Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-25
ISRAEL zANGWILL IS
DELIGHTED WITH
NOTE OF HAY
LONDON AUTHOR SAYS ACTION
WAS cHIVALRoUs AND PRO-
GREssIVE - HEARTILY
coMMENDs 1T.

LONDON, Sept 22.-Secretary Hays
note TO the powers signatory OF the Ber-
lin treaty of 1878 on the subject of Rou-
mania's treatment of Jews, has aroused
widespread interest in the Jewish popula-
ton Of London. Israel Zangwill, the au-
thor, who is an authority among his CO.
religionists, and ceaseless worker for the
improvement of the position Of the poorer
among them, said to a representative of
the Associated Press:
Secretary Hays note regarding the
Roumanian violations of the tready of
Berlin is a noble. historic document, set
ting a precedent in political righteousness.
II is a worthy pendant to President
Roosevelt's setting the Hague internation-
al arbitration court in motion. Both tend
to the creation of a nOn-existent branch OF
justice-international ethecs-the absence
of which makes our civilization a farce,
since all evil is sanctioned If only enough
people commit 1t. America cannot be Sc
riousIy injured by Jewish immigration and
its action undoubtedly was chivalrous.
Yet, as the main refuge and hope OF the
homeless few. it has a technical case for
interference, even though not represented
at the Berlin congress. The world is all
inter-counected with any action of one
power that tends TO incommode another.
1t is practically an act of aggression.
More especially should this principle be
strous injustice is being perpetrated and
an offending population is being done to
death. If the European powers DO not
interfere to enforce the treaty OF Berlin,
/ do not see how they can escape the de-
ducation that violation of treaties is only
a casus beln when some commercial inter-
est Is to be exploited"
UNCLE SAM CAREFUL
TO SPECIFY COMPLAINTS
WASHINGTON. Sept. 22.-In view Of
the disposition shown in some quarters
of Europe to question the propriety of
the interference Of the United States in
behalf of the Roumanian Jews, and hav-
ing in mind a statement from Roumanian
authorities to the effect that these Jews
had declined agricultural work, it may be
of interest to note the fact that the
state department was particularly care
full to verify all the complaints that had
reached in from various sources respect
ing the harshness of Roumanian laws
While the treaty of Berlin expressly
forbade discrimination against any per-
son in the Balkan states on account Of
religion, the Roumanian government
sought to evade that clear provision by
decreeing that the 10000 Jews living in
the country were not citizens and conse-
uuentIy that their protection was not con-
templated by the treaty. Therefore,
without naming the Jews as the direct
object of hostile legislation, the Rouman-
ian government proceeded to enact GER
tain laws which the state department
regarded as indeliberate violation Of the
spirit of the treaty. The law provided
that no Jew should live in the agricul-
tural sections Of the country.
Another law prohibited Jews from en-
gaging in agricultural labor; another for
babe the Jews to own farm lands. Finally
a law declared that any one who en-
ployed a Jew should also employ no less
than two Roumanians, and this restric-
ton was prohibitive of Jewish labor in
the small establishments. Altogether the
working Of these laws as recited in Sec
rotary Hays circular note was to deprive
the Jews in Roumania of nearly all OPP
portunity to earn an honest living ana
ind honorable employment. These facts
doubtless will be enlarged upon If the
Roumanian government undertakes to i'm
peach the statements contained in the
Jewish note.