Many leading non-Jewish importing houses in New York City, in addition to Jewish firms, who have in the past handled the bulk of German imports to the United States, have acknowledged the validity of enforcing a boycott against the products of Nazi Germany, it was announced Friday by Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, chairman of the Boycott Committee of the American Jewish Congress. Altogether, counting both non-Jewish and Jewish concerns, those supporters of the boycott movement number one fourth of this city’s most prominent importing houses.
In all 400 importing houses were contacted by the Boycott Committee, Dr. Tenenbaum said. Of these firms, one hundred have recognized the justice of refusing to purchase goods made in Hitler Germany. Another sixty already had signed definite pledges in this connection. Among these signers are importers of linen, beads, novelties, film, toys, ironware, silk tissue, wines, buttons, books and cotton goods.
The pledges bind the signers to adhere to the boycott and to substitute American or other foreign products for Nazi products.
FIRM BANS NAZI LINE
According to Tenenbaum, an outstanding feature is the number of non-Jews who have become pledgees. After signing a boycott pledge one of the largest non-Jewish importers of glassware wrote:
“Although we are a Christian house, we did not and will not import any goods from Germany, in any shape, manner or form until the attitude of the Hitler government is changed. I wish to advise you that under no conditions will we import any goods from Germany until the boycott is lifted, or the Hitler government is discarded and until all religions will have equal rights in Germany.”
Another non-Jewish concern, one of the largest mill distributors of paper, the boycott committee chairman said, informed the AJC that “We are opposed to the Nazi policy and do not import any material from Germany.” At the same time this organization enclosed a copy of a letter addressed to the North German Lloyd line, in which that German government-subsidized steamship company was told that in the future all of its shipments would be transferred to other lines because of the Hitler policy against Jews.
MUST CLEAR THROUGH REICH PORTS
A number of importers, who are listed in the import manifestoes as receiving goods on German boats, have explained that their purchases come from Czechoslovakia and other countries, but must clear through German ports because the lands of purchase have no ports of their own, Tenenbaum declared.
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