Balta, a large Jewish center in Podolia, where a Jewish emigration society had had sprung into being shortly before the catastrophe, became the scene of a frightful pogrom.
It was shortly before the Russian Passover, the high season of pogroms, when the Russian public was startled by a strange announcement published towards the end of March in the _Imperial Messenger_ to the effect that from now on it would accurately report all cases of "Jewish disorders" in accordance with the official information received from the governors.
The announcement clearly implied that the Government knew beforehand of the imminence of new pogroms.

Even the conservative _Moscow News_ commented on the injudicious statement of the official organ in emphatic and sarcastic terms: The _Imperial Messenger_ is comforting the public by the announcement that it would in due time and at due length report all cases of excesses perpetrated upon the Jews.

One might think that these are every-day occurrences forming part of the natural course of events which demand nothing else than timely communication to the public.

Is there indeed no means to put a stop to this crying scandal?
Events soon made it clear that there was no desire to put a stop to this "scandal," as the Moscow paper politely termed the exploits of the Russian robber bands.

The local authorities of Balta were forewarned in time of the approaching pogroms.