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Lemberg Situation Grave; Bishops Reiterate Charge of Jewish Provoction

June 9, 1929
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Although no new disturbances of an anti-Jewish nature occuerred on Thursday the streets continued to be patrolled by strong police guards.

The anti-Semitic organ. “Kurjer Porauny.” was confiscated today. The strike of the national democratic students in the University of Lemberg continues. Several Jewish student girls who came to the University were severely beaten and driven away.

A delegation of the national democratic students called on the district attorney, Mr. Swoboda, reiterating the demand for the release of the arrested 40 students. The district attorney refused, declaring that their release may be possible only after the investigation is completed.

The Association of Polish Attorneys in Lemberg decided to undertake the defense of the arrested students without fee as an expression of solidarity.

The executive committee of the Lemberg Kchillah issued a new appeal to the population to remain calm as the Lemberg authorities have given emphatic assurances that every step is being taken to safeguard law and order and that any attempt at new riots will be suppressed.

Wednesday did not pass without incident. A group of students attempted to wreck the cafe. De La Paix, owned by a Jew, but the police intervened in time. A group also attempted to set fire to the clubhouse of the Jewish sport organization. Haschmonai, but were prevented by the members of the club.

The action of the national democratic students does not represent the spirit of the entire Polish student body. A protest against the Chauvinistic excesses was issued by the Polish democratic student association which declares that it will not join the student strike.

The Minister of the Interior issued instructions to the police authorities in the university cities Warsaw, Cracow, Lemberg, Posen and Vilna to increase vigilance against possible student disturbances.

A forecast of new disturbances in Lemberg was seen in the decision of the St. John Church of Lemberg, which, according to a report of the Catholic press agency, convened a protest meeting to be held on June 9 against the “Jewish provocation.” The St. John Church was the starting point of the Corpus Christi procession on Sunday which preceded the riots.

Two rabbis, Drs. Freund and Lewin, who supervised instruction of Jewish religion in the high school concerning whose pupils it was alleged that they were guilty of mockery or profanation, called on Father Lawinski. They declared that after a thorough investigation made among the pupils, they were convinced that the Jewish girls were absolutely without guilt in the charge ascribed to them. Father Lawinski agreed with the rabbis, declaring that he rejects any suspicion that Jews were guilty of mocking at the Catholic faith.

Several foreign consuls stationed at Lemberg, including those from Czechoslovakia, Roumania and Soviet Russia, addressed communications of sympathy to “Chwila,” the Polish Jewish daily whose editorial offices were wrecked in the riots.

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