Wide-spread Opposition of Slovak Leaders to Government’s Anti-jewish Policy Revealed

Wide-spread opposition throughout Slovakia to the anti-Semitic policy of the government of the Nazi puppet-state is indicated in a report appearing in the newspaper Gardista, Hlinka Guard organ, reaching here today.

Describing a concentration camp where Jews who are to be deported are confined, the Gardista correspondent writes that the conditions at the camp are good considering the nature of the prisoners. The camp commander, however, showed us basketfuls of letters, telegrams and petitions from deputies, public officials, civil servants and preachers, seeking to intervene for the Jews. The commander assured us that ‘all these interventions on behalf of the prisoners are naturally thrown into the wastepaper basket, but we keep a record of all the senders for evidence.'”

The Gardista also reveals that a pastoral letter issued by the Protestant bishops of Slovakia, condemning the “Government’s reckless anti-Semitism,” was recently read in ninety-five percent of the Protestant churches in the country. The paper denounces the bishops for intervening for the Jews. The entire Slovak press, received here today, attacks ambassador-at-large Polyak for his attempt to retain a Jewish cattle expert, Turpeltaub, on his estate at Zablati. The press reveals that the ambassador threatened to resign if Turpeltaub was sent to a concentration camp, but the police eventually surrounded the estate and arrested the Jew.

The Bratislavs radio today announced that in an attempt to speed up the deportation of Jews, all of them were ordered to move into the capitals of the districts in which they live.