Timewarp: Our Berlin letter

German Jews fear new wave of terrorsim – “Jewish murder at Davos” takes toll – scientific books banned.

By FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
our berlin letter_521 (photo credit: Courtesy)
our berlin letter_521
(photo credit: Courtesy)
BERLIN, Feb. 25. – Not since the fateful days preceding the promulgation of the Nuremberg Laws has the country been swept by an anti-Jewish propaganda wave of the present dimensions. Huge massmeetings, all dealing with the new “Jewish Menaces” were held over the week-end at Magdeburg, Mannheim, Deidesheim, Unna, Muensingen, Holswicke, Bernhausen, Techwitz, Landsberg, Elbing, Salza, Hindenburgholtz, Goerlitz, Stuhm, Schweinfurt, Jena and in scores of other cities in all parts of Germany.
The Magdeburg meeting was addressed by the Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment, Dr. Goebbels, who said, “We shall not be frightened and we shall carry through our programme to the end.” The speeches at the other meetings were in the same vein.
All speakers stressed the need of renewing the fight on world Jewry in connection with the assassination of Herr Gustloff in Switzerland. The event itself and even the decision of the Swiss Government not to allow any more organized Nazi activities in Switzerland were interpreted as “Acts of world Jewry against Nazi Germany,” which must be met with new measures against the Jews, – all in the sense of the Fuehrer’s speech at the Gustloff funeral.
The agitation, and even the technique of the inspired campaign are so reminiscent of the pre-Nuremberg period that German Jews are now living through the dread days of last summer over again. All the indications are that something is going on behind the scenes and that the Government is clearly preparing the ground for a new anti- Jewish drive.
In Jewish circles in Berlin the opinion prevails that the Government will not be deterred by the Olympic games and that the new anti-Jewish measures will be promulgated in the very near future. It is also believed that these measures will be of a severe nature.
Dismiss Remnants
Although the new anti-Jewish measures have not yet been officially proclaimed, unofficially a movement has already been started to dismiss the remnants of Jewish employees who are still left in Germany. Since the assassination in Switzerland, a number of Aryan firms, particularly insurance companies have given notice to their Jewish employees who were hitherto exempt from the application of the Aryan paragraph because of their War service. The official reason for the dismissal is the “Jewish murder at Davos.”
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As a result of the same “Jewish Murder” a well known motor car concern at Bad Duerkheim has informed its Jewish clients that it no longer wishes them to patronise it, and that they will be forbidden to enter the shop. The Nazi Press reports this decision as an act of patriotism worthy of emulation.
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To complete the picture of the new wave of hysteria which is being worked up in connection with the event in Switzerland it is necessary to mention the secret meeting of the Nazi Party functionaries and speakers which was held at Munich. That meeting was addressed by Herr Hinkel the Commissar for Jewish Cultural Affairs and right hand man of Dr. Goebbels. It now transpires that at the meeting Herr Hinkel outlined the Government programme of reprisals on the Jews for the Gustloff murder. At this meeting were, in all probability, also worked out the particulars of the present anti-Jewish drive in anticipation of the reprisals.
English History Rouses Ire
The Nazi press has also renewed its activity against Jewish publications. The “Schwarze Korps” demands that the German booksellers should be compelled to delete from their catalogues all scientific books by Jewish authors, and especially the works of Stephan Zweig, Franz Werfel and Jacob Wasserman.
Above all, the Nazi press is angered by the appearance in Munich of a German translation of a history of the English people by M. Trevelyan, which according to the Nazi newspapers was made by Professor Jerusalem and his daughter in Vienna, both of whom are well-known Jewish social workers. The Nazi Press wishes to know why a German publishing house entrusted a Jewish professor with the translation of the English book, and demands that the history should be prohibited in Germany.
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The organ of Dr. Goebbels, the “Angriff,” has invented a new libel against the Jews in the rag trade in Germany. It accuses them of holding back large stocks by demanding prohibitive prices for them and by compelling Germany to buy rags abroad. The “Angriff” therefore demands immediate expulsion of the Jews from this trade.