Will Rebuid Synagogues, Minister Promises: Perpetrators Will be Punished; Further Reports from Cradeamare Relate Gruesome Details of Pogrom (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The Roumanian government offered its explanations and belated regrets for the severe anti-Jewish riots in Grosswardein (Oradeamare), Clausenburg, and other towns in Roumania in reply to interpellations submitted in the Senate Friday by Rabbi Niemerower, representative of the Jewish religion in the upper chamber and Senator Boila, representative of the Peasants’ Party.
Minister of the Interior Duca in reply declared that the government regrets exceedingly the riots which are likely to compromise Roumania’s prestige abroad. The government will, at its cost, rebuild the synagogues which were destroyed and the private homes which were demolished, he added.
A similar assurance was given by the Minister of Religion and Education Lapedatu, who added, however, in an attempt to explain the riots, that “the students were provoked to the riots” by “agent provocateurs.”
In the evening a conference took place in the house of Prime Minister Bratianu, which was participated in by Minister of the Interior Duca, the commander of the Fourth Army Corps and Chief of Police Popesco. The conference deliberated on measures to prevent the recurrence of riots and as a result decided to prohibit the annual celebration bv the Roumanian students today, December 10, the traditional day of anti-Jewish riots in Roumania for the past several years. The authorities were ordered to prohibit the public march of the students. Further reports which were received today from Grosswardein contain horrible details of the destruction perpetrated by the wild student mobs. The amount of damage is estimated at not less than one million dollars. The Jewish houses of worship were desecrated in a shameless manner. The synagogues were invaded the Holy Scrolls taken out and carried around the streets as banners of the pogromists. The silver embroidery of the Holy Scroll covers was stolen. These embroidered covers were found with three or four pairs of silk stockings taken during the plunder of Jewish homes on the student girls arrested in Bucharest. Several hundred students are still imprisoned in the barracks, The despatches add that order has been restored in Grosswardein, although the Jewish population, still panic stricken, does not dare to leave their homes or open their stores. All business has been suspended in the town since last Sunday when the anti-Semitic Congress went into session. Five persons were killed in Grosswardein. In Clausenburg the synagogue was damaged.
At yesterday’s session of parliament Deputy Madgearu member of the opposition, demanded the resignation of the government because of the riots.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
