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Wilno Jews Apprehensive

November 3, 1939
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The Jewish population of this city, swelled by refugees from Poland, apprehensively awaited developments today after recurrent anti-Semitic disorders, which yesterday resulted in the death of a Lithuanian policeman, had been suppressed by the authorities.

An official statement said the police had reestablished order and had arrested a number of suspects who would be brought to trial. The disorders, in which many Jews were wounded, shops and homes plundered, were attributed in the statement to “long standing fanatic hatred between Polish and Jewish youths.”

A semblance of normalcy was returning to this former Polish city, which was occupied by Lithuanian troops last weekend after it had been ceded by Soviet Russia. The Lithuanian military authorities posted bulletins this morning ordering all shops reopened, on pain of heavy fines.

First to head the instructions were pharmacists, florists and a few grocers. The authorities labored to reorganize food markets, but for the time being only three food shops were selling to the public, and long lines of housewives waited their turn, even after cur-few.

Officials said 60 more food stores would reopen tomorrow. Meanwhile from 20,000 to 25,000 free meals were being distributed daily by army kitchens.

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