Lithuanian Government Denies Pogrom Occurred in Wilkowyszki

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

No pogrom took place in the town of Wilkowyszki, contrary to the reports carried in certain foreign newspapers, with the intention of injuring Lithuania’s good name, the president of the Lithuanian delegation to the League of Nations Assembly, M. Sidzikauskas, declared to Z. Aberson, representative in Geneva of the Council for the Rights of Jewish Minorities.

“What happened in Wilkowyszki,” he said, “was an extremely regrettable incident, brought about by the scandalous conduct of three drunken minor officials who attacked passersby at night. Several Christians also fell victims to them. The culprits have been arrested and will be given exemplary punishment. The semi-official Lithuanian newspaper published an editorial condemning these activities, which the Government was the first to deplore, and demanding that justice should be meted out to the guilty.”

M. Sidzikauskas assured Mr. Aberson that the Government sincerely desires an increasingly close cooperation between the two sections of the Lithuanian population in every field of activity. The present Lithuanian Government, like the previous governments, he said, has never professed anti-Semitic ideas.

The Council for the Rights of Jewish Minorities announced that it has received information from a private source which confirms the declarations made by the Minister regarding the nature of the incidents at Wilkowyszki, and the energetic attitude taken up by the Lithuanian Government.

The second Convention of the Pioneer Women’s Organization of America and Canada opened in Philadelphia yesterday and will be in session until October 14 at the Hotel Majestic.

The Pioneer Women’s Organization which has been in existence for the last four years has raised approximately $50,000 for the “Moazoth Hapoaloth,” the Working Women’s Council of the Histadruth in Palestine, which administers the affairs of the women’s agricultural cooperatives.