Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Athens, March 21, 1903.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on the 19th instant, of your instruction No. 1, Roumanian series, of March 5.
It so happened that I was in charge of our embassy at Berlin at the time the Department’s circular instruction of August 11 last was received, and consequently it fell to me to communicate its contents to the German foreign office. If I remember correctly, Baron Richthofen said that the matter would receive the attention which its importance warranted, or words to that effect. Subsequently I understood that immediately after the same instruction had been communicated to the foreign office at London, the British Government, without in any way making known its own views contained therein, had addressed a communication [Page 703] to the other Governments which were parties to the Berlin treaty of 1878, inquiring what they proposed doing in the matter. So far as I am aware, however, no action was taken by any of these Governments, and the contents of the circular were never formally brought to the attention of the Roumanian Government.
Situated as the country is, between powerful and ambitious neighbors, the efforts of the Roumanian Government have been directed toward keeping the race pure and developing a homogeneous patriotic Roumanian nationality. The Jewish question is one with which Roumania has had to do ever since it became a State, and the course adopted was that which was considered necessary in order to enable it to maintain its independent national existence. Foreigners have never acquired Roumanian nationality merely through having been born in the country, and as long ago as 1878 a commission of deputies appointed to study the question reported that “Roumanian Jews have never existed, but only indigenous Jews—that is to say, Jews born in Roumania without, for that reason, resembling Roumanians either by language, manners and customs, or aspiration.”
Prior to the recognition of Roumania as a kingdom its constitution contained the provision that “Foreigners of Christian denominations can alone obtain naturalization,” both Jews and Mohammedans being excluded. In 1880, as a result of the Berlin treaty, this was changed and naturalization was placed within the reach of all “foreigners,” provided that they could satisfy the legislative body of their acceptability. Under these conditions Roumania was recognized as a kingdom, although it was stated in the British note of February 20, 1880, that—
Her Majesty’s Government can not consider the new constitutional provisions which have been brought to their cognizance, and particularly those by which persons belonging to a non-Christian creed domiciled in Roumania and not belonging to any foreign nationality are required to submit to the formalities of individual naturalization, as being a complete fulfillment of the views of the powers signatories of the treaty of Berlin.
As shown, however, by the recently published life and correspondence of Sir William White (John Murray, London, 1902), the difficulties connected with granting political rights (as far as religious rights are concerned there was no question) at one time to at least 300,000 persons who had traditionally been considered as aliens were recognized by the powers. Even those Governments which took an interest in the Jews refrained from using any great amount of pressure, and matters were allowed to assume their present condition.
Practically, it is hardly to be expected that the powers will show any more zeal than they did twenty-odd years ago, and it is not probable that success would accompany an effort to introduce into Roumania, by means of foreign pressure, legislative changes which are unacceptable to the country itself. Neither the King nor the Government has the power to change existing conditions, legislative action being necessary in the case of the naturalization of any “foreigner,” no matter of what race or religion, and I have heard it stated that foreign interference has already had an unfavorable effect.
While adding that I plan visiting Bucharest at an early date, and that I shall use my best efforts to inform myself in the premises, I have the honor to be, sir, etc.,