Joint Foreign Committee Reports on Situation in Hungary and Roumania

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

An enquiry into the student riots in Transylvania shows that is the three towns of Oradeamare, Cluj and Huedin, 45 Jews were seriously wounded, 732 suffered loss or damage to property, 12 synagogues were devastated, and three were attacked and pillaged, states the report of the Joint Foreign Committee submitted to the meeting of the Board of Deputies of the British Jews held here today. The report was submitted by the President, Mr. d’Avigdor Goldsmid, and supplemented by Mr. Lucien Wolf.

The total material damage, the report proceeds, is estimated at 30,000,000 lei (£38,00), and in addition claims have been made for personal injuries. The Government have appropriated two sums of 20,000,000 lei and 14,000,000 lei to compensate the victims of the outrages, and repair the damaged buildings. The prosecution of the rioters seems to have come to an end, as only one trial has been reported during the past month. Of the 28 students then arraigned, two were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, three to 15 days, one to 10 days, and four to seven months in contumaciam. Ten were acquitted.

The general situation in the country has been quiet, owing to the firmness with which the Government have dealt with symptoms of anti-Semitic unrest, and the measures taken by the University Senates to eliminate the hooligan elements among the students. Nothing has yet been done by the Government to deal with the more deeply rooted causes of the Jewish question, but the Government have promised an early statement on the subject.

The only other matter of importance considered by the Committee, the report says, was the progress of the Numerus Clausus Amending Bill. The debates in the Lower House lasted a fortnight, and they are described as notable for the general atmosphere of moderation and dignity in which they were conducted. The Jewish Deputies distinguished themselves by their effective vindication of the civic qualities of their co-religionists. The opposition to the bill was largely based on considerations of general policy, but a good deal of anxiety was expressed as to the possibility of so applying the bill as to continue the anti-Semitic abuses of the old law. The suggestion was warmly repudiated by the Minister of Public Instruction; who was emphatic in his assurance that the object of the bill was to give satisfaction to the Jewish community.

The bill certainly complies with the requirements flormulated by the Joint Foreign Committee and the Alliance Israelite in their petitions to the League of Nations. New provisions have, however, been added, and their operation will no doubt require to be closely watched.