The “Jewish Daily Forward” in an editorial warns the Roumanian government that its statement to the American Jewish Congress, expressing a desire to give the Jews equal rights and opportunities will not be accepted on its face value.
The editorial states that Jewry is too familiar with promises by Roumanian authorities which have a way of vanishing without fulfilment, to accept the pledges of the new government.
What the Jews ask are not promises but actual deeds, the paper says.
The editorial declares as follows:”Roumania has on many occasions given enthusiastic promises to treat the Jews as full and equal citizens and every time has failed to keep this promise. We are well aware that the attitude of the Peasant Party, which has just returned to power, is much better than that of previous authorities. We have no cause to suspect Dr. Maniu and other leaders of the Peasant Party of anti-Semitism. Yet the fact remains that during Maniu’s regime as Prime Minister the Jews were not treated as full and equal citizens. Maniu’s government as well failed to employ the necessary energy to suppress the anti-Semitic hooligan attacks upon the Jews.
“Dr. Vaida Voevoed, as Minister of Interior in the Maniu cabinet was openly accused of anti-Semitism.
“The Jews throughout the world greeted the coming of the new regime in Roumania with joy.
“The ‘Jewish Politics’ of the Maniu government was however, a great disappointment to Roumanian Jews. From the new government, the Jews anticipate not new promises, but actual deeds. If the government desires to win the confidence of the Jews, it must cease to treat them as citizens of the second class and afford them the rights of all other citizens in the land, ” the editorial concludes.
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.
