The Military-Industrial Committee, organized in May, 1915, to integrate
the economic resources of the country on a war basis, met on August
25, 1915, and condemned the incompetence of the government openly. In
his presidential address P. P. Riabushinski deplored the tardiness of
the government in calling upon the social forces of the country. “This
leadership of the country has been attempted by persons incapable of
leadership, and it is now evident to everybody that a =new personnel
is needed within the government....= We have observed the workings of
the government departments from the very beginning of the war, and have
come to the conclusion that these departments are unable to cope with
the situation. The supply of war material is altogether unorganized, as
the army well knows.... The government will from now on transfer to us
more and more of its functions. =But the longer this is deferred the
less benefit will result....= This work cannot be done through a poorly
organized government.... The State is a huge business enterprise,
whose parts must work harmoniously.... The war has now changed from a
struggle of will and spirit into a struggle of machinery. =Therefore,
the persons entrusted with the defense of the country must know
the country....= It cannot be denied that Russia is at the present
moment facing a great danger, and we fear that the time may come
when our courage will sink.... (_censored_). Our army is suffering
heroically.... (_censored_). We know that after a while, with the war
continuing in the same poor fashion as at present, the government will
be ready to meet us half-way, but we also know by experience =that
it will then be too late and even the very best man called by the
government will be unable to accomplish anything.”=
This address was met with thunderous applause. Another speaker, Prof.
E. L. Zubashov, referring to the Jews, declared that: =“The sons of
the Jewish nation are now fighting side by side with the Russians for
their country. Unfortunately this country has until now been only a
step-mother to them. Let us express the hope that it may now become
a mother to them.”= He therefore proposed a resolution favoring the
abolition of all restrictive laws against the Jews. His proposal was
met with prolonged applause and was accepted by the convention.[50]
At a meeting of the Free Economic Society—the foremost economic
organization of Russia—on January 16, 1915, the following resolution
was adopted unanimously:
“The Commission ... has taken into account the exceptionally difficult
position in which the Jewish population finds itself, in view of the
residence restrictions to which they are subject.
“While they are suffering all the terrors of war together with the
rest of the population, the Jewish population, being mainly urban, has
suffered particularly from the general disorganization of economic
relations not only within the immediate region of military activities,
but far beyond.
“Under these conditions it would be a great relief to the suffering
population if measures were adopted which would make it easier
for them to move about in search of work. In view of the size of
our country and the unlimited economic resources of its regions,
especially those of the interior, have hardly been touched by the
miseries of war. There are regions in the interior of Russia where
economic conditions have even improved somewhat, since they have
assumed many of the industries abandoned in Poland, and since the
commissary department placed large orders here.
“At the same time the Jewish population is even at this exceptional
time artificially confined to the cities of Poland and the western
provinces by force of existing legal limitations which increases the
hardships of war for them. =If in time of peace these restrictions,=
which are economically harmful and morally degrading, =are recognized
as a relic of barbarism that must be abolished, it is all the more
difficult to reconcile ourselves with them at the present time, when
hundreds and thousands of Jews serve under the Russian banners on the
battlefield.=
“In view of these facts the Commission has decided to request
the Council of the Free Economic Society to communicate with the
government and members of the society who are members of the
legislative bodies:—
=“To immediately stop the functioning of all restrictive laws relating
to the Settlement rights of Jews,= and
=“To abolish them immediately and permanently by legislative
enactment.”=[51]
Numerous commercial and technical associations have passed resolutions
declaring that the main cause of Russia’s economic backwardness lay in
the restrictions placed upon Jews, and that the sole means of combating
German predominance over Russian industry and trade is through the
abolition of these restrictions. Among these organizations are the
national grain, lumber, fur and gold trades; the Chambers of Commerce
of Moscow, Petrograd and the leading cities of Russia and Siberia,
and the national Congress of Bourses; the Russo-American Chamber of
Commerce, etc. Practically every national convention of every industry
has petitioned the government to liberate the economic talents of the
Jews by the removal of all legal restrictions.