Rumania Presses Ban on Political Activities; Jewish Lawyers Win Point

The Rumanian Government issued orders today for the suppression of political organizations and propaganda, in line with King Carol’s program for banning political activities throughout Rumania.

Minister of Interior Armand Calinescu issued strict instructions to district prefects to close political clubs, ban political meetings and prohibit printing and distribution of manifestoes. State and municipal employees, including teachers, clergymen and physicians, were forbidden to participate in any political activities whatever.

The order also instructed Government employees to adopt a fair and objective attitude to all citizens, as “the mission of officials is to protect the population.”

The prefects were told their first duty “is to ensure order so that the people will regain the spiritual peace deeply disturbed of late.” Interior Ministry reports said perfect quiet prevailed throughout the country, and normal activities were resumed in the provinces, where economic life had been in stagnation as a result of anti-Semitic excesses.

The Court of Appeals at Kishinev cancelled a decision of the Bar Council of the town of Tighina suspending Jewish lawyers pending revision of citizenships. Jewish barristers of other towns, however, continued to be excluded.

The Nationalist organ, Porunca Vremii, pointing out that the national ideal was the basic principle of Patriarch Miron Christea’s new coalition government, warned the Rumanian Jews not to rejoice over the change in regime last week when Octavian Goga’s anti-Semitic cabinet resigned.

“No matter what efforts the Jews make to prevent the Government from purging the public of invading lepers who plunder our national wealth and use its profits to undermine the nationalist State, they will not succeed in stopping the purification which has already started,” the paper asserted.