The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-16
BIRTH STATES CASE ID PRESIDENT Jewish Representatives Give Views on Kishinef Massacre METHODS RECOMMENDED Roosevelt Makes Reply Detailing the Widespread Sentiment in America
 Against Russian
 Atrocities.
METHODS RECOMMENDED

1 the Jews of America today laid the case before President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay. By appointment at 10;S0 o'clock the executive council of the association called at the state department They were Leo N. Levi, president, of New York; Jacob Furth, vice president and treasurer, of Cleveland; Solomon sulz- berger, honorary secretary, of New York; Joseph D. Cooms, Wilkesbarre, Pa; Adolph Moses. Chicago. and simon Wolf of Washington.
 Secretary Hay received the council and spent three-quarters of an hour listening to their representations and commenting upon them. Then the secretary escorted his callers to the White House, where they were received by President Roose- welt and again set out their views and listened to what he had to say In reply The interviews with both the President and Secretary Hay were extremely satis- factory to the council, although 1t soon became apparent that positive action could not immediately be had upon the betterment of the condition of Jews in Russia
 Statement Given Out.
 Tonight a the White House concerning the confer ence. The statement consisted of a mem orandum submitted by the B'Nai BRith on the massacre in April tentative draft of a petition to the czar which 1t was desired this government should officially, or semi-officially, assist in delivering to the czar and procuring reply thereto and copies of the replies of Secretary Hay and President Roosevelt to his callers. The memorandum says the facts concerning the Kishineff massacre as officially re- ported by the Russian government nave appalled, and mortified not only the Jews in Russia and elsewhere, but the whole American people who want somelhlhs done, and whose hostility to Russia 1T nothing Is done will become lntensiheu and fixed. The Jews, it says, likewise, are fearful of the future. It Is recognized | that the situation plainly is different from | that in Roumania, inasmuch as in Russia the Jews are fleeing from mobs operating | in contravention of Russian law, while In Roumania 1t Is the laws that make 1t un- able for them to live there. Denunciatlon of the Jews by Russian diplomats, IL says, cannot placate the public as half million Russian Jews have come here dur ing the past twenty-three years, and have shown they are thrifty, energetic, intelli- gent and ambitious. and daily are growing more influential and popular. They are constant propagandists against Russia and the memorandum says the result Is to undermine the traditional amity between Russia and the United States.
 l It is declared to be desirable to end this state of things, without breach of diplomatic etiquette or embarrassment to our government and one or both of the subjoined methods therefore were submit ted for consideration:
 Methods Submitted.
 "A. petition to the czar to which the | BNai B Rith will get the signatures of 1 the leading men in the various states. Our government to assist unofficially or semi officially in securing the delivery | of this petition to the czar and in procur- ing a favorable reply thereto, either by direct communication or some other form of public expression. The manner in which the government can render such assistance is not suggested for obvious 1 reasons, but the governments interest in the question should be known.
 "B. Using the Kishineff and other re- | cent incidents of more or less similar na- | ture as grounds, an official invitation by the United States, addressed to all the l powers. to an international conference to | consider prosecutions and expressions | growing out of racial and religious preju- | dices and hatred, and to pfotect civiliza- ton and international concord from the evil effects of such prosecutions and op- l pressions."
 | In reply to Mir. Levi, who submitted the memorandum, Secretary Hay said:
 'No person of ordinary humanity could have heard without deep emotion the story of the cruel outrages inflicted upon the Jews of .shineff. These lamentable l haxr 4l.A .s11.A pression throughout the world, but more l especially in this country, where there are so many of your co-religionists who form such q desirable element of our population in industry, thrift, public spirit and commercial morality. Nobody can ever make the Americans think i'll of the Jews as a class or as a race--we know them too well.
 Must Proceed With Care. 1 You will have observed that no civil | ized government in the world has yet taken official action-this consideration alone would bid us to proceed with care. | The Emperor of Russia is entitled to our respect, not merely as the ruler of 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 assuming that this enlightened sovereign, who has l given so many proofs of his devotion to peace and religious tolerance, has not | done and is not doing all that lies in his 1 power to put a stop to those atrocities, to punish the guilty, whether they belong | to the ignorant populace pr to high of | ficial circles and to prevent the re-cur- renee of the outrage, which have so | shocked humanity. In fact. all we know of the state of things in Russia tends to justify the hope that even out of the present terrible situation some good re- suits may come."
 The call on the President at the White | House followed, and President Roosevelt after the memorandum was laid before him, said:
 "Mr Chairman-I need not dwell upon a fact so patent as the widespread indig- 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 the horror over the appalling calamity than has occurred. It Is natural that while the whole civilized world should express such feeling it should be most Ikense and 1 most widespread in the United States, for of all the great powers, I think I may say that the United States Is that country in which from the beginning of its national career most has been done in the way of acknowledging the debt due to the Jewish race and of endeavoring to do justice to those American citizens who | orr of Iax,iot, opceSfrv and faith