States No Ground to Call Schleicher Regime a “jewish Government”

There is no ground to call the Schleicher Chancellorship a “Jew Government” and no reason for much optimism for Jews, is the gist of an editorial which appears in the “Juedische Rundschau” of Berlin, organ of the Zionist Organization, which has reached this country.

“On the eve of the appointment of General von Schleicher for Reichschancellor, Dr. Goebbels wrote an article with the headline ‘The Jews Catch their Breath'”, the editorial declares. “This, ergo, is for him, the main point. In this manner, the National Socialist propaganda tries to defame in advance every Government, of which the leader is not Hitler, by calling it agreeable to the Jews; and this means with the scheme which has been drilled into the German heads by the Nationalism: harmful to national interests of the German people. But, we hope that even elsewhere confused heads will understand how wrong it is in this case, where the chief of the Army takes over the Government, to talk about a Jew Government. The events which have led to the formation of this Government, and the tasks which the Government puts before itself concern the wholesale fate of the German people in a very critical time and have no connection with Jewish matters. It is quite sure that nobody of those responsible had the Jews in his mind. Only for Goebbels and his friends, the first idea are the Jews. It is true, German Jewry has had sad experiences during the last years, and if it is true that the repeated failure of the Hitler candidature for Reichschancellor has caused some relief in Jewish circles, it proves only to what a pass we have come, that a kind of optimism is evoked in us merely because a situation is avoided which can be regarded as a direct threat against us.

“The program of the Reichschancellor consists, as is generally known, in the aim to reintegrate into the State those radical parties, which would force the outbreak of civil war. It is interesting that a writer who is very close to the Reichschancellor, one Hans Zehrer, warns (in the periodical “Die Tat” and in the newspaper “Taegliche Rundschau”) against restricting these efforts to the Right, since such an attitude would result in a greater radicalization of the Left. Communism might, says Zehrer, attain the strength which National Socialism now has. In the left wing, not the Communists, but the Workers’ Unions are regarded as a group for possible cooperation. It is not our task to make prognoses regard-

ing the feasibility of such plans. The person of the Reichchancellor, who, on the one hand, had been called the “Red General”, and on the other hand, was in touch with the National Socialists, is even yet today shrouded in mystery. But, doubtless, he is eager to win the National Socialism for himself, and in this connection again and again rumors are being spread that Hitler would become Prime Minister in Prussia and at the same time Vice Chancellor in the Reich. Schleicher, warned by all sides, even by the Liberals, not, as von Papen did, to sever himself from all people’s forces, will surely try to gain popular support in that quarter where the most popular German movement is to be found. It would therefore be wrong to believe that National Socialism is definitely barred from power. We must wait and see whether the NSDAP will unconditionally persevere in its announced policy of fighting against the Schleicher Cabinet. But, whatever the shape of the future tactics may be, — in the German people tremendous spiritual and social structural changes are in the making, and these changes will find their expression, little by little, also in the political sphere. Without minimizing the importance of the one or the other turn of daily political events, the Jews should be aware that they have to struggle with the real forces of life, and that these forces are working against the Jews, jeopardizing the position which they had attained in the liberal era, and above all, ignoring completely the traditional liberal-assimilatory Jewish spiritual attitude which does not recognize any “Volks”-difference between Jews and non-Jews.

“The new Reichchancellor is preceded by the reputation of being a calmly deliberative man who does not like violence and inner turmoil. If he will pave the way for an era of domestic pacification, the Jews will also have the possibility to reconsider their integration in the State. An improvement of conditions will come only, if the Jews do not follow an ostrich policy, if they will not believe that all will go back again to the good old times of 1900, if they take account of the changed situation and face, as Jews, the new forces.

“The fundament of such a Jewish policy must be the knowledge that the Jews will be recognized only as Jews, and that, therefore, above all, the strengthening of the spiritual, mental, moral position of Judaism is necessary. Only a Jewry which does not allow itself to be influenced by the derogatory opinions of the outside world, and which lives up to its own valuation, can be a self-conscious factor, can force respect for itself from others, and will, where it is not able to succeed, have the strength to suffer wrong with dignity. Therefore, when the position of the Jews in Germany is being discussed, the prospect at the Palestine work which is supposed to make secure the whole Jewish future, plays an important role. The German Jewish question is a part of the World Jewish question Only with this in mind, can we keep our ground as Jews, if we do not wish, sooner or later, to be profoundly disappointed.”