Senate Hears Two Speakers on Anti-jewish Developments in Russia

The opposition of some of the young Soviet intellectuals to both the revival of anti-Semitism in Russia and to Moscow’s denial of its existence was described today as a “new and hopeful development” by Senator Hubert Humphrey (Dem. Minn.) in a speech on the Senate floor.

Senator Humphrey noted that reports on the revival of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union have been widely circulated in the free world “but they have been Suppressed in Russia itself. While few Soviet citizens could have been ignorant of these ugly trends, scarcely any voices of protest were raised in public.”

It was in this connection that Sen. Humphrey noted as a hopeful development that young Soviet poets and artists such as Yevtushenko, Romm and others raised their voices in public. The Senator noted, however, that the Soviet authorities have not permitted publication of their protests and “transcripts of this public defiance have been reproduced secretly and bootlegged all over Russia.”

Senator Kenneth B. Keating (R., N.Y.) speaking on the Senate floor, said: “The people of this nation are shocked at the continuing deliberate campaign of anti-religious persecution and anti-Semitic activities which have been so conspicuous in the Soviet Union over the past year.

“I have spoken upon this matter a number of times in the past, and I shall continue to do everything in my power to press for determined and effective action on the part of the United States Government to make known our sense of outrage and dismay over these barbaric tactics.”