the result of provocation on the part of various Russian reactionaries and
Polish imperialists who thus wish to discredit the whole Ukrainian cause in
the eyes of Europe.
Reception of a delegation
of Jewish citizens
by Petlura.
On July 17 of this year the Commander-in-Chief Petlura received a
delegation of Jewish citizens at the Office of the Directorate in
Kamenets-Podolsk. The Delegation included: Dr. Meier Kleiderman, the
representative of the Jewish community; Alterman, the representative of
the Zionist organization; Gutman, the representative of the rabbis;
Kreis, the representative of artisans; Bograd, the representative of the
Poalej-Zion Party.
Petlura addressed the Delegation with a short speech in which he declared
that he himself as well as the government were always standing on the
side of the Jewish people, and were waging war against those elements who
incited the unenlightened masses to various excesses against Jews. The
Commander-in-Chief invited the representatives of the Jewish people to a
closer cooperation of both peoples for the good of the Ukrainian State,
for, only with united forces would it be possible to look after the
interests of both peoples, which had always been identical.
The Jewish delegation assured the Supreme Commander that all strata of
the Jewish people, hand-in-hand with the Ukrainian people, would defend
the independent Ukraine, because only a Ukrainian democratic government
could guarantee full rights to the Jews. The delegation asked for
granting of an opportunity to Jewish intellectuals to work toward
strengthening Ukrainian statehood, and for protection of the Jewish
population against the excesses which have taken place as the result of
provocation on the part of various Russian reactionaries and Polish
imperialists who thus wish to discredit the whole Ukrainian cause in the
eyes of Europe.
Petlura pledged himself to apply the severest measures in suppressing the
crimes of the anti-Jewish agitators, and asked the delegation in
particular to exert their influence also upon the Jewish population
behind the battlefront that they should support the Ukrainian Army in its
struggle against the Bolshevists.
(Trudowa Hromada, July 18, 1919.)
HOME DISINFORMATION PETLIURA 486 hits since 25Mar99
Symon Petliura Decree of Cabinet 18Aug1919 Enemies organize pogroms
The Ukrainian and Jewish peoples both of whom work at the
reconstruction of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, find themselves in
the face of the common enemies who are trying to sow discord and
anarchy in order to destroy the Ukrainian Republic which they hate.
Decree of the Cabinet Council
of the
Ukrainian Democratic Republic.
August 18, 1919.
(Record of the Proceedings No. 171)
The Cabinet Council, after hearing the report of the Minister for Jewish
Affairs, Mr. P.A. Krasny, on the situation as it appeared in connection
with the anti-Jewish pogroms in the Ukraine - particularly in Kiev and
in connection with the reaction of public opinion abroad, resolve as
follows:
The Ukrainian and Jewish peoples both of whom work at the reconstruction
of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, find themselves in the face of the
common enemies who are trying to sow discord and anarchy in order to
destroy the Ukrainian Republic which they hate. For this purpose your
enemies organize pogroms, spin provocative news about pogroms in the
Ukraine so as to exploit them for their people - with the help of the
Polish ruling classes, or of the Denikin reactionaries. In deliberately
lying and provocative reports they are changing arbitrarily the places of
the pogroms which are arranged in the Ukraine by the Bolsheviks and by
the reactionary clique who are in close connection with Denikin's and
Polish reactionary circles' secret plans. In mendacious publications and
in public letters addressed to the leading representatives of European
countries, all these happenings are charged to the account of the
government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic, although its aim is to
suppress vigorously all pogroms.
In view of the fact that such provocations and aims of the Polish and
Denikin reactionaries endanger the struggle for freedom of the Ukrainian
Republic as well as the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of the
Ukraine, the government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic have set
themselves the most urgent task of doing away with all possibility of
provocations, pogroms or other excesses, and of calling to account all
persons hostile to the Ukrainian State, who are doing the treacherous
pogrom work in the Ukraine.
The Government has decided:
1. To make at once a proposal to the Commander-in-Chief, Petlura that he
issue an order by which all commanders of the respective bodies of
troops, from the lowest to the highest ones, would be called to account
for negligence and tolerating pogrom excesses, and that they would be
immediately arrested as traitors and handed over to a special
court-martial which would impose upon them the severest penalty,
including the death sentence.
