New-York tribune., 1919-06-04
Polish President Asserts.
However, That Vigorous
Steps Have Been Taken to
Prevent Further Abuses
U. S. Inquiry Welcomed
House Committee Assured
American Protest Might
Help Improve Situation
NeW York Tribune
ttusbi%, ot,o P,x.,


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 3.-Official ad
mission by General Pilsudski. president
OF the new Polish Republic, that perse-
cutions of Jews have taken place in
Poland was contained in State DEPART
ment dispatches submitted to the
House Foreign Affairs Committee to-
day by William Phillips, Second AS
sistant Secretary of State
Hugh Gibson, American Minister to
Poland, quoted General Pilsudski as
haVlng told him that since the return
OF the Polish troops that fought on the
western front boards have been cut off
Jewish men. Jewish women and chill
dren have been molested and their af-
fairs interfered with by soldiers. Gen
eral Pilsudski did not admit, however.
that there have been wholesale muir
ders of Jews IN Poland.
One dispatch from the American
Legation at the Polish capital said
that in fighting between troops and
civilians at Wilma on April 80 thirty
eight persons were killed. number
were killed in fighting at Pinsk on
April .. Presumably the persons
killed were Jews, since the dispatcb
added that there had been no "massa-
cres' in Lthuania
Impartial Inquiry Asked
Representative Porter, chairman of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, intro
duced resolution this afternoon ask
ing that the President accept the suc-
gestlon of Premier Paderewski that an
impartial investigation be made of the
reports of pogroms in Poland He hopes
the resolution will be accepted by the
committee as a substitute for the reso
lutions introduced by Representatives
Slegeel Goldfogle and La Guardia. of
New York.
Secretary Phillips told the committee
that Minister Gibson, Dr.. Morris Bo-
gen, representative in Poland of the
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee of
New York, and Colonel Bailey, of the
American Red Cross, already had been
appointed a committee to investigate
the reports of pogroms in Poland on
behalf of the State Department.
The State Department issued state
ment this afternoon which was in effect
summary of Secretary Phllips's tes-
timony before the committee. The
! statement said:
The provisional government of Po-
land has given the American legation
at Warsaw positive assurances that
1t is opposed to anti-J ewish activities
and that it will not tolerate persecu-
tion of Jews in that country. 1t will
take strong measures at once to pro-
tect all Jews in Poland, the legation
was advised. This statement, reporte d
in a dispatch from Warsaw to the De-
paltment of State to-day. was in reply
to instructions from the department
to the legation to ascertain the true
situation and to inquire into the atti-
tude of the Polish government.
Pledges Given by Pilsudski
"The American Minister reported in
the dispatch to-day that he had called
upon General Pilsudski, President of
the Polish government. and that Gen
eral Pilsudski had advised him that he
not only is opposed to persecution of
Jews, but has given spehic instructions
to maintain order and to protect the
Jews at Chenstokhov; that he had
warned the army in peremptory orders
that the prosecutions will not be tol-
Grated that officers will be held re-
sponsibe for any such acts on the part
OF their men, and that severe punish
ment will be meted out to offenders.
The situation in Chenstokhov is said
to have been investigated personally
by the Polish Minister Of the Interior
president Pilsudski expressed indie-
nation that reflection mad been
brought upon the country by anti-Jew-
ish activities. He stated that the per
secution of the Jews brought shame
upon the name of Poland and could
only harm the country He pointed
out that the Jews, of whom there are
millions in Poland, are going to re-
main in Poland and that the Polish
people will live in close contact with
them.
He said that both the government
and the best element of the Polish
people are strongly opposed to any
persecution, knowing as they do that
discord among elements of the Polish
population must be eliminated in order
that the country may settle down to
peaceful development, and for the pub
lie veal the government will suppress
with an iron hand any anti-Jewisl
activities.
IN. Constantil. Buszczyski, the new
ly appointed consul general Of Poland
called at the Department of State to-
day and presented his credentials to
the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr.
Phillips"
Action by House Favored
Secretary Phillips said before the
committee he believed some action by
the House was desirable. This woulc
serve, he thought, to give support te
the Polish government in it's efforts tc
maintain order. Until the agitation
against pogroms was started by mem
bers of Congress, Minister Gibson had
found it difficult to get information
Now he was finding less difficulty.
Secretary Phillips said the State De
partment did not regard the present
Polish government as having been ir
existence before April /. 1t could MOI
be held to blame for outrages that tool
place before that time.
Special attention was called to the
reports of Elias Tobenkin, of The New
York Tribune. Secretary Phillips sale
Tobenkin certainly had obtained NOR,