Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-11
THE JEWS IN RUSSIA
Prosecuted for Political Rather
Than Religious Causes.
ALMOST UNANIMOUS OPINION
Witte Declares the Reason is Mostly
Economic.
TRIBUTE TO THE RACES GENIUS
Kept Within the Pale, for Otherwise
It Would 0utstrip the Russian in
All Arts, Science and Business.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
ST PETERSBURG, July 20, 1905.
I have asked almost everybody have seen
In ST. Petersburg about the reasons and
causes for the persecution Of the Jews, and
have received a variety Of Information, a.
though the inquirer on such problems is al
ways told that no foreigner can understand
the psychology of the Russian race or its
mental processes. 1t is the almost unani-
nous opinion that the primary causes Of
the massacres are political and economical
rather than religious, although there Is an
undercurrent Of fanaticism among the Rus
sian peasantry which has frequently been
appealed to. by the leaders Of the pro
gromes"-a new word recently coined to de-
scribe the frequent uprisings instigated by
the government for the footing and massa-
ere of members Of Jewish communities.
The chief causes as explained to me by
nearly every person with whom l have
talked, are jealousy of the success OF the
Jewish race In commercial, financial. pro-
fessional, literary and scientific careers, It's
aggressiveness and ambition and enterprise,
its sobriety, industry\and thrift, and It's
a Russian is unable to make a living. The
public prejudice against the race Is &C
counted for in that way. The opposition OF
the government and the police Is attributed
to vengeance because the Jews have been
the most persistent, the most resourcefus
and the most effective revoutionaries.
When some desperate deed is done you may
be sure that the chief actor Is Jew or q
Pole When the police are outwitted, num-
plugged and Inundated, you may be sure
- hoc od
revolutionary leaders are Jews. The men
who led the strikes last winter and those
who have stirred up the greatest amount
Of trouble among the peasants were Jews;
Jewish revolutionists constitute about 0o
Der cent of the membership Of the secret
societies and they are the most Intelligent,
active and ingenious. Nearly all OF the rev.
dictionary leaders l have met IN ~. Feters-
burg have been Jews, and the editors ana
reporters Of the revolutionary papers be-
That accounts for the attitude of the
ministry and the police.
Police Blamed for Massacres.
The Jewish deputies in the duma tell
me that, in their opinion, the government
and the police are responsible for the mas
sacres as well as the prosecutions. II they
so desired they could prevent both. They
assert that no mob has ever been organized
against q Jewish community that has not
been led or inspired by a government Of
fetal. They assert that there has not been
q Jew prosecuted or robbed or murdered In
Russia for the last ten years for which the
government was not directly responsible.
Mr.. Winawer, leader of the Jewish party
in the duma, told me yesterday that there re-
confined to ignorant, fanatca country
priests Educated priests have no ill-feel-
ing toward the Jews. and. 30 far as the re-
gious question Is woTia weEe
removed. Mr.. Winawer does not accept the
almost unanimous explanation that the pub-
lie prejudice against his race ISIS due to eco
nomical reasons. He insists that there Is no
more prejudice here in Russia than else
where, and that If the civil and religious
disabilities Of the Jewish population were
removed and they were placed on an equal
ity with their neighbors the spasmodlc
anirnosity that crops out here and there
would entirely disappear within Few
years He points to the chapters Of Jewish
history in other nations, and to the ract
that even in Russia, where the Jews are
most numerous, there had never been any
radical or religious friction until It was
stirred up by the police and other ohcials.
He therefore attributes the massacres 10
political and not to economical or religious
causes.
Archbishop Roop Of the Roman Catholic
Church who is member OF the duma
from the city of wilma, where nearly one
half of the population are Jews, to!o me
that in his diocese there was no reilgious
prejudice whatever, that the members OF the
three fadths-Roman Catholic, Greek ortno-
dox and the Jewish-lived in perfect &C
cord, and that there would never De the
slightest friction among them Were II NOV
instigated by officials. soldiers and the po-
lice. who formed an entirely distinct group
from the rest Of the community, and were
more frequently disturbers than preservers
Of the peace: He declared that TINS ,, was
is also In his diocese, although a religious
proclamation intended to arouse the FOL
Towers of Christ was circulated very large
ly among the ignorant classes 1or seVerai
days previous to the recent massacre.
'iIf the police and other officials would let
the Jews alone" said Monsignor Roop
with great emphasis. there would De no
trouble about the rest OF the people. Ihere
is no objection, SO far as l know, to the
Industry or the economies of the Jew. Our
neople are glad to have him succeed IN
business and save his money and educate
his children, and we wish MN every N, nap.
In theology. We have the same kindly
feeling for him that we have for the Prot
estants or the Mohammedans or the mem
beers of other faiths Tne Jew - vaiuap,e
citizen and he would be even more valuable
il his disabilities were removed.
Prof. Milukof's Explanation.
Prof. Milukoff, leader of the constitutional
democratic party, in answer to my inquiry
smiled and said:
"You have asked me a very complicated
question, and which 1t is almost impossible
to answer in a few words. 1t would take
very large book to give all the causes and
reasons and motives for the prosecutions
and massacres Of the Jews, and to appre-
ciate them fully would require many pages
Of explanation.
THE national prejudice, and in many
communities It amounts to hostility,
against the Jews is based largely upon eco
nomical reasons. 1t has always existed,
not alone in Russia, but in Rome. In Ven
ice in Alexandria and even in Jerusalem.
There has always been a certain amount of
antagonism among other races against the
Jewish people for the same reasons that
made Shylock unpopular. T..ey usually de-
,nnand what Ia written In the bond In Pms