Soviet Foresaw Six Years Ago Formation of a Jewish State

M. Peter Smidowitch, Vice-President of the Soviet Union, has replied in writing in the name of the President of the Union, M. Kalinin, to a number of questions addressed to the President by the J.T.A. representative here with regard to the Jewish autonomous region in Bureya.

“On the instructions of president Kalinin, I reply as follows,” wrote M. Smidowitch.

“The principles of the Soviet national policy lead to every nationality obtaining an autonomous State formation in definite territorial confines. The rise of national feeling and the activity of the workers of each nation to the economic and cultural upbuilding within the frontiers of each antonymous national Union proceed at an accelerated pace. The Soviet national policy has already fully demonstrated its vitality. Jews have till now had such national formation which has placed them in a particular position in comparison with other nations.

“As far back as 1928, in allocating the Bureya region in the Far East for Jewish trans-settlement, the Government foresaw the possibility of establishing there a Jewish national autonomous region. At the present moment the Jews who have settled there are playing a leading part in the whole economic and cultural reconstruction of the region. These circumstances made it advisable to publish the Government decision of May 10. The settlement of Jews in Bureya, which is bound up with preparing the soil, building, etc., can develop more quickly and better if the district will have its autonomy.

“The proportion of the Jewish population will with autonomy and with new conditions grow more rapidly than hitherto. In a word, the development of the Jewish State system will be handed over to the working Jews themselves. Jews will thus obtain what other nationalities of developing by their one united forces their culture, national in form and Socialist in content, consolidating their economy, have their representatives in the highest legislatives in the highest legislative bodies, take their place in the Socialist construction of the country among other nations, and with the assistance of the whole Soviet Union dominate the sparsely settled territory.

“From all this,” the statement concludes, “it becomes clear in what sense it is desirable to have the transmigration of working Jews from other countries. We can absorb people who are healthy, able to work, who will strive to take part in Socialist construction, people with professions in which there is a shortage in the Soviet Union, builders, carpenters, masons, skilled workers in various branches of agriculture, skilled metal workers, motorists, etc. In addition, the traveling expenses and the cost of their settlement and equipment must not lie on the budget of the Soviet Union.”