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Goga Regime Preparing Sweeping Anti-jewish Acts; 3 Dailies Suppressed

December 31, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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A SWEEPING SERIES OF ANTI-JEWISH MEASURES WAS PROJECTED TODAY BY THE NEWLY-INSTALLED GOGA GOVERNMENT AFTER BUCHAREST’S THREE DEMOCRATIC DAILIES, ALL JEWISH-OWNED, HAD BEEN SUPPRESSED AND THE JEWISH HEAD OF THE OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY DISMISSED.

THE RESTRICTIONS PLANNED BY PREMIER OCTAVIAN GOGA’S CABINET, LISTED IN THE NATIONALIST DAILY, CURENTUL, AND REPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES, THREW RUMANIA’S 900,000 JEWS INTO TERROR. THEY INCLUDE:

1. EXPROPRIATION OF LAND OWNED BY JEWS;

2. CANCELLATION OF LICENSES FOR JEWS TO SELL WINES AND SPIRITS, TOBACCO AND CIGARETTES, AND SALT;

3. A PROHIBITION ON JEWS’ ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES AS MERCHANTS IN VILLAGES;

4. REVISION OF ALL NATURALIZATIONS SINCE 1922 TO EXPEL MANY IMMIGRANTS OF JEWISH ORIGIN;

5. ENACTMENT OF A JOURNALISM LAW PROHIBITING JEWS FROM WRITING FOR RUMANIAN NEWSPAPERS;

6. A BAN ON STATE TRANSACTIONS WITH CONCERNS BACKED BY JEWISH CAPITAL OR RUN BY JEWISH MANAGEMENT;

7. CREATION OF A “RACIST MILITIA” UNDER CONTROL OF THE STATE;

8. REGULATIONS BANNING JEWS FROM ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN LEADER’S GOVERNMENT BANNED THE DEMOCRATIC EVENING NEWSPAPER ADEVERUL, WHICH HAD THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY PAPER IN THE COUNTRY; DIMINEATA, DEMOCRATIC MORNING PAPER UNDER THE SAME OWNERSHIP AS ADEVERUL, AND LUPTA, INDEPENDENT PROGRESSIVE DAILY.

A GOVERNMENT DECREE, ACCORDING TO THE HAVAS NEWS AGENCY, SAID THE PAPERS WERE SUPPRESSED BECAUSE THEY WERE LARGELY “EDITED BY FOREIGNERS AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED AN ATTITUDE CONTRARY TO THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY.”

ALEXANDER HURTIG, DIRECTOR OF RADOR ORIENTE RADIO, OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY, WAS DISMISSED FROM HIS POST BECAUSE HE IS A JEW.

(G.E.R. GEDYE, NEW YORK TIMES CORRESPONDENT, SAID IN A VIENNA DISPATCH TODAY THAT THE RUMANIAN GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO POST 1,000 MEN OF THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN PARTY ARMY IN EACH OF THE 61 RUMANIAN ADMINISTRATION DISTRICTS. THIS FORCE WILL BE INCREASED TO 200,000 AND PLACED UNDER THE COMMAND OF M. ROBU, VIOLENT ANTI-SEMITIC LEADER, WHO WAS APPOINTED PREFECT OF CZERNOWITZ.

(IT WAS ARRANGED, THE DISPATCH SAID, TO ESTABLISH A PROPAGANDA MINISTRY WITH ANOTHER GOGA ANTI-SEMITE, M. HODOS, AS “RUMANIA’S GOEBBELS.”)

SUPPRESSION OF THE PAPERS FOLLOWED PREMIER GOGA’S STATEMENT OF POLICY YESTERDAY IN WHICH HE DESCRIBED THE NEW GOVERNMENT’S GUIDING PRINCIPLE AS “RUMANIA FOR RUMANIANS, BASED ON CHRIST, KING AND NATION.”

THE NEW PREMIER’S DECLARATION ONLY PARTLY CLEARED AN ATMOSPHERE CHARGED WITH UNCERTAINTY ON THE FUTURE. HIS PROMISE TO RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION IS TAKEN TO INDICATE THAT NEW ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE NEAR FUTURE. POLITICAL CIRCLES THINK THE ELECTIONS MIGHT BE HELD IN APRIL, BUT THIS QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED UNTIL THE PROMISED ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAM IS MADE.

IT IS RECALLED HERE THAT GOGA, AS MINISTER OF INTERIOR IN THE AVERESCU CABINET OF 1926, DIRECTED THE MOST MANIPULATED ELECTIONS IN RUMANIAN HISTORY. POLITICAL CIRCLES ALSO POINT OUT THAT, ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION, UNLESS ELECTION RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED WITHIN EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE BALLOTING, THE ELECTION IS AUTOMATICALLY ANNULLED AND A NEW VOTE MUST BE HELD. SINCE THE EIGHT DAYS HAVE ALREADY ELAPSED, IT IS TAKEN AS INDICATION THAT NEW ELECTIONS ARE INTENDED.

DESPITE THE POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY, QUIET PREVAILS THE COUNTRY OVER. THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO STRONG SECURITY MEASURES TAKEN BY THE NEW MINISTER OF INTERIOR, AROND CALINESCU, A RIGHT-WING NATIONAL PEASANT.

PORUNCA VREMI REPORTS THAT 100 NATIONAL CHRISTIAN STORM TROOPERS HAVE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO INSPECT THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY “JEWISH MIDDLEMEN” WHO HAVE DONE BUSINESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

BUNA VESTI, ORGAN OF THE FASCIST, ANTI-SEMITIC “ALL FOR MY FATHERLAND” PARTY — FORMERLY THE IRON GUARD — DECLARED THE PARTY WOULD SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT’S “ENDEAVORS TO DESTROY THE FORCES OF JUDAISM” AND FULFILL THE NATIONALIST IDEAL, BUT WOULD OPPOSE MEASURES LIKELY TO WEAKEN THE “FORCES OF RUMANIANS” OR ARE CONTRARY TO NATIONAL IDEAS OF THE IRON GUARD.

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