ansportation and medical aid, and to solve the food and employment
problems. An attempt was made to utilise the deported in agriculture,
in which labour is nowadays exceedingly scarce in Crimea. But the old
people and the children are not fit for agricultural work and it would
take too long to train the able-bodied women. On the other hand, the
largest and more prosperous Crimean towns, such as Simferopol and
Sebastopol, Yalta, Yevpatoria, and Theodosia, where the deported Jews
could easily find employment, are closed to the newcomers. Only the
smaller and poorer towns and townlets where even the local Jews can
scarcely get employment, are put at the disposal of the newcomers as
their places of residence. There was even a project to settle a
portion of these people in the city of Perekop. This town counts only
one Jewish family among its population. It consists of a prison and
several deserted shanties, and reminds one of that legendary Siberian
town, which was made up of a single pillar erected as an indication of
the site where the city was supposed to stand.

The local Jewish communities spend about fifty thousand rubles monthly
on feeding the deported. This sum does not include the expenses of
transportation and housing. The local communities applied to the
Petrograd Committee, but it took upon itself only fifteen thousand
rubles. The remaining thirty-five thousand are contributed by the
Jews, who have also to support their specific cultural institutions as
well as municipal institutions of a general character.

The representatives of the Simferopol Jewish community applied to the
Governor of Tavrida for financial help. I do not know whether they
were successful. Meanwhile, other parties of deported Jews are
expected here, and how the Jews will be able to handle them, is more
than I can tell.

The War has ruined many homes and made many men, women, and children
homeless. But it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that fate has
been most ruthless to these deported Jews. The so-called "refugees,"
after all, acted freely; they brought with them, if not what they
wanted at least what they had time, what they were able to take; they
could go wherever there was work. The refugees were everywhere
welcomed and helped by both the authorities and the public
organisations. Special days for the soliciting of donations were
appointed and large sums collected. Wherever they went people tried to
alleviate their sufferings. B