not solve the problem. Political steps must be taken to lighten the plight of our brethren.

One of the first should be a demand on the Polish government to pay for the pogroms. Naturally the government cannot again bring to life those Jews murdered by Polish hands. But compensation for plunder of Jewish trade and robbery of Jewish homes may be demanded, as well as sums of money to be paid to relatives of pogrom victims. These demands are just, and as such it would not be difficult to gain the sympathy of public opinion as well as of those governments upon whom Poland is financially dependent. Polish pogroms, more than one hundred in number, have caused damage of at least fifty million dollars. Should the Polish government be forced to pay relatives of pogrom victims, the total dead and crippled numbering thousands, it would have to spend many millions of dollars.

The aggregate total of pogrom compensation and our own aid might possibly be enough to re-establish the economic existence of the Polish Jews.

To accomplish this end (Polish payment for pogroms), we must unite. If Jewish bankers would refrain from advancing loans to Poles, if we could gain 4the necessary support of public opinion in all civilized countries, especially America, then we might force the Polish government to pay its damages. The receipt of fifty to seventy million dollars from the Polish government would lessen our obligation in Poland, would brighten the future of Poland, and would thereby put an end also to pogrom politics.

The fact that it must pay for every pogrom will in itself restrain the Polish government from such action [in the future]. Anything costly is not so readily attempted. Pogroms have cost nothing previously but now it shall be different. Pogroms shall not be gratis.

The American Jewish Congress will soon convene again to hear reports from delegates who were sent to Paris. Its first duties will be to formulate the amount of damages to be demanded of Poland, and to seek ways and means of enforcing these demands. We must answer all Polish arguments with published lists of the pogrom victims in Poland.

It is apparent that this problem of compensation for pogroms is not only 5of the utmost economic and political importance to Polish Jews, but also to all Jewish groups in Eastern Europe. If we had politicians and statesmen, they would exert every effort to gain this compensation from Poland. Do we have statesmen?