The Jewish Question in Vilna: Statement by Vilna District Vice-governor

The Yiddish daily “Moment” here publishes an interview with the Vice-Governor of the Vilna District, M. Jankowski, on the Jewish question in his district, in the course of which he says:

The Jewish population in the Vilna district is in a very serious position. Economically things are most critical with the Jews in the small towns. Trading is absolutely dead, and there is widespread distress among them. The small shopkeepers are not earning anything, and I cannot see how long they can go on. The only good thing about it is that the Jews in the townships have relatives in America, who sometimes think of them and send them a little money.

Of course, the Jews are suffering in common with the whole of the population, he went on.

Speaking of the Jewish-Polish relations in the Vilna district, following the November excesses, the Vice-Governor said:

In the provincial parts of the district there has been no change in Jewish-Polish relations. There is no antisemitic movement in the Vilna provinces. It is true that there is an inborn antisemitic feeling among the Vilna peasants, but it has no practical importance. This kind of antisemitism does not prevent the peasants from trading with the Jews, and maintaining the most friendly relations with them.

But in Vilna city, things are different. The situation became extremely tense after the deplorable occurrences of last November. There are certain tendencies working towards the provoking of conflicts, but relations have now become

regulated. It is true that the National Democrats are again trying to make these relations strained, and many National Democratic papers and writers are conducting anti-Jewish incitement in the local press. In spite of all that, however, the situation in the city is gradually returning to what it was before the November disturbances.

We must admit that after the disturbances trade between Christian customers and Jewish shopkeepers diminished, but in this respect, too, there is now a tendency towards improvement. The boycott is supported only by individuals, and the older generation, and the intellectuals, have no connection with it. I am sure that relations will shortly return to normal. We cannot say that the wounds have already healed, because there is still the material damage not made good, but we can say that the wounds have not left any serious scars.

Asked how he accounted for the November outbreak, the Vice-Governor said that the only explanation he had was that the Vilna district is usually a quiet area, and that for years past there had been no attempt at any such disturbances on either side as had occurred in November, and consequently no preparation had been made to deal with such an outbreak. The Jewish population may now be perfectly calm, he declard. There is no fear whatever of any recurrence of these disturbances, because we are now prepared for any such outbreaks, and are in a position to deal with them.