The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-31
AN OFFICIAL HAND
WAS PLAYED BY RUSSIA IN JEW
ISH MASSACRES.
so AN AUTHORITY DECLARES.
PART PLAYED BY THE MINISTER
OF THE INTERIOR.

Non PIehwe Had Reasons of State
Demanding an Uprising of the
Peasants Against the Jews - He
Did Not ScrupIc to BRING II About
Won PIehwe Took a sarOnG Anti
Semitic Editor for His Agent-VOn
PIehwe still Retains the Cars
Favor and Is strong at Court.
Berlin, May 3O.-The part which the
Russian interior minister. NJ. Won
Plehwe, took in the Kishineff mas
sacre. is described by a person be-
hind the scenes in Russian court life,
sn a communication TO DR.. Barth, lead
er of the Radical Liberals. and editor
of the Nation The writer says:
won Plehwe. who was the assistant
Of Gen. Ignatieff. when the latter was
chief minister. in 1881, at the time the
Jewish persecution took place,
desired to impress the Car
with the unftness of the COM
mon people to have any share in local
self-government by a spectacular out
break in the provinces, in which the
rrudity and primeval character of the
loyal people could be shown. Parallel
with this object was desire to di-
vert the attention of the people from
the government by giving their pas
sions an outlet against the Jews.
Won Plehwe chose as his agent his
political friend, Kroushevan, who is
known as the most extreme anti-Sem-
ste in Russia, proprietor of the
Bessarabyetz. a newspaper of Kishi-
nef.
In Kroushevan's interest he sup
pressed the Bessarabyetz Westnik, the
rival paper in Kishineff, giving Krous-
hevan the exclusive field.
AS showing the close relation be-
tween the two. Won Plehwe obtained
for Kroushevan a government subVen-
ton of $4,000 roubles, with which he
founded the anti-Jewish paper Snamja
at St Petersburg. Won Plehwe, at
council of the ministers, asked for
further subsidy. but NJ. Witte, the FL
nance Minister. objected, on the ground
that the state did not get sufficient re-
turn Kroushevan then got the amount
he asked a. the state bank, on his un
secured personal note.
"Kroushevan prepared the minds of
the people of klshineH by publShlng
anti-Jewish articles. A rumor was
started that a golden ukase' of the
Car had arrived, commanding the
death of the Jews at Easter. Gov.
Won Raaben refused to deny the rumoE
and the Vice Governor, Ustrugoff, was
the censor and a contributor to the
Bessarabyetz, so even the intelligent
people of the town credited the report
that the government was willing to
exterminate the Jews. After the mas
sacre Won Plehwe informed Gov. Won
Raaben that he had permitted the out
break to go too far. and that the bar
barities of the drunken robbers were
inexcusa Bile.
THE Car was deeply displeased with
Gov. Won Raaben and directed Won
Plehwe to remove all the officials of
the city and province. Won Plehwe
urged that an inquiry first be made.
and the Gar agreed to this. He said
he would send one of his own adju-
tants, but Won Plehwe suggested that
Lopuchin. one of his assistants. be
selected to inquire into the matter.
"Lopuchin returned with a mild re-
port, which was too dark. Won Plehwe
revised it before its submission to the
Gar.
Won Plehwe still retains possession
of the Cars mind. His position is
completely mistaken. and it will con-
has daily personal access to His Males
ty. Won Plehwe's ambitions We're ex-
pressed TO a small party of his friends
on one occasion, when he pantomimi-
cally held up a baton, as if leading an
OrcbaStro