New Type of Yevsectzia Being Established in White Russia

A new kind of Yevsectzia, or Jewish section of the Communist Party, is to be established in White Russia, according to an order issued today by the praesidium of the White Russian central executive committee. The order calls for the organization of national minority committees at the local Soviets of Minsk, Vitebsk, Homel and forty other townships.

Each committee is to consist of seven members with a paid secretary. The chairman of the committee must be identical with the president of the local Soviet. The committee’s functions will be to enlighten the local Soviets on cultural and economic needs of the national minorities thus controlling the existence of the national minorities.

While the Jews of White Russia are being told that this is an important step to aid them they nevertheless fear that it means the return of the Yevsectzia. This fear is based on the fact that these national minority committees are not to be created in Ukrainia and Central Russia where the Jewish Communists do not play so important a role and are thus unable to influence their respective central executive committees to return them to power.

The original Yevsectzia was liquidated last February by the central committee of the Communist Party and Communist work among the Jews was turned over to special instructors named by the central committee. The abolition of the Yevsectzia was hailed as a great step in relieving the Jewish economic situation in the Soviet Union. The Yevsectzia was regarded by the official Soviet leaders as the special representative of the Jewish masses and it was largely responsible for the persecution of the Jewish religion, the Hebrew language and Zionist activities.