Imperial Valley press., 1913-05-30
JEWISH QUESTION RAISED
| IN WAR APPROPRIATION
BY Karl Won Wiegand,
Berlin CORRESPONDENT of United Pres.


BERLIN, May 3O.-With Equal
ability and capacity, equal opportunities
and privileges" for motto, the Ber-
| liner Tageblatt, one of the largest and
many has opened trenchant cam
paign and agitation for the right and
privilege and opportunity for Jews to
become officers in the German army.
Numerous other liberal papers have
joined in what promises to become the
most vigorous agitation of the kind vel
attempted.
In theory, the Jews in. Germany have
equal opportunities with the Christian
elements in becoming officers in the
army. In practice, they are virtually
debarred, except from serving in the
ranks There is no legal obstacle but
there is the anti-Semitic feeling and
eycluSiveneSS of the officers corps
which ii is practically impossible for
Jew to overcome.
The Tageblatt and other papers have
seized upon the present opportunity
while the governments demand for
an increase of 1856 600 men in the
army and war tax bill for 1862 900, 900
is before the reichstag, as a favorable
moment TO impress the reichstag, the
government and the public with the
justice of the demand for equal rights
privileges ana opportunity in the army
for Jews and Gentiles alike. II is
pointed out that in the government's S
call for "sacrificial willingness" for
the army and strengthen the nation
defenses, Jews are among those who
will have to make the biggest "sacri-
fees" in the form Of taxes. 1t is
but must" serve in the army-in the
ranks-and in case Of war will give
their blood and life for their country
the same as those of other religious
faiths. It is argued that the Jews in
Germany are among its best educated
and most intelligent people. They hold
high places in almost every walk of
life-in the worlds of finance. COM
merce. business. education, music
medicine, law, science and literature
It is asked "then why not in the army
| and navy?"
The ''why not" lies in the hands
of the different officers corps. They
have the say largely as to who shall
Join the corps And even the kaiser,
who numbers Jews among his best
and most Intimate friends, would moi
care 10 attempt to break down the
traditional anti-semitic spirit that pre-
walls there. This sentiment among
German officers may or may not be
correctly expressed by Lieutenant Cen
eral Won Liebert. member Of the
imperial party, in his recent speech in
the reichstag when touching upon the
aspirations of Jews for commissions
in the army, said. THE Turkish army
has shown what may happen to an
Officers corps when alien elements are
introduced"
This brought from the Tageblatt
an almost unprC ccdented attack by
a newspaper in Germany upon an
officer Of the army. The paper took
The severest exceptions to the char
acterization Of German Jews as "alicn
elements" 1t asked Of what use We're
army increases and strengthening Of
the nations defenSeS when the highest
and most responsible places in the
army are delivered over to men 50
| lacking in intelligence. II declared
that no feeling Of security could he
created despite all new military in
creaSes when in the hour Of danger
lone of so limited intelligence and
unfair spirit should be trusted with a
decisive role" The paper charges that
| it was due to Liebert's incapacity when
governor Of German East Africa from
1897 to 1901 that If upriSings took
place there.
A row between Baron Colonel Won
Sender. commander Of one Of the
Guard regiments at PotSdam and aide
de-camp to the kaiser. and a Jewish
merchant in a suburban train recently
is also being made use Of as showing
the feeling of army officers toward
civilians in general and Jews in par
ticular. Baron Sender occupied first
class compartment by himself Owing
TO an accident to another train the
passengers of which had to be taken
on a Jewish merchant and his family
We're placed in Senden's compartment.
The remOnstranceS of the kaiSer'S
aide camp brought on wOrdy dis
pute with the merchant and as Sender
left the compartment at the station he
is alleged t. have said "Shweinerei'
(hogs). The merchant sued, but The
court dismissed the charges.
In many quarters it is questioned
whether the press campaign will have
any other effect than to intensity and
fan the old anti-semtic spirit, which
has been on the wane in Germany for
Some time nXcnnt in the ARMY