NEW GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21921, 3 October 1934, Page 13

NEW GERMANY

DESIRE FOR PEACE DEVOTION TO HITLER BAPTIST MINISTER'S VISIT "The Germans bear no malice toward the British people for their part in the war, as far as I could discover," said the Rev. John Laird, of Mount Albert, who ;returned to Auckland by the Marama yesterday after a tour abroad during which he visited England and Ireland and attended the World Baptist Congress in Berlin last August. The Germans, he said, felt thi}t the people of Britain went to war for honourable reasons and regretted that two great Protestant nations had opposed each other. With Hitler they were much opposed to the old military party and spoke of themselves as a new Germany, desiring peace. From individuals he gathered that they were well disposed toward the British. Asked as to the effect of the Hitler death sentences, which had occurred prior to his arrival, Mr. Laird said that Hitler had the devoted following of his people. "I soon disco\ered that Hitler and his Government have given Germany unity, peace, security and hope, and these men were rebels against that Government," said Mr. Laird. "It was said freely that they were not good men, and. my impression is that the Germans take the view that the episode is over and the less said the better." As a Christian people the British had a warm place for the Jews, said Mr. Laird, but as far as Germany was concerned the facts had to be faced. The Jews were about 1 per cent of the population of Germany. The Jews had succeeded in getting into positions beyond what was really right and just. For instance, there were 3700 lawyers in Berlin, and 2400 of them were Jews, which was about 70 per cent, while 58 per cent of the medical men of Berlin were Jews. The visitors saw some of the huge business houses of the Jews and heard of the hold they had secured on the banking operations of the country. That could hardly be allowed to go on, and, as far as they could judge, the oppressive measures taken against them were not They found that the Jews had been put on a quota. For example, if the Jews represented 2 per cent of the population of a city, then 2 per cent of Jewish doctors were allowed. There was also a section of the Jews who were rabid Communists and who, when Germany had no head, terrorised the people and were a real menace to their well-being.