Holocaust in Romania - Corvinus Library - Hungarian History

Days went by, and events un folded. Gen eral Antonescu became the headof government, a leader of state endued with dictatorial power; the mem -bers of the Iron Guard, who were in creas ingly be com ing the rul ers of thestreets, were marching, or ga niz ing pa trols and singing - for the mean whileonly sing ing - their songs of hatred, blood and death, and the sky had notyet burst, and the earth had not yet opened to swallow the Jews awaitingtheir “in ev i ta ble fate”.There were only one or two incidents, a little over-zealousness, or as theGeneral said “some romance and fervor”.The scattered beatings of Jews on the streets, the looting of some richerJews, and attempts at organizing an economic boycott urged Horia Simato write a circular to Iron Guard groups, in which he admits—after hardlymore than five days in government (on September 11, 1940)—that therehave been insignificant incidents in the country as a consequence of thechange in system".The Jewish political leadership made its presence felt from the start, andthe President of the Union of Jewish Communities turned directly toGeneral Antonescu . At a meeting on September 14, Dr. W. Filderman liststhe abuses and unlawful actions—committed either by petty thieves orministers—which had piled up during only eight days of the newgovernment. At this first meeting of the two leaders (between whom, fromthis time forth, there was to be a long, ruthless but unequal battle) theGeneral is both kind and brimming with goodwill. He is surprised by whathe hears, and promises to make amends for everything. He orders theremoval of certain “Jewish shop” signs, instructs the Minister of Educationto reverse the decision to abolish the Jewish religion, and shouts at theMinister of the Interior, on the phone: “ Petrivicescu ! Your ”guys" aremisbehaving, and bringing shame on me!". Finally, he asks for the supportof Jews, asks them not to wind up their businesses, and says that theyshould pursue their own trades, and thus provides hope that situation willnot worsen or a tragic event will not occur. He even backs up his promisesin writing, and two days later the Office of the Leader sends a transcriptfrom the Presidium of the Council of Ministers to the Union of JewishCommunities containing the following extract:54