The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-09-25

The CONDITION OF the Jews in Roumania has
long been disgrace to civilized Europe. In fact il
has been scandaous for many years that the world
has grown accustomed to it. Europe appears to look
upon it as something regretable but unavoidable
Under the conditions Of the treaty of Berlin signed in
1875 it is provided that Gin Roumana the difference OF
religious creeds and confessions shall not be alleged
against any person as ground for exclusion or in
capacity in matters relating to the enjoyment of civil
and political rights, admission to public employ.
ments functions and honors, the exercise of the
various professions and industries in any locality
whatsoever" Religious freedom is also guaranteed
The prescriptions of the Berlin treaty have been
persstently ignored and fagrantly violated by the
Roumanian government, which, indeed, has scarcely
made pretense of adhering to the terms of the
agreement upon which it's very existence depends
For the sake of appearances fiction has been estab-
lshed making the Jew alien in the eyes of thelaw
This because he comes of different race and has
different religious belief from the pure blooded Rou-
msnians It ignores the fact that he has lived in the
country some three or four hundred years As an
alien, his civil rights have been curtaed until they
have almost vanished; he is prohibited from owning
and cutivating land he is denied the right to en-
gage in any of the professions in the profit
able businesses he is not permitted to live in the rural
DISTRICTS and only exc out bare existence in
the cities under the most adverse circumstances In
other words he is forced to emigrate and since few
of the European nations will open their doors to
him, he is forced to emigrate to America. Long
years of enforced naction have arophied his facul
ties and in the land of his adoption he frequently
becomes burden to his energetic fellow reli-
gionists or to the state He 10 not desirable emf
grant
All the above mentioned facts and more have
been pointed out by Secretary Hay to the powers
that were signatory to the treaty of Berlin. He
has issued letter appealing to them to enforce the
prescriptions of the treaty, and in most forcefu Ian
guage has called attention to the manner in which
Roumania is permitted to violate both the letter and
spirit of the agreement He points out the evil
effects on the United States of such laxity the
part of the powers, and protests in the of hu-
mainly against the treatment of the Roumanan Jews
The letter is concluded in the following language:
'The United States may not authoritatively appeal
to the stpuations of the treaty of Berlin to which
it was not and cannot become signatory, but it
does earnestly appeal to the principles consigned
therein, because they the principles of interna
tional law and eternal justice advocating the broad
liberation which that solemn compact enjoins, and
standing ready to lend it's moral support to the full
HllmenC tneTeOI Dy Its co-sn6tOrles ZOE tHo ACT VI
Roumania itself has effectively joined the United
States to them interested party in this regard
The letter has already created sensation on
both sides Of the Atlantic and undoubtedly will have
sautary effect on the Roumania government.
AMONG the gifts that were presented to King
Edward on the occasion of his coronation was that
of two vases from the mikado of Japan. It is said
thew represent the work of thirty artists for
years # it takes thirty men seven years to build
two vases in Japan how long would il take them to
build two housesP But maybe they were large vases