Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-07

( NEW YORK, December 1.-The Rus
sian treaty must be abrogated ere the
adjournment of this session of Congress,
| declared Representative Sulzer, chairman
OF the committee on foreign affairs, House
of Representatives, at the meeting in Car
negie Hall last night, called to act on
Russias failure to honor passports Of
American Jews travelling in that country.
The people are aroused as they never
have been before over the question, and
the time for action has come. There
can be no arbitration, no decay; the mat
ter must be settled once for all time, and
a new treaty arranged in which Russia
can find no loophole to enable her to
discriminate against any class of Ameri-
can citizens
| Every one Of the $500 seats in the hall
was occupied and many persons stood in
! the side aisIes on the lower floor.
4 resolution was adopted amid loud
cheering calling for the immediate pas
sage of the pending resolution before Con-
gress providing for the abrogation of the
Russian treaty of 1892.
! Mr.. SulZer continued:
| The treaty with Russia says America u
| citizens are EMIT ed to the same rights in
Russia that Russian citizens are accorded
here. II these rights are not granted
them then the treaty is violated. Russia
| does not deny that she discriminates
against certain classes of citizens
and when complaint is made. figurativeiy
speaking, she shrugs her shoulder and
asks: What are you going to do about
/ it,?
I'VE have carefully lived up to our
treaty obligations with Russia. Every
Russian coming to this country has been
granted all the rights stipulated in the
, treaty, irrespective of race or religion.
What are we going to do about it?'
| Our answer is, 'Abrogate the treaty.
An American Question.
This is not a Jewish question. 1t Is
an American question. 1t involves a
great principle 1t affects the rights of
all American citizens. Russia not only
! refuses to recognize American passports
held by Jews on account Of their race,
but she also refuses to recognize Ameri-
! can passports held by Baptist mission
aries. Catholic priests, Presbyterian di-
/ vines and others on account of their re-
/ iigious belief.
Behind the movement which has crys-
talilzed under the auspices OF the ma
| tionai citizens committee are the big
men of every race working as brothers in
| a common interest
! Not the religion nor the race of a
| person, but his American citizenship, is
| the true test of the treatment he shall
receive, and the rights he shall enjoy at
home and abroad. This is fundamental
We must adhere to 1t tenaciously.
Russia S affront to US has not been un-
| intentional she has gone about 1t bold
| IT, deliberately and shamelessly, break
| ing her given word, ignoring the funda-
mental principles which mark the reia-
tionship between nations at peace with
one another
| Diplomatic attempts from time to time
have failed to secure from the cars gov
ei1iment even promise that 1t would try
| to give us less cause for complaint BY
her inaction Russia has openly refused
| to give the matter any consideration, con-
| fident that Americas financial interest in
| her country would prevent US from TAX
| ing any radical step.
Il am in this fight for justice to all to
the end. and / shall make every effort to
pass my resolution to abrogate the Rus
sian treaty. have every reason to be-
| lieve that 1t will speedily be enacted into
law. To that end, however. every true
American must lend such aid as he can.
| DR.. White Practically Alone.
Andrew D. White. former ambassador
to Russia, stood practically alone among
| the speakers in dealing with the subject
in more diplomatic terms. urging that
Russia should first be invited to arbitrate
the question at The Hague before move
ment was made to abrogate the treaty.
Abrogation was demanded unreServedIy
by most of the speakers. Gov. Woodrow
/ Wilson of New Jersey suggested that an
understanding might be reached with the
Russian government peacefully when that
government was made to realize that the
I American people were in earnest about
the matter: otherwise he was in favor of
! disseminating the treaty.
Other Speakers.
Other speakers included Senator James
A. OGorman. Speaker Champ Clark. VIII
liam r. Hearst. former Representative
William S. Bennett. Bishop David Greer.