Roumanian Antisemites Were Planning Big Move for Next Month Says Bucharest Report: Discoveries Made

A big antisemitic move was being prepared in Roumania for the early part of February, it has been revealed by a police search conducted at the headquarters of the antisemitic terrorist organisation “Archangel Michael” at Jassy, it was stated here to-day. A general Congress of all the antisemitic forces in the country was to have been held, at which Professor Cuza, the septuagenarian antisemitic leader would have been deposed ?? got out of the way by assassination, the plans found indicate, if he refused to accept his deposition and replaced by Zelea Codreanu, the young antisemitic student leader, who would have united under his leadership all the groups in Roumanian antisemitism, some of which are opposed to Professor Cuza is leadership.

The names of several public officials have been found in the lists of members of the Archangel Michael, the “Lupta” here says, demanding that the Government should take severe measures against these officials, for taking part in the activities of this subversive organisation.

The Minister of the Interior is said to have referred the matter to the judicial authorities, with instructions to put the offending officials on trial.

The Ministry of Justice has sent confidential orders to all the Law Courts throughout the country, warning them to put a stop to the policy of leniency followed hitherto in regard to antisemitic offenders brought before them for trial, the “Dimineatza” states. The Ministry complains, the paper says, that it is this policy of leniency that is responsible for the difficult situation that has existed in the country till now, since antisemitic terrorists have been going about their work feeling confident that whatever they did they were sure of being acquitted by the Law Courts.

The Government has decided to take drastic action at last, the Press says, because the searches made in the offices of the antisemitic organisations have revealed the existence of numerous antisemitic cells throughout the country, which were preparing tremendous disturbances which would have shaken the whole country.

There has been strong opposition in the Roumanian antisemitic movement against Professor Cuza several times before, and in 1926 there was a complete split in the so-called Christian League Zelee Codreanu was at that time, too, the leader of the opposition. Seven out of the ten Deputies who had been returned that year to Parliament on the Christian League programme seceded and joined Codreanu. Finally a proposal was made that Professor Code should retire, with the nominal position of Honorary President, leaving Codreanu in charge of the movement as President, This Professor Cuza refused to do, and a Conference of the League was called by him at Jassy which gave him its confidence, and expelled Codreanu and the other leaders of the opposition. The breach in the movement was soon after healed and dictatorial powers were conferred on Professor Cuza.

Members of the Government have repeatedly pleaded in speaking with foreign representatives and newspapermen that they were not responsible for the action of the Law Courts in acquitting persons put on trial for antisemitic violence. The judicial system is entirely independent of the Government, they have argued, and the Government cannot and dare not interfere with the course of justice whatever it may wish to do The last word in every country, they said, is with the judicial authorities, who have complete autonomy, and not with the Government. All we can do, they have claimed, is to order the arrest of the criminals, but if a judge and jury acquit them, we can do no more.