The serious anti-Jewish excesses in Lithuania, culminating in an attack upon the Jewish in habitants in the Kovno suburb Slobodka last Friday night have not ceased, despatches here state.
In the town of Jacobova, in the district of Kretingen, Lithuanian hooligans fell upon the synagogue, seized the Holy Scrolls, tore and mutilated them and threw the scraps ways. The police to whom the Jews appealed for aid refused to arrest the hooligans.
The anti-Semitic attacks have spread to Kovno, the capital of Lithania. The Jewish population is completely terrorized. Bands of hooligans roam in the streets and mutilate all signs hanging (Continued on Page 4)
out side of Jewish places of business. An English citizen, Mr. Hafner, unable to endure the sight, attempted to prevent the hooligans from carrying out their nefarious work, but was prevented when the police intervened, protecting the bandits.
Mr. Hafner has entered a complaint with the English consul in Kovno.
The responsible editor of the Kovno Jewish daily, “Die Yiddishe Stimme, “has been sentenced to a month imprisonment because his paper published hints of the occurrence of the excesses. The government has issued strict orders to all newspapers forbidding any mention whatsoever of the occurrence of attacks against the Jews.
Mr. Rubinstein, editor-in-chief of “Die Yiddishe Stimme, “paid a visit to Prime Minister Waldemaras to bring to the latter’s attention that despite the promises made to order an investigation nothing was done to protect the Jewish population against the attack. In reply, the Prime Minister declared that so far the government has received no complaint from any of those injured in the attacks. Mr. Rubin stein stated that hundreds of complaints have been made both to the government and to the police by the victims, but that both ignore them. He presented to the Prime Minister considerable material showing the extent of the outrages perpetrated against the Jews by the Lithuanian Fascists.
The Lithuanian Ambassador in Berlin has sent an official statement to the Berlin newspapers in which he denies the occurrence of anti-Jewish attacks as described by the despatches of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
