Evening star., 1937-03-05
BY ELIAS TOBENKIN.

NEW YORK, March 5 (N.A.N.A).-
The stalin-T -Trotzky conflict, which In
recent weeks has resulted in hun
dreds Of arrests and scores Of execu-
tions in the Soviet Union, has now
burst with unexpected and tragic sig
nificance upon millions Of Jews in the
United States and throughout the
world.
After months Of mysterious rumors
and uncertainties. word has reached
New York from Moscow and London
simultaneously confirming the arrest,
on the charge of "Trotzkyism and
counter revolution" Of Prof. Joseph
Lieberberg, internationally famed jew
ish scholar and authority, who for the
last three years was president OF the
autonomous Jewish region in the Soviet
Far East known as Birobidjan.
Prior to Leberberg's arrest. plans
were nearing completion for the con-
version Of the region into an autonom-
Gus Jewish republic early In 1888.
Word was received here last Sep
tember that Lieberberg, upon orders
from the Kremlin, had been removed
from his post in the presidium Of the
Central Executive Committee Of the
Far East and ignominiously expelled
from the Communist party. A month
later the Soviet government an
nounced the appointment Of Michael
Katell, . Ukrainian Jewish leader, to
succeed Iieberberr.
Arrested - Conspirator.
Dispatches from Moscow have now
definitely established not only the re-
moval Of Lieberberg as head Of the
Birobidjan project. but his arrest as
an alleged Trotzkyist conspirator.
While the G. p. U. has not disclosed
the place Of his confinement, it was
definitely stated that he had been
transported to European Russia It
Is believed he Is held In an isolation
prison in Moscow and will figure as a
defendant in one Of the several
Trotzkyist trials scheduled for the
near future.
Information from Moscow and Lon
don brings out the additional fact Ka-
tell, M. Hubermann, an associate Of
Katel, and a number Of other Jewish
Leaders, composing the Executive Com
mittee of Birobidjan. have also been
arrested in the last few weeks. All are
charged with anti-Soviet activities,
principally the 'fomenting of Jewish
nationalism and sabotaging Jewish
immigration from European countries
into Birobidjan."
New York sources in contact with
the Birobidjan project hope that these
arrests will In no way interfere with
the progress Of Birobidjan toward its
goal as an autonomous Jewish re-
public.
Controversy ut White Heat.
The arrest Of Leberberg and his CO.
workers in the founding Of what was
hailed as . Jewish homeland" only
second in importance to that estab-
lished in Palestine, comes at q tirs
when interest in and controversy over
Birobidjan Is at white heat among the
Jews Of Europe and the United States.
Two recent events of international
importance have served to center the
attention Of Jewish leaders on Bro
bidjan. One was the informal conver-
sations by representatives Of the Pol
ish government with the Blum cab
met in Paris, with q view to finding a
suitable territory to which some Of the
surplus" Jews Of Poland might emf
CRATE. The other was an of1cial an
nouncement by the Soviet govern
ment that it stood ready. in 1887. to
absorb 1000 Jewish families, or about
5000 persons, from Poland and other
Eastern European countries, provided
such Immigrants would pay their own
way to Birobidjan.
Informally, the Soviet government
let it be known that the first con-
tingent Of Eastern European immi-
grants to Birobidjan would serve in
the nature Of an experiment. II they
readily adapted themselves to the So
Wet civilization. other Jewish immi-
grants, selected largely with view to
their special trade and professional
qualifications, would be admitted.
To ascertain the assets and liabili-
ties of the Birobidjan project the
writer paid a visit to the territory. in
the course Of world tour, q short
time before the present leadership