iting by the outcry of the
civilized world gave full vent to their hatred in their
conversations with Baron Hirsch's deputy. White reported
afterwards that the functionaries of St. Petersburg had painted
to him the Russian Jew as "a compound of thief and usurer."
Pobyedonostzev delivered himself of the following malicious observation:
"The Jew is a parasite. Remove him from the living organism in which and
and on which he exists and put this parasite on a rock--and he will
die." While thus justifying before the distinguished foreigner their
system of destroying the five million Jewish "parasites," the Russian
Ministers were nevertheless glad to lend a helping hand in removing them
from Russia, on condition that in the course of twelve years a
large part of the Jews should be transferred from the country--in the
confidential talks with White three million emigrants were
mentioned as the proposed figure. White was furnished with
letters of recommendation from Pobyedonostzev and the Minister of
the Interior to the highest officials in the provinces,
whither the London delegate betook himself to get acquainted with
the living export material. He visited Moscow, Kiev, Berdychev, Odessa,
Kherson, and the Jewish agricultural colonies in South Russia.

After looking closely at Jewish conditions, White became convinced that
the perverted type of Jew which had been painted to him in St.
Petersburg "was evolved from the inner consciousness of certain orthodox
statesmen, and has no existence in fact." Wherever he went he saw men
who were sober, industrious, enterprising business men, efficient
artisans, whose physical weakness was merely the result of insufficient
nourishment. His visit to the South-Russian colonies convinced him of
the fitness of the Jews for colonization.

In short--he writes in his report--if courage--moral courage,--hope,
patience, temperance are fine qualities, then the Jews are a fine
people. Such a people, under wise direction, is destined to make a
success of any well-organized plan, of colonization, whether in
Argentina, Siberia, or South Africa.

On his return to London, White submitted a report to Baron Hirsch,
stating the above facts, and also pointing out that the assistance which
should he rend red to the emigration work by the Russian Government
ought to take the form of granting permission to organize in Russia
emigration committees, of relieving the emigrants of the passport
tax, [1]