THE KISHINEFF ATROCITIES

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 29

THE KISHINEFF ATROCITIES

THE AMERICAN PETITION.

THE RECENT OUTRAGES.

LONDON, June 29.

The Lord Mayor (Sir Marcus Samuel), epeking ait Hackney, said that though he was aware that it was useless to expect any remedial action, he had presented to tie Foreign Office Australia's generous resolution relative to the Kuseian persecution. The Jews, however, would not be surprised to receive an assurance that the late outrages at Kishineff were an internal matter, and that therefore the Foreign Office was unable to do anything.

The New York correspondent of The Times (Mr Smalley) asserts that Russia's notification to the United States Government is stimulating signatures to the petition expressing sympathy with the Jews. ,

Reuter states that President Roosevelt and Mr Hay (Chief Secretary of State) will scrutinise the petition, with a view to eliminating anything objectionable before presenting it to the Russian Ambassador (Count Cassini).

ST. PETERSBURG, July 5

An inspired statement published in St. Petersburg says that the Czar alone will decide whether the American petition in regard to the Jews shall be received. It is urged that Americans iwould not like to receive a petition referring to lynchings.

WASHINGTON, July 3.

President Roosevelt, in what is practically an official announcement, has determined to forward the Hebrew petition to the Czar. The situation is a delicate one, but it is unofficially stated in Washington that the Hon. J. W. Riddle, American Charge d'Affaires in St. Petersburg, will discover if the

petition is received, and if the answer is in the negative the matter will end.

July 4.

An inspired statement by President Roosevelt concerning the American petition in favour of Jews to the Czar has been issued to the ptfess, and is in the nature of a reply to the inspired statements made to the press by M. Cassini, the Russian Ambassador at Washington. In these communications M. Cassini said Russia would not tolerate interference in the Kishineff affair, which was purely one of internal concern. Commenting on this, President Roosevelt remarks that it is strange Russia should choose this particular moment to make a semiofficial communication to the American people, when by methods, certainly the reverse of friendly to the United States she sought to make China break her plighted faith to all the Powers regarding an open door in Manchuria, and endeavoured to bar American access to trade in Manchuria.