The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-11-06
CENTRAL POWERS FAILED TO
STOP MASSACRES OF The JEWS
Jewish Population of Gaca Have Been Special Sufferers
Since the Commencement of the War-Receved Nc
Aid From Governments of the Empires

Lublin no Jew is admitted to a gram
mar school. The object of these
measures is obviously to discourage
the Jews from aspiring to an educa-
tional or to a professional career. But
even those who are content without
these things are hindered in various
ways. Jews are barred from the
course for masons and master build
ers who will te much in demand for
work of restoration, and Hebrew shop
signs are taxed more heavily than
those in Polish characters.
Lithuanian Jews Are Fined.
The Jews in Lithuania have Jared
no better than those in Poland. They
have been denied the right to send
deputies to the Lithuanian Diet. Even
their request for permission to or
ganize conference to discuss their
position as one of the nationalities of
Lithuania has been ignored. The
military authorities have promulgat-
ed bewildering mass of laws and
regulations which must be complied
with on pair of severe fines AS these
laws are printed in German and
Lithuanian, neither of which the Jews
understand, they have unwittingly
| broken them and have thus been sub
jected to fine. The payment Of these
fines has formed such a serious drain
upon the already impoverished Jews
that thousands of families have been
compelled to sell their clothing and
bedding in order to raise the neces-
sary money.
The distress of the Lithuanian
Jews has been exploited by the Ger
man authorities who have invited
them to work in German munition
factories for 200 marks or about SAT
a month. AS most of the Jews, be-
cause of their distrust of the Prus-
slams. refused, they were sent as sus-
picious characters to an internment
camp where they were brutually
treated. Many of them yielded to the
demands of their conquerers and were
then deported to Germany where they
had to work IL hours a day under
the most calling conditions in NUM-
tions factories. OF the promised 200
marks very little indeed comes into
the hands of the Jewish workers.
Half of it is charged for their board
and lodging, and out of the other
half they are obliged to pay not only
workmens rates and taxes in the
locality of the camp but also the
rates and taxes in the Lithuanian
towns from which they came. The
balance, which is little enough, is
sent back to Lithuanian where it is
not infrequently conf1scated by the
German military authorities in pay
ment of fines of some one else.
Police Help Anti-Jewish Riots.
The lot of the Jews in Galicia is
even worse for they have been the
victims of a number of pogroms,
most of which have been carried
through without the slightest inter-
ference from the authorities. Most
of the riots, of which there were sew
eral in Cracow alone, were preceded
) by the distribution of infiammatory
pamphlets, and although timely
warning was conveyed to the Govern
ment authorities of the intended at
tacks, no measures were taken for
: the defense of the Jews until after
serious damage had been done. Dur
l ing the riot at WielicZka, the loca
| authorities received direct orders nOt
t to interfere with the rioters, who were
| actually aided by the Chief of Police
Repeated protests against these
proceedings have been made by Jew
ish and by non-Jewish deputies il
l the Austrian parliament. But, as yet
S no assurance has been given by the
t government that the Jews will bt
S granted protection in the future. II
I comparison with these savage as
= saults on life and property, the pro
n hibition of Hebrews or Yiddish il
n letters liable to censorship, the exclu
e sion from the Cracow university o
= students who registered as member
e of the Jewish nationality, the i'm
= prisonment of members of the Zionis
o Socialist society, and the molestatiol
: and robbery of Jewish passengers il
: !trains may perhaps be considered
+ trifles.