Steps to check the obviously Nazi-inspired anti-Semitic propaganda that has begun to assume menacing proportions in this city are being taken by a group of prominent Mexico City Jews. A committee has been formed which has arranged to call on President Abelardo Rodriguez to protest against the newest outbreak of anti-Jewish propaganda.
The latest vehicle for this propaganda is an avowedly “anti-Jewish and anti-Chinese” organization called “Accion Revolucionaria Mexicana.” Its program is openly Fascist and members have appeared wearing “golden” shirts, armed with wooden clubs and sporting a modified Nazi salute.
According to Louis J. Wise, an American born citizen who is an industrial representative in Mexico, and who will be spokesman for the committee, “Jewish merchants in this city have developed a state of ‘fear complex’ on account of this consistently insidious and ‘imported’ attack against the Jews.”
PROOF OF FOREIGN INSPIRATION
A resume of the anti-Jewish propaganda, including proof that it is of foreign inspiration, will be presented by the committee to President Rodriguez. One of the first organizations to start a “vehement” attack upon the Jews was the “Comite Central Pro-Raza” (Pro-Racial Central Committee) which has been issuing posters warning the public that the Jew is a menace to the country.
The committee will point out that in a recent issue of El Universal, a morning newspaper, this organization was described as being financed by foreign interests.
Another continual source of attack on Jews is a newspaper called “Defensa,” which appears about once a week.
“In substance,” the committee reports about this publication, “their attack upon the Jew is similar to that of the Pro-Racial Committee. If one would like to hazard a guess as to the sponsorship of the above newspaper, it can easily be found in the fact that this newspaper, in many of its issues, carries prominently favorable articles on Hitler’s policy. The issues of Dec. 9, 1933 and Jan. 20, 1934, carry prominent articles entitled, ‘Speech of Chancellor Hitler to the German People on October 14.’ It is significant that the newspaper should have this title of Hitler’s speech, in view of the fact that a pamphlet printed in Germany by Editorial Liebheit and Thiesen, Berlin, S. W. 19, has as a subtitle in Spanish, ‘Speech of Chancellor Hitler to the German People on October 14.”
JEWISH QUESTION IMPORTED
The committee in its protest to President Rodriguez will emphasize its belief that the attempts to introduce racial hatred in Mexico are entirely the work of elements distinctly foreign to this country.
The attitude the committee will take in its interview was indicated in a statements issued by Dr. Wise. He said in part:
“There is no Jewish question in Mexico. It is an exclusively imported question, imported by undesirable foreign elements who may unconsciously provoke an internal problem. That undesirable foreign elements are behind this movement there can be no doubt, and is quite obvious because the articles and texts reprinted in supposedly Mexican periodicals contain the very same titles and texts as originally printed in Germany.
“The Jewish population of Mexico,” the statement continues, “has complete faith in the Mexican government and its people, that they will receive at the hands of the Mexican government the same protection as any other minority living in Mexico. The Jews further-more fully believe that Jewish intolerance in Mexico is a completely foreign and alien fibre to the Mexican character.
ALREADY PROMISED PROTECTION
“Both the Mexican government and its people have already demonstrated on a previous occasion that the Jews can expect this protection when about three years ago the Mexican government solemnly promised the Jews this protection, and that they need never feel any concern about their safety in this country.”
The committee, Wise said, has collected a complete file of anti-Jewish matter and believes that its display in official circles may bring about a cessation of the propaganda activities.
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.
