The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-19
MASSACRE OF jews IN RUSSIA
THE REASON WHY THIS GOIERN-
MENT CANNOT INTERFERE.
II Would he as Much an Anront 10 RUSSIA
as n That Government should Protest
Against Lynchinss Of Nesroes-Coun'
Cassini On the Cause Of the Trouble.


as n That Government should Frotest
Agaipst Lynchinss Of NesrOes-Count
Cassini on the Cause Of the Trouble
WASHINGTON, May 1s,-Whatever sym
pathy this Government may have LOT lhe
prosecuted Jews in Russia, II must De re-
parded as individual and personal and IN
no sense official Officially it feels bound
not to commit itself. To do 30 would be
to give cause to Russia to feel anronted
However much the Administration may
desire to do something to put stop 10 the
massacres that are being reported from
the Cars dominions it cannot at this time
according to correct International practice,
take any step toward that end, particularly
In view of the official denial from st. Peters
burg that massacres have taken place.
In forwarding to that capital the request
of Jews in this country to be permitted
to send money and supplies to their suffer-
ing co-religionists, the State Department
went to the limit of its right to take notice
of what 1t regards as a purely domestic
matter in which the United States has no
direct concern, the interests OF no American
citizens being involved.
The Administ ration feels somewhat en-
barrassed and chagrined over the mistaken
understanding among great many people
In this country, particularly those of the
Jewish faith, that it may with proprlety
call Russia to account for the Bessarablan
outrages. To do this would cause the re-
lations of the two Governments to become
strained, and in justice to itself as well as
to the people of the country the Admin
stration feels that it has no right to do
anything that might produce such con-
dition According to the principle gen.
orally acknowledged by authorities on
International law the interference or the
United States i'm behalf of prosecuted Illus.
sian Jews would be quite as unwarranted
as representations by Russia to this Gov
eminent against lynchingS OF negroes or
attacks on Chinese in the United States.
From present prospects the only oppor-
tuniy that may be given the Government
to enter into discussion OF the matter
with Russia would be presented by the
emigration to this country of many pau
perized Russian Jews fleeing to escape
persecution
The immigration into America of thou
sands of poor Roumanian Jews, force
by the restrictions of that Government
to fee from its territory, was made the
subject Of vigorous note OF protest by
Secretary Hay last year.
Should the Bessarabitn massacres have
the same effect upon the Jews In that part
of Russia representations similar to those
made in the case of Roumania might be re-
garded as proper. Until such an oppor-
tunity arises, however, the Government
is virtually powerleas, according to correct
observance, to seek to ameliorate, the con-
dominions
Some light was shed to-day on the feel
ing in his country on the Jewish question
by Count Cassini the Russian Ambassa-
dor. who. after explaining that the un,.
friendly attitude of his countrymen toward
Austria, and was caused by the fact that
the Jew, instead of working in the fields,
became a money broker, and as such took
advantage of the peasant, whom his power
ultimately brought to ruin went on to
make this statement:
THE situation in Russia, so far as the
Jews are concerned, is just this: 1t is the
peasant against the money lender. and
not the Russians against the Jews. There
il no feeling against the Jew In Russia be-
Jew ruins the peasants, with the result that
conflicts ensue when the latter have lost all
their worldly possessions and have nothing
to live upon.
There are many good Jews in Russia
and they are respected. Jewish genius
is appreciated in Russia and the Jewish
art list is honored. Jews also appear in the
financial world in Russia.
-The Russian Government, affords the same
protection to the Jews that 1t does to any
other of its citizens, and when riot occurs
and Jews are attacked the officials imme-
diately take steps to apprehend those who
started the riot and visits severe punishment
upon them. In the past Russians have
been punished severely for attacks upon
Jews. But, notwithstanding these con-
flicts, THE Jews continue to pursue the very
practices which have been responsible
for the troubles involving them.
Count Cassini maintained that 1t was
only natural that the Russian; who was
ordinarily very patlent. should entertain
a feeling against those who wrought his
ruin. Emperor Nicholas, he said, had
sought to assist the Jews by establishing
agricultural colonies for them in Southern
Russia. thus hoping to get them to give
up money lending, but this effort was
unsuccessful Other projects to help the
Jews had been attempt ed, he asserted, but
also wit bout success. As the Russian
assimlat ed readily with other races his
failure o assimilate with the Jew must be
attributed to the jew, the Ambassador
said.
As for the reports that the Russian Jews
had been forbidden TO arm for objection,
Count Cassini said hat he knew that when
the facts became known it will be shown
that there was no discrimination in this
particular against the Jews.
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