Roumanian Consul Here Claims Students Were Attacked, Provoked to Riots

Roumanian Agency’s Version Minimizes Pogroms, Terming Them ‘Incidents’; Blames Unnamed Factor

The novel excuse that “bestialities which manifested themselves in a violent way against the students” were to be taken as the cause for the anti-Jewish pogroms committed by the Roumanian students in many towns was offered by S. Drutzu, Roumanian Vice-Consul in New York, in a communication to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York, transmitting a despatch dated Bucharest, December 10, of the Rador Telegraphic Agency, a Roumanian official service.

According to the version of the Roumanian agency not the Jews were attacked, but the Roumanian students were on the defensive and altogether the events were nothing but incidents.

The riots, which have attracted world wide attention and for which the blame was put in the Roumanian parliament on the Roumanian government, are presented by the Rador Telegraphic Agency in the following manner:

“Five thousand students from every part of Roumania gathered at Oradeamare, an important Roumanian center a few kilometers distant from the Hungarian boundary. Sunday, December 4 was the first day of the Congress which took place in a quiet manner, discussing questions of interest to the universities.

“Monday numerous instigators mixed with the students and started violent reactions. The police intervened to keep order. In spite of all the precautions, disorders took place and a few windows and signs were broken and torn. The whole Roumanian press has immediately denounced the machinations of the irredentist elements. No one was killed or severely injured.

“Tuesday, the sixth of December, the troubles started again, the bestiality against the students manifesting itself in a very violent way. However, measures of order were effective.

“Wednesday the student Congress departed by special trains. On the return trip some regrettable incidents happened, particularly at Cluj and Ploesti on the way to Bucharest. There have been numerous arrests made and the guilty are being held for trial by court martial.

“Yesterday and today the Premier Bratianu and Minister of the Interior Duca made determined declarations regarding these incidents and prohibiting other future student meetings.

“These disturbances have had a painful echo in the Hungarian parliament, where it is said that harsh words regarding Roumania were spoken and which provoked violent protestations in the Roumanian parliament.”