Maurice Samuel, recetly returned from a lecture tour in South Africa where he made a survey of Jewish communities, yesterday told The Jewish Daily bulletin that nfluence of the Nazi program of anti-Semitism and Nazi propaganda are finding their way into every corner of the world.
“I have seen small towns on the Equator,where there are Jewish populations of no more than fifteen persons, which are not overlooked by the Nazi propaganda machine,” said Mr. Samuel. “The publication Deutsche Afrikanische Post, apparently financed by German funds, appears in every town and city I visited, The situation confronting the Jews cannot be laughed off.”
The author of “You Gentiles” and “I the Jew,” who has his home in Tel Aviv, Palestine, told in an exclusive interview about an airplane trip he made from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa. En route Mr. Samuel stopped of at Khartoum, Juba, Nairobi, M’Beya and Johannesburg.
He said that he was startled by the “unique and he almost astonishing solidariry” of the Jewish people in African countries, and their interest in news of other Jews the world over.
“HAPPY AND HEALTHY”
The majortiy of the Jewish setlers in Africa-and their number than10,000 in Cape. Town alone-comes from Latvia, said Mr. Samuel. He described them as “happy and healthy.” Many write to relatives in Europe and are followed by immugrants in larged numbers.
“I have talked with these people, and they asked me about the German situation and about teh Jews in palestine. They are deeply interested and cherish their traditions. Many speak Yiddish and they have their own Yiddish newpapers and magazines.
“It was a thrilling thing for me to go into these towns and citis way down on the other side of the earth and there find people who know me, and who have ready my books.
“The Jews in Arica are Zionists, many of them, and are talking steps to help the German Jewish refugees. They have organized committees and other groups fo rthe combatting of anti-Semitism, something which is looming big on their horizon.”
rgarding the German settlers Palestine, Mr. Samuel spoke of their work in reorientating themselves in the Holy Land as “little short or ingenious.” He made it clear that they are not unhappy, and that the youngsters who have been released from the “terroris, to which they hve become accustomed in their former homeland,” are “delighted,” He commended German settlers in Palestine, who have without waste of time “sought new usiness, and established themselves without unnecessary delay, and are fast becoming thorough Palestineians.”
The author said that reports as to the “phenomenal growth of Palestine” is tue “down to details.” He avowed his belief in the success of Zionist ide3als, and predicted that the Jewish people will “conquer teh terror which is seeking to destroy them.”
Mr. Samuel will address a meeting of the West Zionist District No. 7 at the Jewish Club, 23 West Seventy-third street, on Sunday evening.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
