Paris Peace Conf.
184.011102/498
Mr. Albert
Halstead to the Secretary of
State42
No. 108
Vienna, September 26, 1919.
Subject: Memorandum of conversation with Dr. Renner
regarding pogroms in Vienna.
Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith a
memorandum of a conversation with Dr. Renner, the State Chancellor
and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, on yesterday afternoon. The
newspapers had published reports that pogroms against the jews were
being organized by reason of the large number of jews from Hungary
and Galicia in town. The fact that many of them engaged in
speculations that did not tend to lessen the cost of living created
considerable antagonism towards the jews. The feeling was increased
by the fact that eighty per cent of the Bolshevik leaders in Hungary
were jews and also by the number of the same race in Bolshevik
Russia.
In view of the emphasis that the Austrian Authorities had placed on
the good will of the United States in the settlement of their
problems, it occurred to me that it would be in the interest of
humanity, and in line with the traditional policy of the United
States if I should indicate to the State Chancellor that any
mistreatment of the jews in Vienna would have an unfortunate effect
on public opinion in the United States.
Immediately upon my return to the Mission I telegraphed to the
Department and to the Commission in Paris of the representation I
had informally made.43 The
Foreign Minister saw fit to make an official announcement of my
visit and the following statement appeared in all the newspapers
this morning:
“Yesterday the representative of the United States, Mr.
Halstead, called on Dr. Renner to ask whether rumours that a
pogrom would appear to be true and declared he would regret
if pogroms would occur, as it would exert a bad influence to
public feeling of the United States towards Austria. Dr.
Renner assured the American representative that all
necessary steps would be taken to avoid brutalities”.
Dr. Armand Kaminka, Secretary of the Jewish Allegiance, called today
to express the thanks of his people for the attitude shown. From
other sources the information comes that attacks on the jews have
been prevented by my visit to the State Chancellor.
I trust the Department will not disapprove my action.
I have [etc.]
[Page 577]
[Enclosure]
Memorandum of Conversation With Dr. Renner,
State Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on
September 25, 1919
Doctor Renner was asked whether the reports that attacks upon the
Jews were planned were correct, and it was stated that disorder
and attacks upon the Jewish population would create a most
unfavorable impression in the United States. Doctor Renner
replied that every possible arrangement had been made to protect
the Jews and that for the present they were in no danger. The
agitation, he continued, was really not against the Jews but was
an effort on the part of the Pan-Germanic Party to recover lost
prestige. It was felt that agitation against the Jews,
particularly in view of the large number of members of this race
still remaining in Vienna who came during the war, would best
achieve this result. It was desired as well to embarrass the
government by compelling it to take strong measures to protect
the Jewish population.
The State Chancellor said that there had never been any very
pronounced anti-semitic feeling in Vienna, but that there had
been a great deal of talk of that kind, but the Viennese people
were never unkind to strangers and pogroms would not be a
natural Viennese occupation. Doctor Renner was unable, however,
to state that in the future, when the 450,000 war prisoners now
in Italy and Siberia had returned, and when they found little
food, no homes and no coal, it would be possible to prevent
attacks upon the Jews who had come here during the war. It
should be remembered that many of them had engaged in
speculations in exchange and in food products which were not
popular and others bought food at high prices which the
population believed would have gone to them otherwise. The
problem of the refugees is a most difficult one and one which
the government is seeking to solve without causing sufferings.
It was not proposed to send away the Galician Jews who came
during the war and who had found work but the Jews who had money
and no productive occupation would be sent home so soon as the
trains which Poland was to furnish were available. This would
not be until late in October. No Jews would be sent home, such
as those from the Ukraine who would suffer for political acts
and the government would endeavor to protect all political
refugees. This refers also to the thousands who had come from
Hungary. There are perhaps some 20,000 Hungarian refugees who
would be expelled as soon as possible, but these do not
naturally include the four to five thousand who were driven from
West Hungary by Magyar efforts, to prevent them from expressing
their approval of the annexation of parts of that district to
Austria.
