Roumanian Minister at Washington Denies Ill Treatment of Refugees

The charge that the expulsion of Jewish refugees from Roumania is being attended with unnecessary cruelty is denied in a letter from the Roumanian Ambassador at Washington to Dr. Stephen S. Wise.

Following the reports of ill-treatment of the refugees, Rabbi Wise requested the Roumanian ministry to use his good offices in behalf of the refugees. The reply of the Roumanian Minister follows:

Pursuant to my letter of October 1, I wish to inform you that I have just received the reply to the cable I sent two days ago to my government requesting information as to the alleged arrest and deportation of Ukrainian Jewish refugees in Roumania, in violation of an agreement reached by the Roumanian government and the Jewish associations.

“The reply states that I can absolutely deny the allegation that the refugees are being arrested and deported. On the contrary, the evacuation of these refugees is proceeding in accordance with the agreement reached with the Jewish organizations, and an extension of the period has even been granted on account of the slow progress being made with this work. The Roumanian government has obviously not the slightest desire, and still less any interest, in proceeding in a brutal manner towards these refugees instead of allowing them to depart freely under the terms of the agreement which was found to be satisfactory.

“If I may permit myself to make a personal suggestion, it will be that the Jewish organizations in American should reach an agreement with with the interested organizations of Europe, with a view of providing additional facilities for the transportation of these refugees to the ports of embarcation, as I gather that the delays are principally due to insufficient means of transportation, an impediment which could only be removed by additional financial means to enable the authorities to improve the transportation facilities.”