871.4016/145
The Minister in Rumania ( Culbertson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 29.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that on December 5th and 6th serious anti-Semitic riots took place at Oradea Mare and Cluj during a national convention of the university students of Rumania. Newspapers endeavoring to print the early details of the riots were at once confiscated by the government, but subsequent reports indicate that in Oradea Mare store windows were broken, shops looted and pedestrians injured. In Cluj, six Jewish synagogues were broken into and completely wrecked and those dwelling places known to be occupied by rabbis and other people of the Jewish race were likewise devastated.
There is enclosed a memorandum prepared by Mr. Patterson, Mr. Killeen and Mr. Goodman of the Legation giving such details as have been obtained from eye witnesses and from reliable newspapers concerning the damage done and stating the position of the government and the opposition.13
Yesterday Mr. Palmer, the Consul-General in Charge, brought to my attention what appears to be an important and unfortunate incident due to the rioting. Mr. W. N. Keller, a native-born American citizen, who is registered with the Consulate in Bucharest as such, was attacked, according to the letter received from Mrs. Keller, on the main street of Oradea Mare and severely injured. Mrs. Keller at once telegraphed to the Consulate, but fearing that the message might not be delivered, wrote a letter which was brought to Bucharest by hand. The telegram has not as yet been delivered, but immediately [Page 642] upon being informed of the contents of this letter and having the assurance of Mr. Palmer that Mr. Keller is an American citizen, I addressed a note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs requesting punishment for the crime and the payment of proper compensation to Mr. Keller. I enclose a copy of this note for the information of the Department.
In response to my note, Mr. Titulesco, Minister for Foreign Affairs, asked me to see him this afternoon at 3 o’clock. He was greatly agitated over the anti-Jewish riots at Oradea Mare and Cluj and expressed his sincere regret that an American citizen had been injured. He stated that a representative of the Department of Justice would leave tonight for Oradea Mare to make a personal investigation of the Keller case and that next week he would have a report which he would bring to my attention. In the meanwhile vigorous measures are being taken to punish those who are guilty. He stated most emphatically that if the investigation disclosed a situation such as that indicated in my note, his government would pay immediately. I stressed the fact that I had had difficulties in the past in obtaining prompt replies from his government in similar cases and I spoke in particular of the Pinkowitz-Goldberg case. In this connection, I added, that unless there was a response from the Keller case next week, I would feel it my official duty to go personally to Oradea Mare and make an inquiry into the matter. I told him that I had little faith in reports made by local officials and I was gratified that he was sending a special investigator from Bucharest.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩