News Brief

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

Prof. M. Klutchnikoff, a former Minister in the government of Admiral Koltchak, who had delivered an anti-Semitic speech at a debate on anti-Semitism in Russia held here on December 4th, has been dismissed from all the posts which he held. In his speech during the debate Prof. Klutchnikoff declared that the unfriendly feeling towards the Jews which existed in Russia was the natural result of the feelings of wounded national pride among the Russian people which saw the Jews getting the better of Russians and taking up the most important positions in the country. M. Larin, member of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets, in reply to Professor Klutchnikoff, said that the Professor’s attitude was counter-revolutionary and warned him that the Soviet authorities would not tolerate speeches such as he had just made on the Jewish question.

The representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here is authoritatively informed that Professor Klutchnikoff’s dismissal did not come as a direct consequence of his anti-Semitic speech but because of his political ideas which were known to be hostile to the Soviet Government. Koltchak’s former minister, Klutchnikoff, the representative was informed by a responsible Soviet official, had not justified the trust put in him by the Soviet Government. It allowed him to return to Russia after he had expressed his regret at his former actions, and after he had promised to be loyal to the Soviet Government. “The question of his dismissal,” the official said, “had been raised before, his recent anti-Semitic utterances being the last drop in the Government’s cup of patience.”