Authoritative Rome quarters were reported by the Daily Telegraph as declaring the Italian Government has no intention of instituting an anti-Jewish policy.
Fears that Italy might embark on such a program have been aroused by the sporadic outbreaks of anti-Semitic articles in Italian newspapers, notably Il Tevere and Il Regime Fascista.
Also giving rise to apprehension in Jewish circles is an attack on Zionism contained in a book, “The Jews of Italy,” by Parliament Deputy Paolo Orano, rector of Perugia University and prominent Fascist. Dr. Orano declares “it is impossible to be good Italians and Zionists at the same time.”
JEWS’ SURNAMES LISTED BY IL TEVERE
The New York Times on Saturday reported from Rome that the daily, Il Tevere, published “what purports to be the completest existing list of Italian Jewish surnames.”
Commenting on the list’s publication, the Times Rome correspondent writes:
“What the object is remains somewhat of a mystery, unless the newspaper intends to suggest, as seems probable, that persons whose names appear on the list are bad or doubtful Italians of whom the mass of the population should beware.
“This move does not stand as an isolated instance of animosity against Jews, but must be judged in relation to other attacks for which the Italian press has been responsible. It should be added in fairness that only a few newspapers have taken an active part in the anti-Semitic campaign, that the government has never given any indication that it shares the views such newspapers express and that the bulk of the Italian people have no particular feeling against Jews.
“It is noticeable, however, that even newspapers that have not actively attacked Jews recently have adopted the practice of using such headlines for news dispatches as ‘Jew Stalin’ or the ‘Jew Yagoda’ or the ‘Jew Trotsky’ does this, that or the other thing. The intention is obvious – namely, to create in people’s minds the impression that the words ‘Jew’ and ‘Communist leader’ are synonymous and interchangeable.
“It cannot be denied that Jewish communities in Italy are beginning to be seriously worried. Hitherto they have enjoyed a degree of freedom from social, racial and religious prejudice that has been paralleled in few other countries. Even when Rome was the capital of the Papal States, Jews were allowed to go about their business undisturbed, and they have never been the object of the cruel repression or oppression that has been their lot in some other countries. Now, however, they are beginning to fear that the example of Nazi Germany many ultimately have a fatal influence upon Fascist Italy.
“The Tevere prefaces the list of Italian Jewish names with the following words:
“‘We believe it useful and timely to divulge the list of surnames of Jews in Italy compiled in 1925 by the Jew Samuel Schaerf and published in the volume, The Surnames of Jews in Italy.’
“It then cites the preface to this volume to the effect that the list includes about 1,605 surnames, corresponding to 9,800 families, adding:
“It has been compiled on the basis of the registration of the statistical office of Keren Ha-Yesod (The Palestine Reconstruction Fund) of Italy and comprises those of German communities, excluding those of the colonies.
“The Tevere particularly emphasizes that the list includes a number of Catholic names owing to marriages between Catholic men and Jewish women.”
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.
