The Lithuanian authorities today took stern measures to suppress anti-Jewish excesses and warned that persons guilty of participating in the disturbances would be severely punished. Interior Minister General Skucas issued a statement warning local authorities throughout the country to take the necessary measures to put down demonstrations and to prevent their reoccurrence. At the same time he announced that the authorities had forbidden certain newspapers to carry on agitation against any particular section of the population.
“The Government,” General Skucas asserted, “will not permit any agitation, excesses, disturbance of the peace, or any spreading of antagonisms and hatreds among sections of the population.” Pointing out that relations between Lithuanians and Jews remained friendly and normal, the General said “The few cases of recent anti-Jewish demonstrations give no reason for a belief that an era of anti-Semitism has dawned in Lithuania.” He assailed the demonstrations as “imitations of a policy which has become fashionable in certain countries.”
Strong anti-Jewish agitation has been conducted in recent weeks by the Verslininki, anti-Semitic merchants’ organization, which has reportedly received large subsidies from unknown quarters.
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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.
