The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-05-19
PROTESTS FILED
Newspapers and Commune
cations from American Israe1itieS
Sent to the State Department Con-
cerni:,- Persecution of the Jews.
The State Department Has no More
Has to 90 With Lynching Negroes.

Washington. May Embarked copies
Of Jewish newspapers and personal rep
reservations are pouring III upon the
state department. all relating to the
reported killing and maltreatment Of
Jews il Bessarabia.
Some At least Of these show misun-
derstanding OF he situation and of the
limitations Of the powers of the state
department in dealing with the mat
ter Ambassador Mccormick has been
criticised for denying that any massa-
ere occurred. 1t is said at the depart
ment that the ambassador made no
statement Of his own on the subject;
he simply transmitted textually the
reply OF the Russian government to a
request made by the United States
that relief funds be admitted for dis
tributiOn among the sufferers. The
Russian governments reply, published
at the time was that there was no
such suffering as had been reported
and no occasion for relief. Mr.. Nc
Cormick could not question the verac-
ity of his official information and he
sent the denial along without comment
distinctly placing it upon the Russian
government.
The state department feels that it can
do no more than it has done in the
cause of the oppressed Jews. 1t has
not learned officially that a single one
of them is an American citizen, SO it
has no warrant for Interference. There
is no parallel between cases of the
Jews in ROumania and those in Rus
Sia. In the first case it is said at the
department that the United States had
a ground for intervention because the
ROumania governments action was
injuring the United States by
immigrants upon her shores. 1t is not
asserted that this insult follows the
Russian act, which moreover. it is
pointed out is not Official. 1t is pre-
cisely IS if Count CaSSini should pre-
sent himself TO Secretary Hay and in
| the name OF his government protest
against reported lynchings of negroes
! by mobs in this country which, prob
| ably would result IN q polite inti-
| nation to the ambassador that he was
going beyond the limits of his proper
| business.
That is the state of the case officially.
| but it may be added that the limited
| action taken by the United States has
! served a purpose to make known to
| the Russian government that the great
| moral influence of the United States
| is directed towards securing an amel-
| ioratlou of the conditions of the Jews
| IN Russia.
London. May 16.-At a meeting of
Jews held in Shoreditch this evening
| under the auspices Of the English
| Zionist federation, Israel Zangwill, the
| author. seconded Il resolution declaring
| that the establishment of a home in
Palestine was the only practical solu-
| ton of the Jewish question.
Mr.. Zangwiil IN the course of his re-
| said RnoSeUalt'S re-
| mOnstrance with Roumania was an
example for all Christendom. and re-
| cited details Of horrors that had occur
red at Kischineff, Bessarbia. He de-
clared that uniformed state function
aries mingled with the mob at the open
| ing Of the riots and that police and
| soldiers participated in the pillage. The
| government. he added, had ordered g
| Jewish deputation which had waited
| upon him for the purpose Of demand
| ing protection to be driven out of the
| court yard. and that many so-callet
| fashionable people drove in their car
| riageS Ito see the fun.
| The resolution was carried