Argentine Jews Will Overcome Imported Bias, Editor Declares

An interesting picture of the life of the half million Jews in the Argentine was given yesterday by M. Stoliar, editor and publisher of Die Yiddishe Zeitung, the largest Jewish newspaper in Argentina, who is in New York to investigate immigration problems in the United States for the Argentine government.

“Anti-Semitism in Argentina is an imported product,” Mr. Stoliar stated in the course of an interview. “Until the rise of Hitlerism in Germany, no one in the Argentine knew about anti-Jewish feeling. Since Hitler came into power his agents have, however, invaded Argentina and infected the peaceful atmosphere with anti-Jewish propaganda.”

PROPAGANDA LITTLE FEARED

Although the majority of the 150,000 Germans in the Argentine are not poisoned with Nazism, the Jews in that country fear little of their anti-Jewish propaganda, Mr. Stoliar explained. The Jewish leaders there consider the present situation temporary. They are certain that the wild Nazi propaganda will not succeed in spoiling the relations between the Jews and the Argentinian people.

The Jews, Mr. Stoliar said, are contributing to the agricultural development of the country just as much as to other phases of life.

Speaking of the Jews as farm workers, Mr. Stoliar declared that the 26,000 who are now living on the soil in the Jewish colonies in Argentine offer the most striking example of Jewish abaptability to land work. “These 26,000 Jews live a normal and productive life and constitute the strongest weapon against any kind of anti-Semitism.”

300,000 ASHKENAZIM

Mr. Stoliar related that of the half million Jews in the Argentine today, 300,000 are Ashkenazim who came mainly from Russia, Poland and other East European countries. The other 200,000 Jews are of Sephardic origin.

There is quite an intensive Jewish cultural and social life in the Argentine which finds expression through a net of Jewish and He brew schools and numerous cultural and relief institutions. The Jewish press has a tremendous in fluence upon the Jewish population. Since the advent of Hitler ism and its echo in Argentina, the Jewish newspapers in Buenos Aires have attracted new readers. The interest in Jewish life has grown even among those Jews who considered themselves assimilated.

ZIONISM STRONG

Of all the political movements prevailing among the Jews in the Argentine, the Zionist movement is the strongest.

“I am proud that Argentina is my home,” Mr. Stoliar stated, emphasizing that of all the countries he visited in South and Central America, Jewish life in the Argentine is more stabilized and more secure.

Mr. Stoliar will remain in the United States for more than a month. In addition to studying the immigration problem in America for the Argentine Government, he will also make an extensive study of the newspaper industry in the United States.