Jacob Henry Schiff

Using his banking contacts he was able to get Japan one hundred million dollars to pay for the war efforts with Russia. This combined with the lack of loans to Russia that Schiff was also behind was the major factor of Japan’s winning of the war with Russia.

In response to Russia not issuing American Jews visas Jacob Schiff met with a newly elected William Howard Taft to make good on his election promise to break trade treaty with Russia - Taft declined. An angry Schiff left the White House to pursue other avenues to negate the treaty.

Just weeks after Schiff’s meeting with Taft trying to end the Russo-American treaty went south on Schiff he rallies the American Jewish Committee and begins lobbying the House of Representatives. In December they get their wish when the House voted 300 to 1 to end the treaty. Taft got the hint and ended the Treaty three days after the House vote.

After a year long press by Jacob Shiff and the American Jewish Committee on the House to abolish the treaty Taft caves two days after a land slide vote by the House. Taft cancels the trade treaty with Russia two days after the 300 to 1 vote in the House.

Due to suppression of Jews in Russia during the rule of Czar Nicholas II a world wide boycott was launched against the country. The boycott movement was headed up by Jacob Schiff, and it lasted all the way toward the end of world war II when the Monarchy fell.