Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-09-20

Washington, Sept. lS.-With the
double purpose of protecting the long
suffering Jews of the Balkan states and
of avertlng the very present peril Of the
immigration into the United States Of
q horde Of paupers, Secretary Hay has
adopted the unusual course of appeal
ing to the powers of Europe to force one
Of their children to observe the obliga-
tions OF humanity in case of the Jews
The appeal takes the form of II state
paper, which has been dispatched in
Identical form to each amba ssador and
minister of the United States residing
in Great Britain, France. Germany,
Russia. Italy, Austria and Turkey. AS
these powers are responsible for the
existence of Roumania, the culprlt in
this case, the secretary of state has d.
rected the note to them in the hope that
they will bring Roumania to sense of
its duties towards civilization at large
as well as TO cause ii to ameliornte the
frightfu condition of the Roumanan
Jews.
Secretary Hays document says In
part: "rhe United States welcomes
the voluntary immigration of all 'tliens
coming hither under considerations
betitting them to become merged in
the body polite OF this land. The
pauper, the criminal. the contagi0usly
or incurably diseased are excluded from
the benefits of immigration only when
they are likely to become burden rpon
the community. The voluntary char
acter of>their coming is essential; hence
we shut out all immigration assisted or
constrained by foreign agencies.
"The condition of Il large class OF the
Inhabitants of Roumania has for / any
years been cOuiSe of grave concern
TO the United States. | refer to the
ROumanian Jews. numbering some 40O,-
600. The persecution of the indigenous
Jews under Turkish rule called forth
in 1872 the strong remonStrance of the
United States. The treaty OF Berlin
was hailed as q cure for the wrong,
prescribing, as it did. that in ROunnnia
the difference of religious crerds and
confessions shall not be alleged against
any person as n ground for exclusion
or incapacity in matters relating to the
enjoyment of civil and political rights.
"With the lapse Of time these just
prescriptions have been rendered nuga-
tory in great part, as regards the ma
tive Jews, by the legislation and mu-
nicipal regulations of R0umania. The
ability Of the Jew to earn even the
for frugal race has been CONSTRUCTED
by degrees. until nearly every OppOr-
tunity to win livelihood is denied.
"Granting that, in better and more
healthful surroundings, the morbid
conditions will eventually change for
good, such emigration is necessarily
for time n burden to the community
upon which the fugitives may be east.
Jews possess In high degree the
mental and moral qua lifications OF con-
scientiOus citzenhOOd. But when
they come as outcasts, their migration
lacks the essential conditions which
make alien immigration either accept
able or beneficial.
quitting together the facts now pain
fully brought home to this government
during the past few years, that many
Of the inhabitants Of ROumania are
being forced, by artificially adverse dis
ordinations, to quit their native cOur-
try; that the hOspitable asylum offered
by this country is almost the only
refuge left to them; that they come
hther unified, by the conditions of
their exile, to take part in the new
life of this land under circumstances
either profitable to themselves or bcne-
fetal to the community; and that they
are objects of charity from the outset
and for long time-the right of re-
mOnstrances against the acts of the
Roumanian government Is clearly es-
tablished in favor of this government.
Whether consciously and Of purpose
or not. these helpless people, burdened
and spurned by their native land. are
forced by the sovereign power OF Rou-
mania upon the charity of the United
States. This government cannot be a
tacit party to such an international
wrong. 1t Is constrained to protest
against the treatment to which the
Jews Of ROumania are subjected. not
alone because it has unimpeaclmble
| ground to demonstrate against the re-
sultant injury to itself, but in the name
of humanity"