63-6630 YODFAT, Aryeh, 1923- THE JEWISH QUESTION IN AMERICAN— RUSSIAN RELATIONS (1875-1917). The American University, Ph.D., 1963 History, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Aryeh Yodfat 1963 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. (1G75 - 1917) by Aryeh Yodfat Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Acquirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Signatures of Committee Chairman Graduate Dean: bdAmsLr)MMWc£ Date ' J d i ± ± L L December, 19G2 The American University AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Washington, D.C. !.'.V/E 1963 WASHINGTON. 0. C. = H = l Cf3 5 ~ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. — 1 A /“I This study about "The Jewish Question in Anerican- nussiau Relations" deals with the interest that the United States Government displayed in the treatment of Jews in Tsarist Russia and its influence on the relations between the two countries. It is based on reports, views and ac­ tions, official and personal, by American diplomats in Russia., views and actions by Presidents of the U.S. Secretaries of State and the pressures brought to bear by American public opinion and the U.S. Congress to act 0 1 1 behalf of Jews in Russia. The subject of this study was influenced by various events of that time. The background explanations, however, are given only in brief, whore it helped to shed light on the subject itself, footnotes giving the background and taking issue with views the author did not agree with, were avoided. Those who want to know more about the history of Russia or the Jews in Russia are x’cferred to the biblio­ graphy given at the end of the volume. To facilitate library research, the Libi’ary of Congress system was used in the notes and bibliography. A special problem was presented by the Julian calendar which was used in Russia until 1918. The dates are usually given as used by the authors of the documents. Generally, the Gregorian calendar ("hew Style") was used when one date was given, both the Julian and Gregorian calendars wore used when two dates were given, .and a remark "old style" (O.S.) was added when only the Julian calendar was used. The lag between these calendars was 12 days in the nineteenth century and 13 days in the twentieth century. In the transliteration from Cyrillic into Roman charac­ ters the system of the Library of Congress was generally used, There remained in a few cases the original transliteration not only in the quotations but also in their descriptions in order to keep a uniform transliteration and to facilitate the identification of names or places fox* those who would like to refei* to the recoi-ds themselves. The papex* uses Tsar and not Cr.ar, Kiev and not Kieff, etc., but IIoscow, YA'.rsaw (and not lioskva, Yarshava) in cases of moi’e populax* Anglicized names. Kieff, Sazanoff, etc., were used sometimes when certain documents were cited or descx*ibed. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. i i i The author is yrr.tofu1 to the Jewish Publication Society of Aic. eric a for permission to quote iron "Louis Marsha.il: Champion of Liberty" (1957) and "History o? the Jews in Puss in. and Pola.nd" by Dubnow (1916-20), and to the Ancrica.n Jewish Comittco Institute of Hunan delations for remission to nuoto iron tho "Anerica.n Jewish Year Boohs." The author empresses his thanhs to the staff of tho Forciyn Affairs Branch and Legislative Bran ah of the ITa.tior.al. Archives and of the Manuscripts Division, Library of Conyross, both in Washington, D.C. Wa.shinyton, D.C., Deconber 7, 1962. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. iv TABLE OP COIITEHTS CHAPTER Page PREFACE ....................... ii TABLE OP COITTEIiTS ............ iv ABBPtEy IAT ICliS ......................... v iii IHTHODUCT ION ................. 1 American—Russian Relations. 1 Commercial Relations Between the United States and Russia... 6 Jewish Emigration from Russia, to the United States ......... 9 The Jewish Question in American- Russia.n Relations ......... 11 I. THE LAST YEARS OF ALEXANDER II (to I larch 1, 1831) ................ 17 The First Cases of American Dip­ lomatic Intervention (to 1S75). 17 The First Two Reports About Russian Jews ........ 22 1G7G-March 1, 1SC1 ........... 2G II. 1831-1892' YEARS OF POGROMS, EXPUL­ SIONS ART) I.IASS EMIGRATION ......... 1331 ........................... 1332 ........................... Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V CHAPTER Page 1883-1890 ....................... 45 1891 ....................... 50 U.S. Congress and Jews in Russia (1892) 50 III. THE PASSPORT QUESTIOH (1893-1902).. 64 1893 64 1094 68 1895 70 1896-1900 74 1901-1902 76 IV. THE RUSS I AIT JEWISH QUESTION DURIIIG . THE ROOSEVELT ADIIIITISTRATION (1903- 1909) ............................. 31 The Kishinev Pogrom (1903) ..... 81 1903-1904 ...................... 1905 ........................... 1S06 95 The Pogrom at Bialystol: (1906) . 98 1907-1908 101 The Russian-Jewish Question and the 1908 Elections ............ 105 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vi CHAPTER Page V. TIIE RUSS IAN- JEWISH QUESTION DURING THE TAFT ADHIIIISTRATION (1909-1911). 118 Ilarch 1909-1,larch 1910 .... 118 LIr. Herman Bei'nstein’ s^Criticism of American Diplomats in Russia. 122 American Diplomats in Russia and Russian Jews (1910-1911) ...... 127 Jewish Endeavors Towards the Ab­ rogation of the Treaty (1911) .. 137 Actions of Congressmen for the Abrogation of the Treaty and of • the State Department Against Such Abrogation (1911) .............. 142 VI. ABROGATION OF THE 1832 TREATY WITH RUSSIA (December 1911-1912)-..... 157 Abrogation of the Treaty by Congress ........ 157 Abrogation of the Ti^caty, Dip­ lomatic Correspondence...... 16G Reactions to the Abrogation of the Treaty: By American Diplo­ mats in Russia; by the Russians. 16C Negotiations for a "modus vivendi" Between the U.S. and Russia. .... 177 The Election Camp?.ign of 1912 .. 180 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vii CHAPTER Pago ■ VII. TIIE RUSSIAN JEWISH QUESTION DURING THE WILSON ADMINISTRATION (1913-1917) 1GG The Beilis Trial (1913) ...... 1G6 1913-1917..... ................ 190 CONCLUS ION ....................... 199 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............. ;..... 20G Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. viii ABBREVIATIONS AJYB American Jev/ish Year Book (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America) Arab. Ambassador Charge^ Charge d*Affaires Century "The Century Ilagazine," New York Co. Company Cong. U.S. Congress cn U.S. Congress, Congressional Record (Washington: Government Printing Office) D. Democrat D.C. District of Columbia Doc. Document Dubnow, Russia S.II. Dubnow, History of the Jews in Russia and Poland (Philadelphia: The Jev/ish Publi­ cation Society of America, 1916-20) Ed. Editorial FR U.S., Department of State, Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States (Washington: Government Printing Office) GPO Government Printing Office II. Doc. House /of Representatives/ Document H. Ex. Doc. House Executive Document (Since 1895 consolidated with II. His. Doc. as II. Doc.) H. J. Res. House Joint Resolution Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ix H. Mis. Doc. House Miscellaneous Document(s) (Since 1895 consolidated v/ith II. 13::. Doc. as II. Doc.) II.R. House /of7 Representatives (House Bill) II. Kept. House Report H. Res. House Resolution (Simple Resolution) House U.S. Congress, House of Representatives IND "Independent," New York Krasnyi Arkhiv "Krasnyi Arkliiv," a Historical Journal of the Central Archive Department of the U.3.S.R (R.3.F.S.R.), Moscow: Gospolitisdat (Russian) LD "The Literary Digest," New York NA The National Archives of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., Records of the Department of State (if not otherwise indicated) NA nf The National Archives, Records of the Department of State, numerical file no., nos. number, numbers N.Y. New York NYT "New York Times 1! OUT "The Outlook" pt., pts. part, parts R. Republican Rep. Member of .U.S. House of Representatives R of R "Review of Reviews," New York S. U.S. Senate Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. X S. Doc. Senate Document Sec. Secretary, Section Secretary Secretary of State Sess. Session S.J. Res, Senate Joint Resolution Sen. U.S. Senator S . Rept. Senate Report S . Res. Senate Resolution Termination U.S. Congress, 62nd Cong., 2nd Sess., House Committee on Foreign Affail's. Termination of the Treaty of 1S32 between the United States and Russia. Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, Monday, December 11, 191.1 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1911). Trans. Translation, translated TRP Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Manuscripts Division, Theodore Roosevelt Papers, Personal Letters. Books v., vs. versus vol., VOIs. volume, volumes Witte Sergei Witte, The Memoirs of