Roles of Theodore Roosevelt,
John Hay, and Bnai Brith in
Historic Kishineff Tragedy
Sixty. years after the frightful Kishineff pogrom,
the occurrences that transpired during the era of the
last Czar of Imperial Russia continue to provide im-
portant data relating to democracies' reactions against
persecutions of minorities in backward countries as
well as attitudes of governments to whom protests are
addressed in condemnation of bigotries and indecen-
cies practiced by them and their citizens.
The Kishineff massacre, which occurred April
19-21, 1903, during the Easter holidays, resulted in
the murder of 47 Jews and injuries to many hun-
dreds, and damages reported by 2,528 Kishineff Jews
that amounted to 2,332,890 rubles—$1,190,000 in the
currency of that time.
In a volume published in 1904 by the Jewish Pub-
lication Society, edited by the late Dr. Cyrus Adler
and entitled "The Voice of America on Kishineff,"
an account was given of the numerous meetings held
in this country in protest against the atrocities, of
the distinguished leaders who joined in the protests
and the editorial opinions in leading American news-
papers.
Among the notables who joined in the protests
were former President Grover Cleveland, Jane Ad-
dams, Senator Chauncey Depew, Clarence Darrow,
the Rev. Madison C. Peters and a great many other
eminent Christians; as well as the leading Jews of
that time, among them Rev. Zvi Hirsh Masliansky,
Simon Wolf, Prof. Richard Gottheil, Dr. Marcus Jas-
trow, Dr. Harry Friedenwald, Jacob deHaas, Felix
Adler, Judge Mayer Sulzberger and many others.
An eminent newspaperman, Michael Davitt, who
was commissioned by the New York American and
the Evening Journal to report on the horrors perpe-
trated in Kishineff, described them in a book, "Within
the Pale, the True Story of Anti-Semitic Persecution
in Russia."
Assuming great historic significance at that time
were the roles that were played in America's "voice on
Kishineff" by the then-President Theodore Roosevelt
and his Secretary of State, John Hay.
The caution with which the issue was handled by
the White House and the State Department are most
noteworthy. As in all similar instances, throughout
history—including the catastrophic period of the
Hitler regime when a relative of Theodore Roosevelt,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, was the President—there was
no outright condemnation and the greatest concession
made was to forward to the Russian government the
Jewish protest.
In "The Voice of America on Kishineff," Dr. Cyrus
Adler reported two means that were resorted to by
American Jews to express their sense of horror and
indignation as well as their mercy. One was to pro-
vide relief funds, and the committee formed for that
purpose was headed by Kasriel H. Sarasohn, the pub-
lisher of the Tageblatt, with Arnold Kohn as treasur-
er, and "Mr. William Randolph Hearst forwarded the
moneys collected by his papers in New York, Chicago
and San Francisco to Treasurer Kohn." Dr. Adler
wrote:
"The sum sent to Kishineff from the United States
through all these agencies (with the participation
of Alliance Israelite Universelle of France, Federation
of American Zionists, Council of Jewish Women, Bnai
Brith and others) was set down, in a report made, on
June 7, 1903, by the Central Relief Committee at
Kishineff, to the Hilfsverein der Deutschen Juden at
Berlin, at 193,443 roubles (somewhat less than $100,-
000). This sum is about one-half of the sum con-
tributed for relief by Russian sympathizers, and
about one-fourth of the whole sum collected in all
the countries of the world and put at the disposal
of the Central Relief Committee."
Dr. Adler then recorded that: "The second con-
crete form into which the sentiment of the whole
country, that the good offices of the Government
of the United States should be enlisted in behalf of
the Jews in Russia, crystallized itself was the pe-
tition framed by the Executive Committee of the
Independent Order of Bnai Brith, and submitted by it
to the President of the United States with the request
that it be submitted to the Emperor of Russia."
There was an important precedent to work on.
Only a year earlier, on July 17, 1902, Secretary of
State Hay had instructed the American charge d'af-
faires in Bucharest to claim the "right of remon-
strance" against the disabilities that were imposed
upon the Jews in Rothania. He had acted at the sug-
gestion of Jacob H. Schiff, the Jewish philanthropist,
who urged that the United States protest against the
persecution of Jews. In a circular note to the sig-
natories of the Berlin Treaty of 1878, which guaran-
teed just rights for Romanian Jews, Secretary Hay,
on Aug. 11, 1902, called attention to the violation of
the terms of the treaty by Romania's government.
But in the instance of the Russian situation, Hay
was hesitant. He was sympathetic and had made a
personal $500 contribution to the Kishineff Relief
Committee, yet he advised against vigorous action
and in a letter to Jacob H. Schiff, on May 20, 1903,
on the question of a protest to the Czar of Russia, he
wrote: "I feel precisely as you do in regard to it, but
you are free to express your feelings and I am not."
There was never any doubt about John Hay's sincerity.
He was a man of great culture. He knew and was
able to read and write some Hebrew. The John Hay
Memorial Window in the Knesset Israel Synagogue in
Philadelphia attests to the esteem in which he was
held by Jews. But he did act with extreme caution in
the Kishineff matter.
The Bnai Brith committee waited upon Secretary
Hay on June 15, 1903, and submitted to him, over
the signatures of Simon Wolf, Adolph Moses, Leo
N. Levi, Julius Bien, Jacob Furth, Solomon Sulzberger
and Joseph D. Coons the following memorandum:
"Assuming the facts as officially reported by the
Russian Government, including measures adopted aft-
er the massacre, and discarding all accounts in con-
flict therewith, the incident has appalled and horri-
fied not only the Jews in Russia and elsewhere, but
the whole American people.
"Up to the present time the American people have
not been satisfied that the Jews in Russia are safe
from new outrages hereafter.
"The Jews, as Jews, in Russia and elsewhere are
likewise fearful of the future.
"This fear among the Jews of Russia stimulates
emigration to the United States, and hence it is widely
claimed that the United States should officially pro-
test to Russia, as it did recently to Romania. The
precedent is invoked and the Government charged
with timidity in this case because Russia is a great
Power, while Romania is weak.
"The distinction between this and the Romanian
situation is, however, plain. The Jews who come from
Kishineff to the United States flee from mobs operat-
ing in contravention of Russian law, while the Jews
who come from Romania are unable to live there
because of the Romanian laws.
"It is true that the Russian laws operate to drive
the Jews out of Russia, and into the United States,
just as do the Romanian laws, but a protest based on
that fact may not be timely in connection with the
Kishineff incident. It may be wiser to defer it to a
more suitable time. Moreover, there may be diplo-
matic reasons why the Romanian precedent should not
be followed just now.
"But the American people are irritated, excited
and impatient. They want something done. If nothing
is done their hostility to Russia will be intensified
and fixed. Ultimately those feelings will obtain ex-
pression in governmental action and the gap between
Russia and the United States widened.
"Russian diplomatists, with or without assistance
from Americans, cannot placate the American public
by denouncing the Jews. Efforts in that direction have
been boomerangs. -Moreover, Russia is constantly add-
ing to the citizenship of this country an element
which testifies against her. We have now scattered
throughout this country about half a million Jews who
have come from Russia during the past 23 years. They
are thrifty, energetic, intelligent, ambitious and daily
growing more influential and popular. Their number
is increasing by immigration at the rate of not less
than 25,000 per annum.
"The French, German or English Jew who comes
to the United States makes for friendly relations be-
tween his native and his adopted country because he
loves both, but the Russian Jew makes propaganda
here against his native land. The traditional amity
between Russia and the United States is thus being
undermined by Russia's policy toward her Jewish
subjects. The situation makes it highly desirable, with-
out breach of diplomatic etiquette and without em-
barrassing our own Government, to satisfy the de-
mands of the American people that something ef-
fective be done, so far as practicable, by or with the
concurrence of our Government, to allay the fears of
the Jews in Russia and thus stem their rush to this
country, to convert the hostility to Russia on the part
of American citizens, Jews and Gentiles, into friend-
liness and thus insure the traditional amity.
"One or both of two methods are suggested for
consideration, viz:
"A petition to the Czar (a tentative draft of which
is annexed hereto) to which the Bnai Brith will get
the signatures of the leading men in the various States,
our Government to assist unofficially or semi-officially
in securing the delivery of this petition to the Czar
and in procuring a favorable reply thereto, either by
a direct communication or some other form of public
expression. The manner in which the Government can
render such assistance is not suggested for obvious
reasons, but the Government's interest in the plan
should be made known.
"Using the Kishineff and other recent incidents
of more or less similar nature as grounds, an official
invitation by the United States, addressed to all the
Powers, to an international conference, to consider
persecutions and oppressions growing out of racial
and religious prejudices and hatred, and to protect
By Philip
Siomovitz
civilization and international concord from the evil
effect of such persecutions and oppressions."
*
It was in reply to this memorandum that Secre-
tary of State Hay delivered an address in which he
spoke of the "la-
mentable events"
but nevertheless
emphasized t h e
need "to proceed
with care." The
full text of his ad-
dress is:
"No person of
ordinary humility
can have heard
without deep emo-
tion the story of
the cruel outrages
inflicted upon the
Jews of Kishineff.
These lamentable
events have
caused the pro-
foundest impres-
sion throughout
the world, but
m o s t especially
in this country,
where there are
so many of you co-
religionists w h o
form such a de-
sirable element of
our population in
industry, thr i f t,
public spirit and
commercial mor-
ality. Nobody can ever make the Americans think ill of
the Jews as a class or as a race—we know them too
well. In the painful crisis through which we are now
passing the Jews of the United States have given
evidence of the highest qualities—generosity, love of
justice, and power of self-restraint.
"The Government of the United States must ex-
hibit the same qualities. I know you do not doubt the
sentiments of the President. No.one has more ener-
getically than he does such - acts of cruelty and in-
justice as those we deplore. But he must carefully
consider all the circumstances and then decide
whether any official action can be taken in addition
to the impressive and most effective expression of
public opinion in this country during the last month.
"You will have observed that no civilized Gov-
ernment in the world has yet taken official action—
this consideration alone would bid us to proceed with
care. The Emperor of Russia is entitled to our re-
spect, not merely as a ruler of a great and friendly na-
tion, but as a man whose personal character is even
more elevated than his exalted station.
"We should not be justified in assuming that this
enlightened sovereign, who has given so many proofs
of his devotion to peace and religious toleration, has
not done and is not doing all that lies in his power
to put a stop to these atrocities, to punish the guilty,
whether they belong to the ignorant populace or to
high official circles, and to prevent the recurrence of
the outrages which have so shocked humanity.
"In fact, all we know of the state of things in
Russia tends to justify the hope that even out of the
present terrible situation some good results may come;
that He who watches over Israel does not slumber,
and that the wrath of man, now, as so often in the
past, shall be made to praise Him."
*
"From that day to th
Jews of Charleston, of Phi
ported the patriotic cause
not only by money, but
colleagues who were f(
day to the present wed
or civil, in which ther&-.,-,
ish faith who played an
and the credit of the nat
"I remember once Gei
me the fact that two of hi
whom he had . placed
Among the meetings of
attended one stands out)
meeting held under th
Grand Army of Jewish cry
fourth Street, Temple Ed
turned veterans of the
Jewish faith.
"When in Santiago,
one of the best colonels a,
who did so well on thi-)
me, was a Jew. One of ti
which in the blockade of
was a Jew. In my own re
from the ranks for valor
It happened by pure acci
the faith of any one of 4<
Protestants, two Catholi
that was a pure accident
as an illustration of the–.
of our nation and of ti
good American that is all
his creed or his birthplac
"In the same way
sioner in New York, I ha'
of the excellent work do:
ing nerve and hardihood
might call the Maccabee`
ment under me by police
"Let me give you one
bearing upon this questi
or religious reasons. Yo,)
sure, certain of my Nt:.
that during the time I
man came from abroad---J,
man—to start an anti-JO
and announced his inW
assail the Jews.
"The matter was br
course I had no power to ll
a good deal of thought
and 40 Jewish policemer
he held his meetings;
flouncing the Jews pro;;
which I always though.
effective answer that cot
and probably the best a,
the spirit in which we
ters.
"Now let me give yi)
dealing with a Russian 31
*
The Bnai Brith delegation thereupon, in the com-
pany of Secretary Hay, proceeded to the White House
to present the matter before President Theodore
Roosevelt, who replied as follows:
"Mr. Chairman: I need not dwell upon the fact so
patent as the widespread indignation with which the
American people heard of the dreadful outrages upon
the Jews in Kishineff. I have never in my experience
in this country known of a more immediate or a deep-
er expression of sympathy for the victims of horror
over the appalling calamity that has occurred.
"It is natural that while the whole civilized world
should express such a feeling, it should yet be most
intense and most widespread in the United States;
for of all the great Powers I think I may say that
the United States is that country in which from the
beginning of its national career most has been done
in the way of acknowledging the debt due to the
Jewish race and of endeavoring to do justice to those
American citizens who are of Jewish ancestry and
faith.
"One of the most touching poems of our own great
poet Longfellow is that on the Jewish cemetery in
Newport, and any one who goes through any of the
old cemeteries of the cities which preserve the records
of Colonial times will see the names of many an Amer-
ican of Jewish race, who in war or in peace did his
full share in the founding of this nation.
Theodore Roosevel
and that they thought
policeman. I had him
take the examination al '
He did and he passed
cellent policeman, but
proceeded to educate hisi
and he got either twc';'
over from Russia throw
provided homes for then
"I have given you
served under me in my
Department in New 17%
addition thereto some \o
some of those with who 1
litical life, have beef
traction.
"Therefore, inevitab
personal sympathy and
ful tragedy, as great as„
of you gentlemen yo(
THE DETROI
20 Friday,