American Intervention Against Mexico Called For: Washington State Department Cables to American Amba

The Order B’nai B’rith in America, (which played an important part in furthering Jewish settlement in Mexico in the early days of immigration in 1925) has submitted to the U.S. State Secretary, Mr. Stimson, a strongly worded protest against the wave of anti-Jewish discrimination in Mexico, asking the United States Government to intervene with the Mexican Government to put a stop to it.

The “ashington State Department has wired to the American Ambassador in Mexico instructing him to investigate the reports of ill-treatment of Jews, with a view to determining if any American citizens are involved. If no American citizens are involved, it will be difficult for the American Government to make any representations, on account of international usage.

The fact that the American Government has found it necessary to look into the matter, it is pointed out, how ever, will probably have a moral effect upon the Mexican Government.

According to reports presented to the B’nal B’rith in 1925 by Mr. Weinberger, the Director of the B’nai B’rith in Mexico City, and other local Jewish leaders, there was at that time absolutely no discrimination in Mexico against Jewish workers. A group of several hundred, they said, had for some time been trying to establish an agricultural colony, and for this purpose had been soliciting assistance in the United States. Not a few of the immigrants were taking out citizenship papers with the intention of becoming Mexican citizens. On every occasion that has presented itself, they added, the Jewish colonists had received cordial and courteous treatment at the hands of the Mexican Government.

Several months ago, our report stated, it was difficult to find the so-called Jewish neighbourhood, Now there were Jewish butcher-shops, grocery-stores, tailor-shops, barber shops, etc. Several Hebrew schools were going at full blast, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association was open nightly with meetings constantly taking place, and Jewish dentists and doctors becoming more numerous. It was estimated in 1925 that there were between five and six thousand European Jews in Mexico City and about 12,000 Arabian Jews. Other cities with considerable numbers of Jews were Monterrey, Torreon, Chihuahus, and Tampico. The flow of Jewish immigration was continuing steadily, Sometimes four or five hundred Jewish men, women and children arriving in a month. Practically all the immigrants came to the B’nai B’rith Bureau in Mexico City for assistance and were enabled to obtain employment and were given food and shelter until they found occupations and were taught Spanish. One Jewish leader in Mexico City expressed his belief that within the next ten years, by 1935, there would be not loss than 50,000 Jewish immigrant settlers in Mexico City.