The president of the Government commission investigating last week’s disorders here declared today that the riots created “such destruction as we never imagined possible.”
The comment was made to a Jewish leader whose testimony was being taken. Asked about the attitude of the police during the disturbances, Jewish leaders declared that the police were, at best, only passive.
More than 100 persons have been arrested in this city in connection with the riots.
The charge that the police, acting on instructions from the Governor of Brzese, encouraged and supervised 1,600 anti-Jewish rioters last week was made to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent by many Jews whom he interviewed here today.
All confirmed the fact that demolition of hundreds of Jewish stores and homes, and smashing of thousands of windows was carried on under the eyes of the police.
The police, they declared, could have suppressed last Thursday’s riots at the outset, but did not intervene until the night, when the disorders had been in progress several hours. It was pointed out that the riots had begun after a policeman was fatally wounded by a Jewish butcher resisting arrest when his illegal slaughterhouse was raided.
Jewish members of the municipal council, about to lodge an official protest against what they called police inefficiency, desisted when they were informed by the mayor on behalf of the Governor that the latter would not be responsible for further disorders if the protest was published.
“We do not have enough policemen to guard every house,” the mayor told them.
Letters and telegrams about the riots have been censored, and some not transmitted altogether. The senders were told officially they had better not send messages other than “All is well” and “Everything is all right.”
Tension continued to prevail in the town as the Jewish residents began the job of clearing away the havoc wrought by the rioters. Posters were up in Polish stores declaring: “This is a Christian shop!”
Jewish businessmen opened their wrecked shops today and attempted to restore order, Dozens of glaziers were working all over the city to replace windows while a fire brigade was busy clearing up the littered streets.
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.
