1,500 Students Quit College in Hanover Protesting Against Jewish Professor

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Fifteen hundred students left the Technical College of Hanover following the measures taken by the College Senate against the anti-Semitic agitation directed at Professor Theodor Lessing. The students left for the Braumschweig Technical College. This move was a demonstration against the Government’s action through the Minister of Education, Dr. Becker, of expelling ten students for preventing Lessing from delivering his scheduled lectures by hissing, shouting and other forms of rowdyism.

Affairs have been rapidly developing to a crisis for the last ten days, though hatred for Professor Lessing by the reactionary student body has been brewing for more than a year. The students held a secret meeting yesterday and decided to declare an eight days’ strike, meanwhile sending a committee of twenty-five to Braumschweig to confer with the chiefs of the students’ council, which has its headquarters in that city.

The Hanover students were received by the Braumschweig student body with acclamation and for several hours both bodies paraded through the streets.

That the students have influential political backing is an open secret. Though a special train was at first refused, the student council did not show the slightest alarm, but distributed tickets free to all wishing to join in the demonstration, and at the desired hour a train was placed at their disposal.

Meanwhile Professor Lessing delivered today’s scheduled lecture, though his audience consisted only of his wife. From Berlin comes word that the Government will order the College closed for the semester unless the students return immediately and accept the action against the ten who were ordered expelled.

Professor Lessing, with the support of the institution and the government, refuses to leave his post, declaring that he will hold out against all attacks.