GERMANY TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 21904, 15 December 1934, Page 2

GERMANY TO-DAY

HO. III.: THAT JEWISH QUESTION (Written by M. S. Primmer for the ‘ Evening Star ’). I was frankly puzzled as you are that no such a.highly cultivated nation could countenance the atrocities reported in dur. papers. I was therefore at rather, particular pains to try to probe the German mind on the Jewish question. Now not once did anyone have personal feeling against the Jews, individually ; but as a nation, yes. A university man, sanely-balanced and of the non-political type, summed it up: “ Wha.t most of us feel is that the Jews as a whole had too large a share of the good things of Germany, without working for them as we have to. They had practically in their hands theatres and films, music, newspapers, jurisprudence, and medicine, the_ last two in as far as State and municipal posts were concerned. No one accuses them of corruption, only of giving undue preference to 'their race among candidates. Nor must I forget their financial status, banks,'emporiums, aild so on.' Rarely did they do manual labour; After all it is our country, built up slowly through centuries of hard labour, and now we were being robbed Of the rewards. And then they didn’t use their wealth quite fairly. They bought up the small man, made individual enterprise almost impossible, and themselves only invested in safe things." Well, we’ve suffered from a business point of view through sending them away, but at least we are our own masters. , And anyhow, they' can still stay and work, but they can no longer take the best government salaries and pensions. No one hinders .them starting medical, practices.” ; -

As a matter of fact I know -a- Jewess who, as a municipal library assistant, lost her job. She was given six month’s notice, and since then she. has been enjoying a pension’ of £l2o this in the face of millions of half-starved natives,;. Another acquaintance has slightly more,but as he is a Refugee in England (not a very contented one either in tspite of help and free schooling for his daughter), he lias it handed over, to his Jewish wife in Berlin. Anti-Jewish notices,such as “ Jews not allowed in ” at hotels and picfure-houses, are infre?uent, and due more to the personal eelings of the head man of the province than to owners ■ of such establishments. Nuremburg suffers ■ badly from such a “ governor.” The whole position was “ excused ” by a man, who before the Avar had had a good business in Paris. “Well,” said he, “there are ahvays innocent victims in life.. What had I done to be interned in France, to lose my busiriess, then to lose the few savings left over in the inflations, and now to die unemployed for twelve, years, and too old to find a job? It’s hard on them, but no more than on others, and nothing Said of done.” ‘ * j; WHAT ARE STORM TROOPERS? Nothing fnore deadly, than bands of unarmed young Tneii—and Ai-omen. They, are indeed not; more armed than our boys scouts with their large- scout knives; in fact, many have nothing,in the way of aggression - or protection but what"nature has bestowed. Fcav, if any, new ones are noAv enrolled, as .(the lists were closed at about Jast'vCjiristraas. Service is voluntaryin' the sense that '.nothing is done if you don’t belong, .but also nothing happens Avhen you are seeking a government or and are not a member. Whiß really did surprise me Avas to learn jjthat -even the poor, ones riuist soinehoAV find the money to pay for their uniform—a matter of about £3 altogether. The instalment system is perforce alloAA'ed, but that does not do away with this hardship. Not only, that, but for long ma r che s—a ml-1 he r a are many—for any function that entails long hours, .the men and youths must provide their OAvn food—and eat it' when they can. It is a semi-military and. distinct system of; strong self-dis-cipline. •' *- Private . affairs are supposed to give way to orders .that are suddenly brought to your door. A storm trqpper’s friend had to leave his work from 8 aim. to 11 p.m.—no rest or food given—to help keep order when Adolf Hitler yvas visiting the town. Except for this annoying interference in. the daily, life, the movement ■is popular . among the younger' generation. They cut: a good figure in uniform, and hope for the best. And they sound happy enough as they sing and march. You hear them anyAvhere and at any tlmri of day —and night. Drills., Nazi teaching, and so on fill in evenings, with day duties.on Saturday arid. Sunday. I did not notice great enthusiasm among the people as they Avatched these troops pass—and, - by .the. .way, you need not giA-c the Hcil Hitler-salute;.. Still to save possible black looks you'either gaze in a shop Avindow, or better still, join in the • croiVd that - slips - inside.Every ; one understands these': little manoeuvres. : * . v”' Perhaps I can - best sum rip'the general attitude of philosophical resignation in Germany to-day by quoting the words of a banker, Avhen 1 talked of the end of: June shootings.- - “They would-.have had- to bo shot anyway. What was the use of a long expensive trial, and the probable bloodshed in the heat of politics? Emergency times need energetic measures! ” And there was a plot. My storm trooper friend told me that on that fateful night they suddenly had -orders to gather at certain places. All leave was stopped, and there they waited till, in the early hours, orders came that all could again disperse. . Mystification gave place to understanding when the next morning they heard of the death of the prime movers of this “treason.”