Justice For Jews Is Promise In Balkans.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 21, 1913:
Answers to Our Government's Representations Gratifying to American Jewish Committee.
RIGHTS TO BE RESPECTED
Rumania's Declaration, Committee Says, Ultimately "May Pave the Way for Complete Emancipation."
    The first statement of results achieved through the representations made by the American Jewish Committee to the State Department at Washington in behalf of the Jews resident in the Balkans and in opposition to the policy of exploitation and virtual expatriation of Jews in Rumania, was made public yesterday by Louis Marshall, President of the American Jewish Committee. The statement tells of apparently successful diplomatic efforts put forth by this country to obtain a guarantee of civil and religious liberty for Jews in the territories annexed by the victor nations as a result of the war in the Balkans.
    The statement says in part:
    On Jan. 14, 1913 the American Jewish Committee, recognizing the fact that a considerable part of the European territory of the Ottoman Empire would be divided among the various nations that were engaged in the Balkan war, and that the Jewish residents in that territory might in consequence be seriously affected in their civil and religious rights, urged President Taft and the Department of State to make representations to those concerned in the war and to the European powers, in order that the status and rights of the Jews who might be transferred from the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire to that of the several Balkan States might be protected. Conditions at that time were such, however, that our Government was not in position to act as requested.
    On March 28, 1913, this subject was presented to President Wilson, and on a later date to the Department of State, by Dr. Cyrus Adler, on behalf of the American Jewish Committee, and our Government was requested to exercise its good offices to obtain assurances from the nations concerned in the negotiations for the treaty affecting the conquered territory, that the inhabitants of such territory would be assured the full enjoyment of civil and religious liberty without distinction of race or creed. The representative of the committee has received a series of letters from the Department of State during the past month, indicating:

Instructions to Ambassador.
    (1) That the Department had instructed the American Ambassador at London to express to the British Foreign Office, whose head was the Chairman of Ambassadors of the European Powers concerned in the pending negotiations, that the United States would regard with satisfaction the inclusion in any agreement that might ultimately be concluded in regard to the settlement of the affairs in the Balkan Peninsula, of a provision assuring the full enjoyment of civil and religious liberty to the inhabitants of the territory in question, without distinction of race or creed;
    (2) That the American Ministers accredited to Greece and Montenegro and to Bulgaria, Rumania, and Servia, had subsequently been instructed to make to those Governments a communication similar to that which had been made to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by the American Embassy in London;
    (3) That the views of our Government had been communicated to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, as Chairman of the Ambassadorial Conference, and also to the delegates of the five States participating in the Peace Conference at Bucharest, and that the latter conference had decided that it would be superfluous to include in the Treaty of Peace a special provision of the nature contemplated. Inasmuch as the Constitutions of all the States involved guarantee civil and religious liberty, and that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rumania took occasion to declare the view that, in accordance with the principles of international law, all citizens of annexed territories, without distinction of race or religion, become citizens of the annexing State.
    The action of our Government is most gratifying resulting in the assurance of the conferees, that the Jewish citizens of the annexed territories are to be accorded the same consideration as that which other citizens residing therein are to receive. Jews in Bulgaria and Servia enjoy the full rights of citizenship and are not discriminated against in any way. The public and formal assurances of the Rumanian Minister of Foreign Affairs give occasion for the hope that a larger number of Jews will be accorded equal rights under Rumanian rule and that this act may pave the way for the complete emancipation of the Jews in that kingdom.
    It is announced that the American Jewish Committee will continue to watch over the interests of the Jews in the Balkan countries.