The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21
JEWS AT WHITE HOUSE
PERSISTENT SPEAKS OF THE KIs-
 HINEFF MAsSACRES.
He and Secretary Hay Laud Hebrew Citizens to Committee to B'Nai B'Rith Which Went to
 Washington.

Last Monday a Committee of promi- nent American Jews called on President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay with refer ence to the Kishineff massacres.
 The Jews, through their representative association, B'nai Birth, asked that this government see that the Czar receives. either officially or otherwise, a petition from the Jews of the United States. This petition asks the Czar to inaugurate reign of religious tolerance in the civil lzed world as he started the movement for universal peace. It was also asked that the United States address a note to the powers asking for an international conference to discuss prosecutions and expressions growing out of racial and re- ligious prejudices.
 The Executive promised that he would do all possible without violating the prin- ciples of international comity Just what can be accomplished remains to be seen.
 Among the members of the B'nai B'ritb who first called upon Secretary Hay were Leo N. Levi. President, of New York: Jacob Furth, Vice-President and Treas urer, of Cleveland; Solomon Sulzberger, Honorary Secretary, New York; Joseph ID. Cooms Wilkesbare, Pa.; Adolph Moses, Chicago, and Simon Wolf. of Washington.
 Secretary Hay Speaks.
 In reply to MT. Levi who submitted the memorandum, Secretary Hay said:
 NO person of ordinary humanity can have heard without deep emotion the story of the cruel outrages inflicted upon the Jews of Kishineff. These lamentable events have caused the p-ofoundest i'm pression throughout the world, but most especially in this country, where there are so many of your co-religionists who form such a desirable element of our pop ulation in industry, thrift, public spirit and nOmmarafaI a,p ever make the Americans think H of the Jews as d class or as a race-we know them too well. In the painful crisis through which we are now passing. the Jews of the United States have given evil dence of the highest quallties-generos- ity, love of justice and power of self restraint.
 "The government of the United States must exhibit the same qualities. I know you co not doubt the sentiments of the President. No one hates more energet- ically than he does such acts of cruelty and injustice as those we deplore. But lie must carefully consider all the crcum- stances and then decide whether any offi- cial action can be taken in addition to the impressive and most effective express sions of public opinion in this country du- ring the last month.
 You will have observed that no civil tzed government in the world has yet talk en official action-this consideration alone would bid us to proceed with care. The Emperor of Russia is entitled to our re- spect. not merely as the ruler of a great and friendly nation, but as a man whose personal character Is even more elevated than his exalted station.
 We should not be Justified in assum- ing that this enlightened sovereign. who has given so many proofs of his devotion to peace and religious tolerance, has not ip IoiY oil hok fy, h ir power to put stop to these atrocities, to punish the guilty, whether they belong to the ignorant populace, or to high official circles and to prevent the recurrence of the outrages which have so shocked hu- marity. In fact, all we know of the state of things In Russia tends to justi- fY the hope that even out of the present terrible situation some good results may come; that He who watches over Israel does not sumber, and that tho wrath of man, now as so often in the past, shall be made to praise Him."
 Speech of President. |.
 The call on the President at the White House followed, and there President Roosevelt, after the memorandum was laid before him, sold:
 MT. Chairman-I need not dwell upon a fact so patent as the widespread lndiE- nation with which the American people heard of the dreadful outrages upon the Jews in Kishineff. I have never in my experience in this country known of a more immediate or a deeper expression of sympathy for the victims and of hor- TOT over the appalling calamity that had occurred. It is natural that while the whole civilized world should express such feehng, 1t should yet be most intense and most widespread in the United tSates, for all the great powers I think I may say that the United States is that coun- try in which from the beginning of its national career, most has been done in the way of acknowledging $he debt due to the Jewish racc, and of enIeavoring to do justice to those American citizens who are of Jewish ancestry and faith. ''One of the most touching poems of | our own great poet, Longfellow. Is that on the Jewish cemetery in Newport. and any one who goes through any of the old cemeteries Of the cities which preserve name of many an American of Jewish race who in war or in peace did his full share in the founding of this nation.
 Proved to Be Patriots.
 From that day to this, from the day when the Je Ts of Charleston, of Phila- delphia, of New York. supported the pa | triot cause and helped in every way rot only by money, but by arms, Washington and his colleagues who were founding
 
 ent, we have had no struggle, military or civil in which there have not been ! citizens of Jewish faith who played an eminent part for the honor and the credit | of the nation.
 "I remember once General Howard men, | tioning to me the fact that two of his l brigadier commanders, upon whom he | placed special reliance, were Jews. Among | the meetings of the Grand Army which have attended one stands out with pe- l culiar vividness-a meeting held under | the auspices of the men of the Grand Army of the Jewish creed in the Temple Forty-fourth Street, Temple Emanu-El, l to welcome the returned veterans of the | Spanish-American war of Jewish fa'tl: | When in Santiago. when was myse If l In the army, one of the best co,onels among the regular regiments who did | 70 well on that day. and who fought be- 1 side me, was a Jew. One of he com manders of the ships, which in he hlcclS- | ade of the Cuban coast did SO tall, was Jew. In my own regiment I promoted five men from the ranks for Valor end good conduct. It happened by pure acci- any of them, that these included two | Protestants. two Catholics and ole Jew; and while that was pure accident, it was not without Its value as an Illustration of the ethnic and religious nalI Aup of our nation. and of the fact that f n an | is a good American that Is all We ask, without thinking of his creed or his birth place