The revision of Jewish citizenships in Rumania, which has been in progress for nearly two years, reached a new climax yesterday when the newly-inducted Premier Georg Tatarescu, in a broadcast to the public, spoke of “emigration of non-native Jews.”
Sonia Tomara, New York Herald Tribune correspondent in Bucharest, said it was understood that the Tatarescu Government would try to organize soon the emigration of 225,222 Jews who had been deprived of citizenship in the revision and would hand over Jews’ jobs to Gentiles.
“Tatarescu’s speech came after the publication of the results of the new census (revision) of the Jews,” the correspondent said. “They were seen as the crowning of an anti-Semitic campaign begun in this country two years ago by the late Premier Octavian Goga, who ordered all Rumanian Jews to provide proof of their birth on Rumanian territory.”
According to the announcement of the results of the revision, reported in a J.T.A. dispatch on Nov. 24, a total of 225,222 Jews, or more than 36 per cent of those examined, were denationalized. Of the 617,396 examined, 392,174 were accepted as Rumanian nationals. (Miss Tomara further reported that, according to the official statement, 33 per cent of the denationalized Jews had not provided the needed documents in time, that another 35 per cent had not fulfilled the requirements and 11fraction 1/2 per cent had been convicted for fraud.)
The fact that one-third of those denationalized had lost their citizenship for not providing the papers “in time” was evidence of the difficulties put in the way of the Jews by the authorities. Illustrative of these obstacles is a decree, published in the Kishinev Basarabei on Oct. 30 which extended the term for filing citizenship proofs but said: “Jewish inhabitants are excluded from the above enumeration as they do not come under the provisions of this law.”
The reported intention of the Tatarescu Government to force the emigration of denationalized Jews would contradict a promise made by King Carol on Jan. 9, 1938, ain an interview with a London Daily Herald correspondent. At that time he gave assurances that none would be expelled from Rumania.
The revision was first projected by Goga in an announcement of his plans on Jan. 3, 1938, immediately after taking over the reins of the Government, and was legalized in a Royal decree, affecting all those naturalized after 1918. Many professional associations suspended Jewish members pending the revision. The issue was taken to Geneva on the ground that it violated the league-guaranteed minorities treaties but the Rumanian Government refused to retreat from its position, holding that Jews were not covered by the 1919 treaty, and a Committee of Three was formed by the League Council to study the question, but no conclusive action was taken.
When Goga resigned in March, 1938, he was succeeded by Miron Christea, who proceeded with the revision of citizenships. Severe measures were taken against those denationalized. They were placed in the category of aliens, restricted in the right to work and practice professions and now have even been subjected to a special tax.
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.
