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No. 24. | Vienna, 12 June 1903 — 17 Sivan 5663. | 7th Year

On the Situation.

The lamentations over the terrible events at Kishineff have not yet died away, the weeping of the widows and orphans of the martyrs of the Christian Easter festival in Bessarabia is not yet silenced, and already a new and far worse danger threatens our people: an unprepared emigration, or rather a flight, which, spurred on by a wild terror of death, rushes with dreadful certainty straight to destruction.

With deep emotion we see that despair threatens to seize even the level-headed among our brethren, that even some of them are no longer able to work against this terrible horror without end with their former courage and their former steadfastness. With sorrowful compassion we follow the signs of this discouragement; it is only too comprehensible to us that for such despair there can hardly be any terror left that could hold it back even from the most perilous way out; and yet we must raise our voice in warning, in order to preserve our brethren from the worst.

From many towns of Russia, in particular from those of South Russia, our confidential agents report to us that old and young, the more well-to-do and the poor—the latter, of course, first of all—are preparing to emigrate. For weeks our confidential agents have been working feverishly to hold the despairing back from emigration. Meanwhile this movement has spread to the other governments as well. An emigration on a large scale is in preparation, without the necessary funds being available even approximately, without any guarantee, indeed without the slightest likelihood of being able to settle even a considerable part of the emigrants anywhere. The terrible consequences which such a planless, unprepared emigration must bring in its train are intelligible to everyone without further explanation. Members of the Greater Actions Committee in Russia have already warned urgently against this over-hasty, aimless emigration. The Vienna Actions Committee, the executive elected by the Basle Congress, has likewise associated itself with these warnings.

The Vienna Actions Committee expressly declares that it condemns in the most decided manner every encouragement of such an emigration. We demand not only that our confidential agents, but that every Zionist who acknowledges the Basle Programme and submits to the leadership elected by the Congress, shall decidedly oppose an emigration of this kind. We have catastrophes enough in our Jewish history. It would be the height of dereliction of duty if we ourselves were to lend a hand in helping to bring about one of the most terrible of them. We warn all our fellow Zionists and all our brethren in Russia in particular against all emigration agents, by whomsoever they may be recommended. But we warn also against all individuals or groups who may perhaps pretend that they, as Zionists, advise emigration. The Congress alone has to determine whether it considers the time and the conditions favourable for bringing this last and greatest of all tasks to a solution. The Actions Committee elected by the Congress, which stands under the control of that body and of the whole great public, called upon to proclaim whether, when and whither an emigration is to take place. We shall not let ourselves be confused by any panic resolutions, nor be driven from our straight and dutiful path by people who wish to exploit such resolutions for any purposes whatsoever.

The Actions Committee is fully conscious of the grave seriousness of the situation and of the magnitude of its task, as of its responsibility. Having been occupied in unresting activity with the realization of our programme, it will come before the Congress with proposals. These proposals will be put to discussion at Basle. The carrying out of the Congress resolutions will certainly be more useful and more salutary for the Jewish community as a whole and for our brethren pursued by misfortune than this precipitate emigration movement. Against all other attempts we must urgently advise.