The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-07
The Future of the Jews
in Roumania
OUTLOOK GLOOMY UNLESS AMER
ICAN CO-RELIGIONISTS GIVE
MORAL AND MATERIAL SUP
PORT.
BY LEO WOLFSON
Copyright by l. j. Z. b

have been following this series of az
t:cles on the Jews in Rotimania, have
asked me what think about the out
look for their future. Especially in
terested in this aspect of the question,
are my own countrymen, who wish TO
know what to do and how they are to
continue with their activity. l have
postponed my answer up to the present
time, because ! wished first to present
the situation of the Jews in Roumania
rs they themselves described it to me,
i,rd as / observed it while there. Now
in concluding the series, l shall state
my own views. l spent eight weeks
il. Roumania. Besides Bucharest and
Nnssi, the two most important cities
in old Roumania. Kishineff in Bessara-
lila and Cernowitz in Bukowina-two
recently annexed provinces-l visited
sixteen other important cities and
tOwns-that is, practically all of the
Jewish centres. j had unusual op
portunities of seeing their conditions
and talking with the most prominent
Jews and representatives of the jew
ish organizations l also had discus
sons with the leading Roumanian
statesmen. In so far rs it was pos
sible to study the political situation of
the Roumanian Jews, 1 did so.
My personal opinion is that despite
the so-called emancipation of Il large
part of the Jews there, and which VIII
of course bring some improvement in
the conditions of their life. the lot
of the Jews in Roumania will remain
unfortunate, and their future "A hard
and bitter one. In considering the eN-
isting circumstances, one finds the
following:
A. Only u part of the Jews have
been granted rights. That is: those
who were born in Roumania; those
who have served in the army; and.tle
wives and children of Jewish soldiers
who fell during the War
b. All Jews who have immigratcd
into the country, and it makes no diff
ference how far back, and their minor
children. remain without rights-aliens
just as before.
{. The rights which have been
granted were not accorded voluntarily
and because Roumania wished honestly
and earnestly to solve the Jewish
question, but because of outside pres
sure and the desire to keep up ap-
pcarances'' Such rights are not on
" of very little value, and bring few
advantages, but they may become
sources of much struggle and bitter
teuds.
ID. The economic conditions of the
Jews in I,oumania, altho not so hope
less as that of the Jews in Poland.
Austria and Galicia. are still bad. and
it will require years of hard work and
II great deal of sacrifice to bring af-
fairs to plane where they will not
reed assistance and support from the
Jews in America.
In my opinion, the long, fierce
struggle between the Jews and the
ltoumanians will not only not come
10 an end, but will become divided
up. and spread so as to take in all
clements. Several struggles will act
ually go on side by side. One fight
will be waged by the Jews to secure
recognition, and to guard those rights
which they have received and make
them effective, while the Roumanians
On the other hand will oppose them
with all their might, so that the rights
nay remain on paper and be of no
value. Knowing Roumania, one may
be confident that she will do every
thing possible and invent new schemes
10 extricate herself from the necessity
of actually recognizing Jewish rights.
Another contest will be carried on by
those Jews who have not received any
rights. with the object of being in
cludcd under the emancipatory law.
The government on its part will use
as weapon against them the re-
stricting laws which she has against
aliens. The barbarous Roumanian
laws against aliens are well known
and it is not difficult to imagine what
the Jews will have to undergo.
The third conflict will be an econo-
mic one. And this will be the most
mplacable of all because it affects the
very necessities of life. The Rou-
manians have resolved to .Rouman-
ifniZe" trade and industry. and that
means the exclusion of Jews there
from. All the resources of the coun
try, the money in the Roumanian
banks. everything has been put ut the
disposal of the Roumanian business
men, and the Jews for the time being
are powerless.