NAZI RULE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 119, 23 May 1933, Page 7

NAZI RULE

PLIGHT OF THE JEWS GERMAN DENIALS CONFLICTING EEPOKTS (rrom "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, March 31. The Jewish Board of Deputies—tho ''Jewish Parliament"—which is representative of the Jens of the British Umpire, sat in secret on Sunday and ,ifLebated tho treatment of Jews in Germany. Mr. Neville Laski, K.C., pre.fided» ' Tho board decided that, as a board, they did not support tho boycott of German goods. Mr. Laski, however, stated that as an individual he supported it. . • Excerpts of Mr., Laski's speech to the board were communicated to the Press. "We quarrel with Germany's discrimination against German citizens or denizens of the. Jewish faith, and we .'.Will resist such discrimination. In the name of humanity we cannot stand passive and watch the creation of a lank or grade of second-class citizens or denizens. , •■■''. '.'.•. "We will not. tolerate the existence ■within the confines of Germany of a helot class1 of German Jews. So far 'as in us lies there shall be no Jewish 'untouchables 1 in Germany. We, in common with our German •wish the German people well, but wo must insist that German .citizens and denizens of the .Jewish faith inarch shoulder-tb-shoulder along that road in one 'and the same status with nonJewish citizens and denizens. REVOLUTION EXCESSES. "Wo recognise that no revolution is without its excesses. We appreciate that certain phases of the Nazi philosophy have anti-Jewish implications ■which not only Jews, but all rightininded people, must and do deplore. "We demand their excision, from.the political, social, and economic programme of those who seek to be the builders of a new and regenerated Germany."', Major H. L. Nathan, M.P. (Liberal), tepeaking at Teignmouth, said in a- reference to Germany:— ( "A Jew myself, I cannot feel indifferent to the unprovoked and lawJess outrages perpetrated, for no reason save that they are Jews, upon those, of my own blood and faith. But it is not only Jews. It is probably true, that they form only, a small proportion of those who have suffered, and are sufferings from tho terror, the inevitable concomitant^ of revolution, which for the moment prevails in Gerjnany. As a British M.P., I believe I speak tho voice of the House of Commons irrespective of party, and the voice of tho British people as a whole, ■when I say that we have learned with amazement-and alarm, and even with horror, of tho forcible suppression of public opinion, tho muzzling of the Press, and of tho unrestrained and brutal attacks upon unoffending and (defenceless' men and women of 'every class, race, and faith, on no other grounds than difference of political opinion.' 5 : LONDON JEWS' BOYCOTT. On Sunday, m the Jewish shopping Centres M various parts of London, Jiotiees were placed on shops bearing the"words: "German agents cannot be Seen." Posters inscribed "Boycott German Goods" were carried by motorcars and lorries. ;It is reported that orders, valued at thousands of pounds with German firms have been cancelled. Letters were also sent out by Jewish firms to customers asking for Their support in the Jewish war against Hitler. Meanwhile, Captain Goering, the Nazi Minister of the Interior, has protested against "the exaggeration and ■deliberate misrepresentation in foreign newspapers of the real situation in Germany." ■ • Support was given to his statement by an announcement of tho United States State Department at Washington that the official investigation of, conditions in Germany .has indicated that: "Whereas there was for a short time considerable physical mistreatment of the Jews, this phase may be considered to havo virtually terminated." . Captain Goering received the foreign ■correspondents in Berlin in - order to make a statement to them on the charges brought in the foreign Press against the new German regime. All the arrested men, declared Captain Gocring, Tvero receiving normal prison treatment, and none had died from severe injury. A limited number of correspondents were allowed to see and talk with the Communist Parliamentary leader (Herr Torgler),'the Communist writer (Herr Ludwig Kenn), author of '.'War," translated into English, tho Radical Left pacifist journalist (Herr. Ossietaky), and one or two others. NAZI ATTITUDE TO THE JEWS. Captain Goering admitted that some Jews had been, kidnapped and beaten, but severe punishment had already been inetcd out to the assailants, No Jew, as such, added tho Minister, would be liable to persecution or would be deprived of the full protection of the law. The anti-Semitic policy of tho Government aimed, he said, at putting an end to abuses largely due to the activities af certain recently immigrated Jews. i It was clear from Captain Goering's speech that the Government was most anxious that violent incidents should cease. His own attitude to what has occurred was evidently influenced by a conviction that no foreign observer can share, that Germany was "tormented" 14 years long by the ftepublican Government. The Nazi attitude to the Jews (writes 'the "Morning Post" correspondent) is jaid down in the official party pro- . gramme, which demands their exclusion from, public 'office, from citizenship, and from, the right to publish or write for newspapers in the- German language. Tho Jewish race has frequently be'eu denounced in the Nazi Press as morally inferior, but Captain Goering's words presuppose a relaxation of this cxtremo view that will be welcomed abroad. ,It was reported in the Berlin newspapers that the Socialist Deputy to the Prussian Diet, Herr Hansmann, who was alleged to have insulted the German Army, was found in a ditch near Dortmund so seriously injured by unknown persons that his recovery is considered, improbable. At Gleiwitz the Law Court was invaded on Friday by a mob of young men who assaulted Jewish barristers. EMPHATIC DENIALS. According to the "Daily Express" correspondent, tho Central Union of German Citizens of Jewish Faith has issued a declaration in which it denies emphatically reports published abroad concerning the persecution of Jews. "Foreign newspapers," it says, "have reported that mutilated Jewish corpses have been found lying at the entrance of the Jewish cemetery in Berlin, that Jewish1 girls have been violently herded together in public places, that hundreds of German Jews arc arriving in Geneva, of whom nine-tenths, among them numerous children, have been maltreated. "All such allegations," declares the Wnion, "are unfounded inventions." The Union of National German Jews

joins this declaration with a circular letter to all its members, in which it states: — "If in America, in Poland, in Holland, or any other country the attempt is being made to force the National Government of Germany to any kind of actions or emotions, wo Germans must resist this blackmail with the same- resolution and bitterness as every other German of non-Jewish race.'* DENIAL IS USELESS. Mr.. Israel Cohen, a member of the joint committee of tho Jewish _ Board of Deputies, and tho Anglo-Jewish Association, said in an interview:— "There has been a growing movement in favour of boycotting German goods and produce in this country,! until the German Government gives a satisfactory undertaking that they will not discriminate in any way against Jews. It is felt that it is not sufficient for the German authorities to say there is mo persecution of Jews in the sense of violence. Thepersecutioif we desirb to see ended is in respect of Jews holding appointments. They should not be expelled from their offices just because they are Jews. They are citizens of Germany, and there should be no discrimination. It is useless for Dr. Goering to say that per- j secutions have not, taken place. Wo! have evidence to the contrary." GERMAN PROPAGANDA. Dr. Joseph Gobbels, the German Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment, sent a description of the state of Germany to the " Sunday Express.'' He writes: — "A revolution has been.consummated in Germany the like of which for discipline and organic legality it" would'i be hard to find in the history of the world. Today every one privileged to witness the mighty awakening _of the German people cannot but admit that never in tho history of man has a revolution of such completeness and involving such an upheaval in every sphere been carried through with such discipline and so quietly as the national revolution beneath the banner of Adolf Hitler. And yet! unscrupulous agitators abroad are spreading rumours that Jews in Germany are being shot wliole.sale, tortured, and executed under the most inhuman agonies. In the face of such incredible reports, the temptation is very strong to put up a reward for any one who can name one single Jew who has .met his death in the cours.e of the national revolution. The German people must be admired greatly for their quiet and level-headed behaviour, for it must not be forgotten that the anti-Semitic movement in Germany is not entirely without cause. The Jews living in Germany, in view of the small percentage they represent of the entire population, have held such an enormously large number of powerful posts in the life of the nation that the Germanic element seemed almost completely excluded from the leading, positions. In addition to this we must not forget that the names of prominent Jews are involved in nearly all the post-war corruption scandals. This much I can promise. The conditions in Germany as far as safety and order are concerned are more stable and more sure that ever before. Not a hair on the head of any person is touched, and the authorities responsible for the public safety. have tho. power completely in their'hands." EVIDENCE OF ATROCITIES. Against this we have tho words of Mr. Laski, president of -. the Jewish. Board of Deputies.' The board, Mr. Laski stated, had details, of tho persecution, even the physical'"violence; to which Jews had been subjected in Germany, and, the denial made by Captain Goering, Commissioner for Prussia, was untrue. ' ' ■ "We have evidence of atrocities against Jews from north, south, east, and west of Germany," 'said Mr. Laski. "We are satisfied that there has been a persecution of Jews as Jews, and that it has been deliberate." GERMAN GOVERNMENT'S RETALIATION. There is little doubt (according to the "Morning Post's" Berlin correspondent) that at 10 o 'clock tomorrow morning the Nazi Party through thousands of Storm Troop pickets will carry out its threat that in future no Jewish shop shaft' have customers, no Jewish doctor patients, and no Jewish lawyer clients. It is of no consequence whether a Jew has been baptised or not. Jewish race alone, decides. In cases whero a non-Jewish woman owns a business and has married a Jew, or in which a Jewish woman owns a business and has married a non-Jew, the businesses are to be considered Jewish. The local committees have to give lists to the Storm Troops of the/ shops and businesses, lawyers and doctors who are to-be boycotted as Jews, so that pickets can,be established. The pickets'are to inform the public that the business is Jewish and to warn against buying. They are forbidden to, resort to physical violence. They are also forbidden' to close the businesses, to smash the ■ windows, or to cause any other damage. The Jewish businesses are forbidden to dismiss Bon-Jewish employees, and if such dismissals take place the Nazi organisation of employees are to take, steps to secure reinstatement. The expenses of the boycott campaign are to be borno by Gcrnian, business people, who will, be asked to contribute.