Evening star., 1937-04-18
ANTI-SEMITIC CAMPAIGN
COVERS CENTRAL EUROPE
Hundreds of Thousands of Jews Forced
to Seek Haven in Hospitable
.:- Lands.

lnds.
so per cent Of the total population
1t Is not surprising to see that tina
Jews control IS per cent Of the trade
and IS per cent Of all small business
In Polish towns
Polish Jew Different.
The Polish Jew is different from the
Hungarian. He comes from old RUS
sia, old Austria and old Germany with
. sprinkling from other parts Of EastS
ern Europe, who came to Poland at
the time when it was considered q safe
place for Jews. A new government
with new ideas is called to rule these
millions Of Jews, who have been ac-
customed either to the bribery system
OF the Czarist government or to the
strict, yet liberal, administration OF
the old German and Austrian govern
ments. AS long as Poland remained 4
republic on the French pattern, the
anti-Semitic feelings Of its various
leaders caused only sporadic dangers
for the Jewish population. They were
not liked by the Poles, but they were
tolerated. 1t was difficult to do other.
wise as long as Poland had close ties
with democratic France, Great Britain
and the United States.
But In Poland, too, Hitler's influence
has made itself felt in the last few
months. The anti-Jewish tendencies
OF the Polish government are not tho
result OF q demand from an econom.
ically strangled population; they are
the result Of a political move on the
part OF the Polish leaders who seek
to organize an authoritarian state on
the Hitler pattern. An uncomfortable
situation for the Jews arose in Poland
after 1888. Thousands began to leave
the country, impelled apparently by .
premonition that things might become
bad for them. Between the years 1929
and 1888 the number Of emigrants
rose from . to 5e per cent. The gov-
eminent does little, if anything, to re-
lieve those who are suffering. This
explains why the Joint Distribution
Committee in the United States has
appropriated 32,l5o,oo0 to assist Jews
IN Poland-about twice rs large -
the appropriation for the relief Of
Jews in Germany.
The Jewish population OF Ru.
mania-less than 1,000, ,o0o-is, for thu
time being, in better position than
the Jews in other sections OF Eastern
Europe. The government of Premier
Tatarescu Is still In the French po-
htical orbit. Tatarescu himself may
not feel very kindly toward the Jews,
but political expediency demands that
they should be treated as we'll Is the
rest OF the Rumanians. This Is the
situation on the surface.
Rumanian Naxis Gain.
The NaH movement IN Rumania q
gaining perceptibly. The Iron Guards
under 2. Codereno are doing their
utmost to tnflame the population
against the Jews. The Rumanian
peasant is anti-Jewish. The students,
q noisy minority in the most popu.
lated centers, make political stock out
OF their anti-Semitism. That sub
ject offers = splendid subject for the
young demogogueS Of Eastern Eu-
rope. In countries where the bulk
OF the population IS Agricultural and
there is . large bureaucracy, the real
or apparent economic progress OF the
Jews is the seed Of hatred and envy.
The Jews are at certain disadvan.
tage in Rumania and in Poland be-
cause some OF them, especially among
the elders, wear the traditional East
ern Jewish clothes and speak Yiddish
among themselves. This makes them
an alien nation among the people
with whom they live.
| The backbone Of the Fascist Naxi
move In Rumania Is anti-Semitism
The hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
the Nad leaders receive from Ger
many are being used mostly for anti
Jewish propaganda. As long rs
Tatarescu, or any leader closely con-
nected with the French, Is tn ONCE,
there Is no real danger that the anti
Jewish move will become violent.
There may be street riots here and
there, the kind Of riots that have
already scared number Of Jews
out Of the country. But the day the
pro-French Rumanian government
makes room for q Nazi-NationaliSt
government the fate of the Jews In
Rumania will be Is deplorable as that
Of the Jews in Germany or Poland.
Lithuania Starts Persecution.
The Lithuanian government, while
less under the influence Of Hitler, has
also recently started persecution OF
Jews by enforcing new laws and regu.
lations regarding tradesmen and ar
tisans. These regulations are intended
to eliminate the Jews from the eco
nomic life of the country. It Is =
more civilized way Of getting them to
emigrate without causing q storm
among the Jews in the rest Of the
world.
That the influence Of the German
government Is the dominant factor In
these anti-Semitic movements b not
to be denied. They come within the
scope of Hitler's plan for the Nadfl-
cation Of Eastern Europe. Ties be.
tween countries, he once stated, can.
not be relied upon merely because Of
q series Of treaties signed by diplo-
mats OF the various governments.
They must have more solid back
ground Of community Of interests.
not only political but social as we'll.
And in Eastern Europe, where the
economic life was for centuries thrust
into the hands Of the Jews, especially
the small trades, the anti-semitic &C
tivity Of the government and the peo-
pies dislike Of the Jews form . power
ful common denominator for the pur-
poses Of the Reich.
| tcopyrtgh.. 1879