The editors reserve the right to excerpt all letters exceeding 250 words in length. All letters must bear the name and address of the writer, although not necessarily for publication.
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
King Alexander of Yugoslavia, the victim of an assassin, was a true friend and protector of Yugoslavian Jewry. Only now after his tragic death have some of his utterances become public, made to Jewish leaders as well as in the circle of his official family, which express a very tolerant, even pro-Jewish sentiment.
A few years ago when a law touching the Jewish communities was considered by his cabinet, he met the president of the Orthodox Jewish Landeskanzlei and after a conversation with him he said to his ministers: “A country which treats the Jews well fares well. A country which treats the Jews badly fares badly.”
At another time he asked the Chief Rabbi and Senator Dr. Alkalay how many Jews there were and on receiving the exact number, he said, “So few only?”
On many occasions the friendly sentiment of the King towards Jewish subjects of his country found unequivocal expression. It was due to the King in addition to the Prime Minister Jevtic that the laws concerning the Jewish community were framed in that truly liberal spirit which aroused whole-hearted enthusiasm everywhere.
Yugoslavian Jewry has no doubt that the young King Peter II and the Regent Prince Paul will be inspired by the same principles and will remain true to their task inherited from their great predecessor in the spirit of tolerance and justice.
We too are convinced that this will be the case, for the Prince is known to have received liberal education in accordance with English principles of democracy and liberalism.
Rabbi Leo Jung.
New York,
Oct. 23, 1934.
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.
