Latest reports state no physical violence was attempted against the Jewish Deputy Landau when he raised the question in Parliament of the government’s subsidy to the Christian student’s congress at Crajova and the official welcome to it. He asked “how can a national and a democratic government encourage an anti-Semitic and anti-minority congress and by what right does it give its funds when an economic crisis and a deficit prevails? And why were the delegates to the Congress given free railroad tickets, when even the rector of the University, M. Jorga, had not voted in favor of permitting the congress?”
Landan was interrupted by loud cries from various deputies. Minister Johanitsescu also called out that the government thad sent congratulations to the Zionist Congress. The Minister of Education, M. Costacescu, replied he could not suppress students who were entitled to air their views and to keep alive and alert so long as they maintained order. He explained that the subsidy had been granted from the moneys paid by the students’ parents in taxes and that the railway tickets had been given in order to prevent the use of the passenger trains and thus avoid disturbances. M. Costacescu maintained that Deputy Landau’s interpellation was not only a political mistake but undesirable from the point of view of the Jewish students who have to attend the universities.
Further discussion of the Roumanian government’s attitude toward the students’ congress came when Senator Ebner declared that when it became known that the congress was called to incite to race hatred the government should not have sent its greetings. He also charged that the government’s subvention to the minority schools was inadequate. “A million Jews demand equal treatment with that of other faiths.”
He also criticized the Royal Message which contained no solution of the citizenship problem and did not mention the Jewish High School previously promised. “Nevertheless,” he said “the Government found time and patience to modify the communities law to which the majority of the Jewish population objected.” Jewish pupils he said, were being compelled to attend schools and write on Saturday, and participate in observance of the Jewish religion unless the parents objected. This, he said, practically amounted to the State conducting missionary activities amongst the Jewish children. The Jewish deputies, he declared, would not endorse the Royal Message.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
