Radical Peasant Leaders Defend Rumanian Jews, Assail Anti-semitism As Menace to Nation

DEFYING THE CURRENT WAVE OF ANTI-JEWISH PROPAGANDA FLOODING RUMANIA, THREE LEADERS OF THE RADICAL PEASANT PARTY TODAY CAME TO THE DEFENSE OF RUMANIAN JEWRY.

SPEAKING AT KISHINEV AND THE TRANSYLVANIAN TOWN OF TURDA, FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER GRIGORE LUNIAN, FORMER BUCHAREST MAYOR DEMETRI DOBRESCU AND PARTY LEADER CONSTANTINE CONSTANDACHE DENOUNCED ANTI-SEMITISM AS A MENACE TO THE NATION.

IN AN ADDRESS AT KISHINEV, M. LUNIAN DECLARED: “THE GREATEST MISTAKE BEING MADE IN RUMANIA FROM THE NATIONAL VIEWPOINT IS BEING MADE BY THOSE PERSONS FOMENTING RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATREDS. PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY WILL NOT BE ASSURED AS LONG AS AN ANTI-MINORITIES CAMPAIGN THREATENS THE WELL-BEING OF FIVE MILLION CITIZENS OF NON-RUMANIA ORIGIN WHO DEMAND TO BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN GOOD, PEACEFUL CITIZENS. THE ONLY GOOD NATIONAL POLICY IS TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AND BROTHERHOOD AMONG ALL CITIZENS.”

ADDRESSING THE SAME MEETING, M. DOBRESCU SAID HE PREFERRED PATRIOTIC RUMANIAN CITIZENS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES TO PURE-BLOODED RUMANIANS WHO WERE DISHONEST.

“THERE IS NO JEWISH DANGER IN RUMANIA,” HE DECLARED. “ON THE CONTRARY, THERE ARE MANY JEWS WHO HAVE DONE WONDERFUL DEEDS OF BRAVERY DURING THE WAR, WHILE JEWS LIKE MENACHEM ELIAS AND OTHERS HAVE GIVEN VAST SUMS OF MONEY FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AND SOCIAL PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY.”

SPEAKING AT TURDA, M. CONSTANDACHE ASSERTED THAT IN A FUTURE WAR, ONE OF EVERY THREE RUMANIAN BAYONETS WOULD BE BORNE BY A NON-RUMANIAN.

CONSEQUENTLY, HE SAID, IF THE POLICY OF FOMENTING HATRED AMONG RUMANIANS CONTINUED, RUMANIA MIGHT HAVE A THIRD OF THE POPULATION AGAINST IT, WHICH WOULD BE A DANGEROUS NATIONAL POLICY. HE ADVOCATED INCULCATION OF UNDERSTANDING AMONG ALL CITIZENS, SO THAT NATIONAL MINORITIES WOULD NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES ” STEP-CHILDREN.”