Page Six THE JEWISH NEWS Friday, March 12, 1943 Experiences in Rumania By BORIS SMOLAR, Editor, Jewish Telegraphic Agency EDITOR'S NOTE: The recent report that Rumania offered to release 70,000 Jews from Trans-Dniestria for settlement in Palestine revives interest in that land, which has become notorious for its ex- treme anti-Semitism. The facts contained in Mr. Smolar's article corroborate the suspicion that back of the Rumanian "proposal" is a desire to extort a large sum of money from American Jews. The most recent Trans-Dniestrian "offer" included the provision that $200 be paid for transporting each Jew from that territory. Mr. Smolar, who has traveled throughout the world in behalf of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, describes his experiences in Rumania and his efforts, as the J.T.A. correspondent, to protect the interests of the Jewish people, in this article which he has written exclusively for The Jewish News. NE OF THE MOST important services of protective value performed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was the historic inter- view which I had with Dr. Alexander Vayda Voevoda, Minister of the Interior in Rumania, in July, 1930. It was soon after anti-Semitic riots had broken out in that country, leading to the burning of several hundred Jewish homes in the city of Borscha. 0 I reached Rumania; when the ruins of the Jewish homes in Borscha were still smolder- ing. The first few cables I filed were detained at the Bucharest post office, without my being notified. It was quite accidental that I discover- ed on my second day in Rumania that the cables which I had filed on the previous day had not been ,sent. I immediately protested to the postmaster general, who is in charge of the entire telegraph system in Rumania. I was, however, informed by him that the order to detain my cables came directly from the Min- ister of Interior, Dr. Alexander Vayda Voevoda. attracted so much un- favorable internation- al attention that the minister, who later was reevaled to be one of the statesmen finan- cing the Rumanian anti-Semitic elements on government funds, decided to expel me from the country. The deportation, however, was prevented follow- ing a long conversa- tion which I had with Boris Smolar Ion Lugojanu, acting premier. M. Lugojanu told me that the Government was highly dissatisfied with my cables regarding the anti- Jewish disturbances in Rumania. Protests Blind Censorship I explained to the acting Premier that I had gathered enough material to enable me to leave Rumania and still tell the - truth about the Jewish situation there, while temporarily re- siding in one of the neighboring countries. I He was brutally frank in telling me that anti-Jewish riots in Rumania were unavoidable unless Jews abroad would aid Rumania in ob- taining foreign credits. This,, he said, would indirectly insure the safety of the Jews in his country, since anti-Semitism, he stated, always increased in Rumania during periods of economic depression. This frank statement of the minister, which sounded very much like blackmail, was rather startling. I asked him in the presence of the correspondent of the New York Times whether I could quote him. He did not mind being quoted, he replied. I then asked him again to clearly formulate his statement, which the correspondent of the New York Times took down for me in shorthand. There was no diffi- culty in cabling it abroad, since the Minister personally approved it. Recabled Back to Europe When my interview with Minister Vayda Voevoda appeared in the general press in New York, it created quite a commotion. It was recabled back to Europe, and in less than 48 hours the entire liberal press in Rumania was filled with articles attacking the minister for making such a non-diplomatic statement, which implied that if the Jews of America would not secure loans for Rumania, more Jewish pogroms could be expected. The liberal press challenged the Minister to deny publicly that he had ever made such a statement. He was not in a position to make any denial, however, since the statement was issued in the presence of the correspondent of the Times, and was taken down in shorthand so that there could be no finis-quotations. The statement made by Vayda Voevoda As the Minister of Interior was not in a position to openly deny the statement on which I had quoted him, the attack against him in the Rumanian liberal press continued to a point where he was forced to resign. The news of his resignation was cheerfully received by the Jews of Rumania, since he was the person responsible for permitting the growth of anti- Jewish activities in the country. At the same time, the Rumanian Government, in order to prove to the world that it dis- approved of Vayda Voevoda's statement, an- nounced the allocation of $500,000 to repay the damage caused by the Borscha fire, thus giving the Jews of Borscha an opportunity to rebuild their burnt homes. With Vayda Voevoda no longer Minister of the Interior, the anti-Jewish riots in Rumania ceased, giving the Jews a breathing spell until new political changes took place some years later. The Jewish Center Music Department A Cultural Force in Detroit the last concert in the Center series. A Cultural Force In view of this excellent talent, it is no wonder that J. D. Cal- laghan, music critic of the De- troit Free Press, expressed. this view: "The Jewish Community Center has more than justified the establishment of its music department under Julius Chajes. It is surely becoming a force in Detroit's cultural life." During the last season, 17 con- certs were arranged, with local Losing no time, I requested an audience with the Minister of Interior. This was granted me on the same day. As I did not speak the Ruman- ian language, I asked my friend, Dr. Eugene Kovacz, the Bucharest -correspondent of the New York Times, who is now in New York, to accompany me to the Minister, and to act as interpreter if necessary. Converse in German It so happened, I found that the Rumanian Minister spoke German, and I was able to converse with him without the aid of an interpreter. The minister admitted that he had issued instructions to the telegraph office to have each of my cables submitted to him per- sonally for censorship, and that it was he who had detained them. once again protested the blind censorship sys- tem, under which I was never aware of whether my cables left Rumania or not. As a result, the acting premier promised to look into the matter. However, he pointed out that his Government must take certain " measures to defend its credits abroad. He termed "unfortunate" the interpretation that had been given abroad to my interview with the Minister of Interior. But he cancelled the deportation order. Julius Chajes T WO YEARS AGO, the Jew- ish Community Center took radical steps to reorganize its music department under the direction of a very eminent musician, the pianist and com- poser, Julius Chajes. Functioning under the super- vision of a committee of which Mrs. Abraham Cooper is chair- man, this department has made remarkable progress and has set high standards for community service by bringing to Detroit a number of the outstanding musicians of our time. Noted Artists Featured In the brief period of its ex- istence, the reorganized music department of the Center has presented to Detroit audiences the following world famous artists: Moriz Rosenthal, famous pian- ist, was the first of the group of guest artists. Proceeds from the concert he gave here went to- wards the maintenance of the music departmQnt. Hertha Glaz, contralto, who joined the Metropolitan Opera Company this season. Josef and Rosina Lhevinne gave a recital demonstrating the finest two-piano music ever heard here. Emanuel Feuerman, known as the world's greatest cellist, gave a recital at the Center shortly before his sudden death. It was his only Detroit appearance and those who were present will long remember that memorable event. Kurt Baum, tenor of the Met- ropolitan Opera Company, who scored a hit a few weeks ago in La Forza del Destino, and who will appear next week in Cleve- land with the Metropolitan Opera, was the guest artist in Mrs. Abraham Cooper artists participating. All the events were well attended, often by overflow audiences which included non-Jews as well as Jews. Last year, the Center's music department introduced the idea of sponsoring a Brotherhood Concert, and this has since be- come a tradition. Local churches participated by sending their choirs, soloists and speakers. Fred M. Butzel presided at the first Brotherhood event. Brotherhood Concerts Last month, at the Center's second annual Brotherhood Con- cert, the music rendered was by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish composers. The soloists were Mrs. Cooper, Emily Mutter Adams and Marshall Bruce. Next Week's Magazine Page Next week, on the eve of Purim, The Jewish News will devote its Mag- azine Page to a series of important feature articles on the festival of Purim. Other important - events were sponsored by the Center music department. One concert was de- voted to the works of living Jewish composers. To promote the sale of War Bonds and Stamps, those attending the Center's WPA Symphony con- certs were required to buy War Stamps, and more than $7,000 worth of Bonds and Stamps were sold at these concerts. During the summer months, a series of eight concerts was ar- ranged for the USO. 15 Scholarship Pupils The Center piano school is an important factor in the activities of the music department. Fifteen pupils are receiving lessons on a scholarship basis. Two of these pupils, Betty Kowalsky, 14, and Kurt Saffir, 13, were awarded prizes in the Detroit Musicians League com- petition for students. These two young artists have frequently appeared in programs sponsored by the Board of Education over Radio Stations WJR and WXYZ. They and a third pupil, Harriet Lewis, also performed their own compositions at the Children's Festival of the Detroit Public Library. Thus, the Center's music de- partment is rendering an im- portant community service un- der the guidance of Mr. Chajes and Mrs. Cooper. Chajes' Musical Career Mr. Chajes came to this country in December 1937. In 1938 he made his American debut as pianist at Town Hall, New York, and was acclaimed as a great musician. He came to Detroit in November 1940 and during his residence here wrote two major compositions — "Zion Rise and Shine," which he dedicated to Fred M. Butzel, and "By the Rivers of Babylon," which he dedicated to Mrs. Cooper. Born in Lemberg, Poland, Mr. Chajes appeared in his first piano recital at the age of 9. At 13, he wrote his first string quartet. In 1923, he won the honor prize in the first international competi- tion for pianists in Vienna. In 1934 he was the leader in the piano class in the Music College in Tel Aviv. He has written com- positions for nearly every instru- ment, and his works have been played by leading artists, includ- ing Mischa Elman as well as the Philharmonic Orchestra. At the New York World's Fair, his Cantata was played by the New York Schola Cantorum, under the direction, of Hugh Ross. The great pianist Moriz Rosen- thal was one of his teachers.