The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-06
M. Sazonov. Foreign Minister.

the Duma said In answer to NJ.
Sazonov's sweeping denial made in the
Duma.
Though the Russian censorship is
s~trlcter than eve before. there arrive
here from time to time letters contain
ing descriptions OF the horrors expert
enced by the Jews Of Russia during
this war. Recently ! received a strik-
ing note bearing the postmark Of
Minsk. Russia. and the stamp Of the
censor who apparently approved II.
In il was the following tragic plea:
DEAR MIR. BERNsTEIN: We have
read in the newspapers that you heard
about the Jewish massacres in Poland.
You annot imagine how the Cossacks
are plunderins our brethren. They are
running us. come from Poland. where
I was plundered by our troops, the
Cossacks. The authorities are send
ing innocent old Jews-men and
women-to Siberia. We have written
you many letters from Poland about
our troubles, but you are not getting
them.
Dear brethren. have mercy on the
six million Jews in Russia and take
our part. Ask the Russian Ministers
why we are Seing tortured 30 merci-
lessly. Our children are slaughtered
in the Russian army. We are con-
tributing large sums of money too.
But we are attacked from all sides.
We have no rights. We are driven
from the villa ges. Wherever they can
find filth they cast 1t upon us.
20 Lord, make an end to our suffer-
ings. We have no strength TO endure
them any longer. This letter IL written
with tears and blood. I wanted to
write much more, but I am sure that
such a letter would not reach you.
From a Polish Sufferer,
"CHAIM woLINsKI."
In 1912, while I was travelling In
Europe as special correspondent for
German frontier towns. Neustadt-
Scherwindt, my birthplace. The peace
full, prosperous little towns. pic
turesque and quaint. bore a holiday
aspect. The annual fair had brought
out the population to the squares,
where the merchants and the farmers
~bargained and the youths and maidens,
attired in their Sunday clothes, spoke
bashfully and p~layfully in front of the
cathedral in the centre Of the town.
Their merry laughter, their flashing
eyes, the p~arti-colored dresses OF the
girls. and the carefree spirit that
seemed to permeate the atmosphere
presented an idyllic scene.
Now these two frontier towns are no
more, having been practically wiped
on the face of the earth. Twice these
towns were in Russian hands. and
twice they we're re%captured by the
Germans. The fields and the homes
were destroyed, the people were either
killed or driven away or exiled to
Siberia.
The following extracts from a letter
written recently by one Of the in
habitants OF Neustadt to her brothers
in South Carolina are characteristic
for their pathos and their simplicity
and di%rectness:
You must have received tho last
Russian postals I sent you by this
time. For the past two weeks no mail
has left our town. but fortunately I
had a chance to send them to wilma.
THE German army 10 in our midst
again. You know the German soldiers
were here once before. away back In
the fall, for several weeks. At that
time. however. the Russians returned
on their way to Germany. Now the
Germans have driven them back as
far as kovno.
II could tell you much. my dear
brothers, very much, but ] have lost
my spirit. have become almost
hardened 70 every form of misery.
There have been times when | would
have given a great deal to be able to
write you "A few words. Then ! was
not allowed TO do II and nov 1t seems
to me that you will never realize from
mere l~ifeless words what Ia happening
In Russia,
81 think the newspapers cannot
begin to know what We have endured,