The Grelling news is very good. I can now see that the society in
Berlin will be formed. I will write to Grelling.
Karpeles is quite right in his unwillingness to serve; the thing to do
is for him to coöperate, to get people into the committee, but not to
sign. As things stand, the initiative must not have too many Jews back
of it, else it will be immediately classified; no more than it could
afford to be, say, too strongly Social Democrat. The Austrian comic
papers are caricaturing me as the leader of a troop of Polish Jews as
it is.
I will name several other people who will be helpful to the German
society. The time for founding the society is the most propitious
conceivable on account of the impending military bills. In order that
the mammoth petition which our Bureau has drafted may get signatures
in Germany as well as elsewhere, societies must also exist there. The
manifestation may become just as imposing as that against the school
laws,—even more imposing! since it is to spring up simultaneously all
over Europe.