GERMAN GOODS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18236, 3 November 1933, Page 9

GERMAN GOODS

BRITISH JEWRY’S BOYCOTT ORDERS CANCELLED LONDON, Sept. 17. With a deliberate avoidance, of. publicity British Jewry has during the past few months carried -out an organised boycott of German goods with such effect" that German trade has al- , ready suffered by millions of pounds. This movement, which lias 'been or- • ganised by “private conventicles” of prominent Jewish business men, is now to be proclaimed, and 300 Jewish delei gates from all parts of the country arc > to attend ;i conference in London on November 5, when they will • publicly ' declare a boycott on all German goods and services. The organisation is not 1 connected with the Jewish Board of Deputies, which some time ago decided •against a public boycott of German goods, but is being sponsored by 85 : loading Jews, including Sir Robert ; Mond. Dr. Moses Gaster, Mr Philip 0 medal la, and Mr R. IL Blumenfcld. ■ For the past few months Jewish timis in the fur, leather, hosiery, and ; optical instruments trades .’have ceased ; to'buy German goods, and it was learn- > ed yesterday that a. big multiple store > had cancelled a German order amount: - ing to seven figures in value. A com--1 mittc« of Jewish doctors is also investigating the possibility of obtaining in Britain drugs and chemicals hitherto ’ imported from Germany. ' Details of this remarkable “secret boycott” were given by a prominent leader of British Jewry, who said that a public announcement of these activii ties had not previously been made in order to avoid providing the Nazis with a “handle”-to use against British goods. PUBLIC GESTURE “Matters have now reached such a. state that we feel we must make a public gesture,” be said. “Representatives of the Jewish friendly societies and Hade organisations and of the

synagogues will be present at the con* 'fcreneeP Executive committees will be formed in all the principal towns, and public meetings will be held and .all Jews will be urged not to deal in any sort of German goods. “The boycottt has, of course, been going on in many trades for some time. Groups of business men have already I an effective organisation in existence, ' and although we have been making no ' song about it, wo have quietly and methodically, caused millions of ' pounds’ worth of Gorman orders to be cancelled. | “We should like to make it plain that we arc not directing the boycott ’against the German people, most- of j wnoin arc suffering under the Nazi • yoke. It is against Hitlerism that we arc defending Jewry—and not only ’ Jewry, but the Liberals, Social Demo- ’ rials, and Freethinkers, and everyone -rise who- is being persecuted iu Ger- : .many. “The Jewish boycott is,as you know, 1 in force all over the Continent, and it i has had such an -effect that iu many cases German firms -have employed Jewish travellers in an attempt to re- : trievo their trade. British Jews dealing iu export business have definitely censed to use German ships, to the benefit of British shipping. In jfacf, ' the bulk of the cancelled German or--1 ders have gone to British firms.” | j In connection with the Jews who are leaving Germany, it is interesting |to leani that those who have entered this country number 2400. This is only a very small percentage of the numbers who have taken refuge in Continental countries. Between 20,000 ' and 30,000 are said to have gone to France alone.