King Carol today rolled up a 99.8 per cent vote in favor of his new dictatorial constitution, in a plebiscite in which, for the first time, Jews were permitted to vote without hindrance. The percentage was on the basis of preliminary results, which showed that 88 per cent of the 5,000,000 eligible had voted.
Jews participated in the plebiscite with enthusiasm. Even in the remotest corners of the kingdom, in the hotbeds of anti-Semitism, Jews were not molested, according to reports received by the Ministry of Interior.
(Havas News Agency reported regulations provided that a voter first give his name verbally and then an oral “yes” or “no” on the constitution. It was noteworthy, Havas said, that those voters opposing the new constitution were required to give their address and sign a special declaration.)
The Union of Rumanian Jews, in a message to Carol, stated: “For centuries the lives of the Rumanian Jews have been intimately connected with the country’s destiny. As loyal subjects, true and faithful citizens, we pray to the Almighty to bless Your Majesty’s reign.” The union instructed the Jewish population to take an active part in the plebiscite, an appeal which was wholeheartedly answered.
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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.
