The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-07-23
REFUSED THE PETITION
Communication Which Russia Refgs-
ed to Consider is Given Out
to the World.

Washington, July lit is stated
by the secretary of state that the in
cidcnt of a Jewish petition to Russia is
closed. The state department today
made public the correspondence that
had taken place respecting the petition.
Its substance has already been forecast
ed in the press dispatches. The cores
pondence consists of an instruction to
Mr.. Riddle, United States charge at st.
Petersburg, reciting in detail the pc
tition, and directed him to present the
same to the foreign office if it were
willing to receive it under any circum-
stances, and Secretary Hay so informed
the B'Nai Birth committee in brief
telegram.
The official statement of the facts is
as follows: The Russian government
has declined to receive or consider the
petition concerning the condition of the
Jews in Russia, signed by several
Thousand citizens and cabled to st.
Petersburg by direction of the presi-
dent.
At the conference of last Tuesday
the president conferred with Messrs.
Levy, Wolf and Straus in regard to the
presentation Of the petition and decid-
ed to send the following dispatch to
Mr.. Riddle in ST. Petersburg.
THE PETITION.
You are instructed to ask an audience
OF the minister of foreign affairs and to
make to him the following communica-
ton:
"1our Eycellency: The secretary of
state instructs me to inform you that
the president has received from a num-
Der OF citizens of the United States of
all religious relations occupying the
highest positions in both public and
private life, a respectful petition ad-
dressed to his majesty, the emperor, re-
lating to the condition of the Jews in
Russia, and running as follows:
F" TO His Imperial Majesty, the Empcr-
or Of Russia:
Cruel outrages perpetrated at
kishenev during Easter Of 1908 have
excited horror and reprobation through
out the world. Until your majesty gave
? special and personal directions, the
local authorities failed to maintain
4 order or suppress the rioting.
The victims were Jews and the
~
: ligious prejudice.
Rioters violated the laws of Russia
2 The local officials were directed
3 to performance Of their duty.
? The Jews were the victims Of in
), defensive lawlessness. These facts arc
made plain by the official reports of and
by official acts following the riot.
Under ordinary conditions the
4 awful calamity would be deplored with
, out undue fear OF recurrence. But
such is not the case in the present in
stance. Your petitioners are advised
l that millions of Jewish-Russians who
dwell in southern Russia are in con.
slant dread Of fresh outbreak. They
feel that ignorant superstition and
, bigotry, as exemplified by the rioters
are ever ready to persecute them;
l that the local officials cannot be induc.
ed to give their utmost attention to
these affairs.
Even if it be considered that these
fears are to some extent exaggerated
it is unquestionably true that they
exist, that they are not groundless, and
that they produce effects Of great i'm
portance.
> The westward migration Of Russian
Jews which proceeded for over twenty
years is being stimulated by these fears
and already that movement has become
so great as to overshadow in magnitude
the expulsion of the Jews from Spain
and to rank with the exodus from
Egypt.
Religious persecution is more sinful