THE ANTI-JEWISH RIOTS IN HUNGARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4564, 9 December 1882, Page 3

THE ANTI-JEWISH RIOTS IN HUNGARY.

The persecutions of the Jews at Presburg, which took place on the three oonsecutive evenings of Sept. 27, 28, and 29, have aroused feelings of deepest indignation and shame in the whole of Austria-Hungary. It would not have been deemed possible that on the territory qf the Austro- Hungarian Monarchy, in the proximity of Vienna, things could occur which are a faithful copy of the scandalous outrages at Eief, Odessa and Balta. In fact there is not much difference between the scenes at Fresburg and those at Balta, and the instigators of the riots at Freeburg obviously went to school to the Bussian rioters. The masses were directed hither and thither by their leaders. They always knew how skilfully to elude the police and the military, and whenever a good opportunity for robbing and plundering presented itself it never failed to be fully utilised. Fortunately no bodily injury wan commifcfcod, and the fow wounds and bruises which occurred in the souffle with the armed forces are very slight. It is a fact that for months past the lower classes of the population of Presburg have been regularly trained by unscrupulous agitators to a persecution of the Jows, and lately even collections of money have been made in order to raise a fund for anti-Semitic agitations. These collections must have been attended with good success, as it is ascertained that the instigators of the riot had sums at their dis- j posal, of which they mado due use for haranguing the mob. The tumults, however, would hot have assumed such extensive dimensions if the local authorities, the Municipality, and the police had done their duty. This was not tho case. They took the matter too lightly, and thought they could simply hush it up. At last, when thoy discovered that it was p»st hushing up, the commotion had grown to euch an extent that tho local authorities were too feeble to quell it. At this juncturo tho Government took the affair in hand, and through Ub energy the uproar has boen silenced. The Government sent the Chief of tho State Police, Counsellor Jekolfalussy, with unlimitod power, to Preeburg. He at once used the most effectual measures. It is to be hoped that the tumults of Presburg will prove to be but an isolated event ; it will be one, howovcr, which will remain an indelible stain on the history of tho town.