Ready To Make A Russian Treaty.

New York Times 100 years ago today, June 25, 1913:
Bryan Denies Report That the Czar’s Government Has Been Rebuffed.
PLEA FOR RUMANIAN JEWS
Moore Asks State Department to See if Berlin Treaty Is Being Violated.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, June 24. — Secretary  Bryan denied to-day the story coming from St. Petersburg that this Government had declined Russia’s request for a renewal of the treaty of commerce which was abrogated by President Taft. The status of the negotiations between the two countries is that Russia last February asked this Government to take up the matter of making a new treaty, and that last week Secretary Bryan authorized a reply to the effect that the United States was perfectly willing to make one.
    Not a word as to the terms of the proposed treaty or the matter of passports for Jewish citizens of this country has yet passed between the two Governments with reference to the new treaty. Mr. Bryan said the negotiations for the new treaty would take place in Washington.
    Representative J. Hampton Moore of Pennsylvania to-day directed the attention of the American Government to the situation of the Jews in Rumania, introducing a resolution and following it up with a speech in the House, calling upon the Secretary of State for information as to whether the Berlin treaty of 1878 was being violated by Rumania.
    Mr. Moore told the House of reports indicating that the Rumanian Government had failed to observe the article of the treaty providing that religion should be no bar to the rights and privileges of citizenship. He desires Secretary Bryan to inform the House whether any communication has been had with the Rumanian Government or the powers signatory to the Berlin treaty relative to its observance or with respect to a naturalization convention between the United States and the Rumanian Government. If there have been such exchanges, and no conclusions have been reached, Mr. Moore wishes to have the House informed by the Secretary whether the United States has interests with respect to the Berlin treaty and its operations that will make further diplomatic negotiations desirable.
    Mr. Moore's speech aroused the House and developed interruptions from Representatives Harrison, Goldfogle, and Calder of New York, and Sabath of Illinois, in which it was pointed out that there were now about 250, 000 Jews in Rumania, and that while they were compelled to serve in the army, they did not have the rights and privileges of citizenship to which they were entitled in Rumania under the Berlin treaty.
    Mr. Moore spoke for half an hour in support of his resolution, which was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
    Complaints on behalf of Rumanian Jews were officially recognized by Secretary Hay in 1902, Mr. Moore said. Diplomatic correspondence ensued, without bringing relief. As late as 1904 it was reported to the Secretary of State that a better feeling existed between the so-called "indigenous Jews" and the Government, and that certain Jewish newspapers advised "against any measures from outside in behalf of Rumanian Jews. " Mr. Moore said little had been done since 1904 by the United States or any other country to induce Rumania to accord treaty privileges to Jews. It was estimated by Mr. Hay in 1902 that the number of Jews in Rumania did not exceed 400, 000. "It appeared, " said
    Mr. Moore, "that the Rumanians, numbering 7, 000, 000 or 8, 000, 000, were fearful of being overrun, and that this constituted the real objection to the observance of the Berlin treaty with regard to the Jews. "
    Mr. Moore pointed out that Secretary Hay had declared that even in countries where anti-Semitism had no foothold it was difficult for these fleeing Rumanian Jews to obtain lodgment. America was their only refuge. Mr. Moore said that since Secretary Hay made this statement there had been a steady flow of Rumanian Jewish immigration into the United States, until not more than 250, 000 or 300, 000 indigenous Jews continued to live in Rumania.
    The chief complaints of the Rumanian Jews are:
    At the Berlin congress of 1878 the contracting powers agreed that religion should bar none from the full enjoyment of the rights and privileges of citizenship in Rumania; but to this date the Government has failed to execute the provisions of the article, by denying its native subjects of Jewish faith the rights and privileges of citizenship enjoyed by the rest of the population.
    The present political status of the native Jews is defined by the Government as that of  "aliens not subject to any foreign protection. "
    More than 200 governmental restrictions are now in force against the native Jewish inhabitants, which. Mr. Moore says, deny them every human right and close to them every avenue of earning a livelihood in Rumania.