Student Antisemitism in Roumania: Question May Come Up at International Student Conference Meeting I

The Conference of the International Students’ Confederation has been opened at Sinaia, the residence of the King of Roumania, with King Carol, who has accepted the invitation to act as Honorary President, presiding at the opening session.

There are no Jewish student organisations at the Conference, representation being accorded only on a territorial basis, but a number of Jewish students are present on behalf of student organisations in their respective countries. 74 student bodies, with a membership of over a million students are represented.

It is expected that the question of student antisemitism which has been occupying the attention of the International Students’ Service, and has been the subject of a special investigation by its representative, Mr. Parkes, will come up for consideration at the Conference. The fact that the Conference is being held in Roumania, one of the notorious centres of student antisemitism, adds to the interest with which the discussion is anticipated.

At a previous conference of the International Students’ Confederation, held in Paris in August 1928, there was a big controversy over this question of student antisemitism in Roumania. The issue was raised by the President of the British Delegation, Mr. Frank Darvall, President of the National Union of Students of the Universities and University Colleges of England and Wales, who demanded the exclusion of the Roumanian delegation, because of their anti-Jewish attitude. While the names of the Roumanian delegates were being called out during the consideration of the delegates’ credentials, Mr. Darvall rose and said: I propose that the Roumanian delegation should not be admitted to the Conference, because of the wrongful attitude adopted by the Roumanian students in their country against the students of another nationality. Our International Conference bears the character of a Union of Students in all countries and it has no room for enmity and hatred.

We have our own policy in our country, and we shall not allow interference from anyone, the leader of the Roumanian delegation, M. Romanescu, replied, contending that the statutes of the Confederation do not provide for a discussion on matters inside any particular country.

Mr. Darvall returned to the attack, arguing that the treatment of Jewish students by their Roumanian colleagues was not a Roumanian, but a general question. In learning, he said, there can be no restrictions, and no enmity.

M. Romanescu threatened that if the question was discussed, the Roumanian delegation would leave the Confederation, whereupon the President, an Italian representative, Signor Maltini, told him that if the Roumanian delegation wished they could leave the Confederation. Finally the matter was shelved on the motion of a French delegate, M. Sonein, that the Conference should deal only with questions affecting the international student interests, but not with their national interests.