The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-09
KING CHARLES. OF RouMANIA.
AND HIS JEWISH Subjects

AND HIS JEWISH SUBJECTS.
The professed desire of King Charles.
of Roumania, to remove the ban OF
legal restrictions from the Roumanian
Jews. may mean much, or 1t may mean
little We would fain hope the for
mer; Judging the future by the past,
however. we cannot but fear the latter
SO far rs the treatment OF the Jew IL
concerned there IS no more hidcous
stain on the escutcheon OF latter day
civilization than that which Roumania
has placed upon it. In Darkest Rus
STA" the race has not suffered more op-
preston, cruelty. contumely and in
Justice. More than that, revolving as
have been Russias prescription, in
tolerance and brutality in dealing with
the race. the Russian government has
been more honest in Its infamy than
the Roumanian. Russia has at least
eschewcd the miserable evasion and
the fragrant breaking of faith with
other nations touching the Jewish
questions. that have so damnably
marked the Roumanian record.
Under tho treaty of Berlin which rec
oenized Roumauia as an independent
kingdom. it was required that absolute
freedom OF worship should he guar
anteed all persons living in Roumania,
ANA that no religious belief should con-
stitute Il bar to the enjoyment OF equal
political privileges ANA rights The
Constitution OF Roumania had provided
that only "Christians, can be citizens"
ana was therefore amended so as TO
conform to the treaty stipulation But
the amendment proved TO be not worth
the paper IL was written on. Through
the enactment OF a series OF red-tape,
temporizins, quibblins, statutes, both
the amendment and the treaty obliga-
tlon We're completely nullifed; ard
what with the continued efforts OF the
Jew baitcrs to incite In the non-Jcwish
population racial and religious pre-
judice against the Jews the last con-
dition OF the oppressed people, II any
thing worse than their first.
So much was this in evidence that
Notwithstanding they had permitted tho
Berlin treaty TO be torn into shreds
as respects other provisions, several
OF tho signatorics TO that pact felt
called upon TO make Roumanias out
RACES upon the Jews the subject Of
diplomatic representation to Bucharest.
Even this government, though not a
party to the Berlin agreement, pro-
tested against those outrages on one
occasion. But all representations and
protestations were without avail. Rou-
mania continued to defy world scnti-
ment; to nout the dictates OF Justice
humanity and civilization.
If King Charles is sincere in his pro-
fcssion mat he has seen q new light"
as 10 tho disabilities and persecution OF
his 100000 jewish subjects and shall
translate his profession into use of his
influence with the Legislative bodies OF
Roumana, to clear away the barriers
these have erected against the opera
ton OF the Constitution, Roumania may
at last have also turned her face 10 the
morning. TO put the religious free
dom clause OF that instrument into ef-
feet in letter and in spirit would he,
would nave on religious intolerance,
the nrst step in riShting one OF the
grossest wrongs that have ever dis
| graccd modern Europe. Eut King
Charles, his solicitudo for the down
troddcn Roumanian Jews none tile less,
counscls them to continue TO be pa
/ ticnt And as much as we could hope
! miss serious apprehension that the
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