Representatives of all Jewish parties everywhere in Russia feel that if by any chance the Bolshevist regime should collapse it would mean the massacre of all Jews.
Although Bolshevism has brought about the economic ruin of the Jewish population, a counter-revolution is dreaded by all Jewish leaders, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency investigator gathers from conversations with spokesmen of all shades.
The scourge seriously menacing the safety of the Jewish population, particularly in the Ukraine are the robber bands still infesting that section. Although less numerous than previously, they are still felt and feared. The population on the whole fears political bandittism more than criminal, since the political bandits usually attack the Jews exclusively on the pretext that the Jews are Bolsheviks.
In each district in the Ukraine, the richest citizens have been appointed as “otwetschke” or spokesmen who are answerable with their leads for the discovery of robber bands among them. These otwetschke are bound to return the appearance of bandits.
Such bands have recently appeared in Alexandrevka and Kaminka, where banners were carried, reading. “Down with the Jews and Communists.” The dangerous feathre of the bandittism is that they are protected by peasants who side with them when pursued. In certain places, rich Jews have been included among the otwetschke which. Russian leaders declare, is absurd since the bands bulk all Jews as communist. The post of an otwetschick is an extremely hazardous one as they are made responsible for the appearance and failure to report of any brigands.
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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.
