Zionist Activities at Standstill in Rumania

Zionist activities in Rumania have been brought to a complete standstill as a result of a decree by the Interior Ministry prohibiting Zionist fund collections, it was revealed in information reaching here today.

The decree, issued Jan. 9 and addressed to “Royal Government prefects, superintendents of police, chiefs of police, etc,” was made public by the provincial authorities on Jan. 18. Efforts at intervention are understood to have been fruitless.

No reason for the action was contained in the decree, text of which follows: “You are hereby requested to take appropriate steps to enforce the strictest prohibition of all public collections of funds by the Zionist Organization of Rumania or the New Zionist Organization, both by their head offices and provincial branches. Propaganda material used for the purposes of such collections viz, pamphlets, stamps, receipts, appeals, boxes, etc., must be confiscated and destroyed

All previous decrees issued by the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Labor authorizing such collections are hereby revoked.

“In virtue thereof, no propaganda directed to the collection of money by Jewish organizations for ‘Palestine upbuilding’ or for preparation of immigration to Palestine may in the future be tolerated. Persons contravening this order will, upon being apprehended, be placed on trial under the public collection regulations.

The prohibition is the third such measure in recent years. In both previous cases, during 1936 and 1937, the Tatarescu Government was in power. The anti-Semitic regime of the late Prof. Octavian Goga did not interfere with Zionist fund collections.