Anglo-jewish Association at Annual Meeting Expresses Sympathy at Assassination of French President:

I feel sure you would wish me to express our respectful aympathy with the Alliance Israelite Universelle of Paris in the loss which they, in common with all other French citizens have suffered from the assassination of M. Paul Doumer, Mr. Leonard Montefiore, the President, said in opening the annual meeting of the Anglo-Jewish Association to-day.

The hospitality which France by long tradition extends to refugees and exiles for political causes has been shamefully abused, he went on, but though there are many Jewish refugees in Paris, we have the mournful satisfaction that it was no Jew who committed the dastardly crime.

The meeting stood for a few moment as a mark of condolence.

JEWISH AFFAIRS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE NOT CHEERFUL: PARTICULARLY IN GERMANY: STRONGEST PARTY IN PRUSSIAN PARLIAMENT NOW DEFINITELY PLEDGED TO ANTISEMITISM: A VERY DISAGREEABLE FACT WHICH CANNOT BE IGNORED: WE CAN ONLY AWAIT EVENTS: ONE FERVENTLY HOPES MANY GLOOMY ANTICIPATIONS WILL NOT BE FULFILLED

When one has to consider Jewish affairs in Central and Eastern Europe, Mr. Montefiore proceeded, in moving the adoption of the annual report, it is less easy to be cheerful, nor can one say with any truth that the clouds have lightened; they still remain dark and menacing. This is particularly the case in Germany. What will be the final political result of the Prussian elections remains obscure, but the fact remains that the existing Government has been defeated and the antisemitic Party, which went to the polls with nine seats has come back with 162. It may be that the Nazis will bide their time and refuse to assume power in Prussia until they can do so simultaneously in the Reich. It may be the Centre Party may be able to prevent their more extreme measures, but by far the strongest party in the Prussian Parliament is now definitely pledged to antisemitism. That is a very disagreeable fact which cannot be ignored.

Is it conceivable that the assumption of power and responsibility could make a still greater change in Hitlerism? I believe not. If a Hitlerist Government comes into power it will be due to the present discontent in Germany, to the unceasing campaign against all those identified with the existing system-the Roman Catholic Church with its political representative the Centre Party, the Social Democrats, authors of the Weimar Constitution, and last butnot least the Jews. It is, unfortunately, antisemitism that cements and unites the National Socialist Party.

There are nearly six million unemployed in Germany, representing with their wives and families eight or nine million voters, Mr. Montefiore said. Covetous eyes look at the positions held by Jews in commerce, in the law, and in the public services. Here is a way to create vacancies and give employment to the unemployed. How many of the Hitlerist voters believed, in voting for Hitler, that they were voting to secure work for themselves and food for their children? A large proportion, I should imagine. One can readily understand them. It would be well if the Nazi leaders studied their history books. Mass expulsion has not led to increased prosperity, either in Egypt or in Spain; the misery inflicted on hundreds of thousands of innocent people has amply revenged itself.

Meanwhile, we can only await events. There is at present no absolute majority in the Prussian Parliament, and it may be, as one fervently hopes it will be, that many gloomy anticipations will not be fulfilled. It is obvious that much depends on the general political situation, and the destiny of the German Jews will be decided as much by events outside Germany as by those within its borders.

A GERMAN GOVERNMENT WITH MILITANT FOREIGN POLICY WHICH WAS ALSO ANTISEMITIC MIGHT FIND JEWISH CAUSE CHAMPIONED IN MOST UNEXPECTED QUARTERS: IN POLAND NO DOUBT JEWISH ECONOMIC POSITION VERY BAD BUT TAKEN AS WHOLE BETTER THAN SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO: FROM SPEECHES IN SEYM OPINION OF REPRESENTATIVE JEWS APPEARS TO BE THAT THOUGH NOT PHILOSEMITIC PRESENT REGIME BETTER THAN ANY ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENT: ONE MUST BEAR IN MIND DIFFICULTIES OF POLISH GOVERNMENT

It is by no means certain, though it is probable, Mr. Montefiore continued, that increased antisemitism in Germany will encourage its growth in other countries-in Austria, Hitler’s native country, without doubt-but in Poland and Roumania other considerations are involved. Hitler’s programme is not solely concerned with expelling the Jews. It also demands the abolition of the Polish Corridor and the reincorporation in the Reich of the large German majority outside the borders. A German Government with a militant foreign policy would certainly create opposition abroad, and it might well be that such a Government, which was also voluntarily antisemitic might find the Jewish cause championed in the most unexpected and unlikely quarters.

However that may be, there is little doubt, I fear, that 1932, like its predecessor, will provide many problems and much anxiety for the Joint Foreign Committee. Let us only hope that it will close less auspiciously than it has begun.

Referring to the economic position of Polish Jewry, Mr. Montefiore said that there was no doubt that the economic position all over Eastern Europe, and especially in Poland, was very bad indeed. The fall in the price of agricultural produce, he pointed out, had reduced the purchasing power of the agriculturists, and the Jews in turn were suffering. As to the conditions being as black as they were painted, there was no doubt that they were very bad, but he felt that the position of the Jews, taken as a whole, were yet better than seven or eight years ago.

From speeches in the Seym, he added, it appeared to be the view of representative Jewish opinion that the present regime, although, of course, not philo-Judaic, was yet better than any alternative Government.

In regard to the economic discrimination against the Jews, he said, one must be just and always bear in mind the difficulties of the Polish Government.

NO TIME FOR REJOICING SAYS CHIEF RABBI

The Chief Rabbi, Dr. J. H. Hertz, said that it was certainly no time now for rejoicing. Whatever might be the practical outcome of the Hitlerist victory, the bitter prejudice and poison-gas of the past would not easily pass away, and that was the strongest danger.

Referring to the cemetery desecrations, the Chief Rabbi said that it was a terrible thing to learn that 83 of the 117 desecrations were perpetrated by women and children, according to the official enquiry.

In regard to Roumania, the public defiling of Sefri Torah gave the greatest grief to Jews throughout the world.

Jewish conditions in the world, he contended, were worse than was reflected in the annual report. A quite unforeseen outbreak of hatred against Jews had occurred in Mexico.

On the credit side, the Chief Rabbi mentioned that it had been a great satisfaction that the curtain had been rung down on the miserable comedy of an eight-day calendar for at least thirty or forty years.

SITUATION IN PALESTINE DIFFICULT BUT LESS DIFFICULT THAN IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF WORLD MR. LEONARD STEIN REPORTS: ECONOMIC SITUATION DEVELOPED LESS UNSATISFACTORILY THAN WOULD BE SUPPOSED: NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER AND COLONIAL SECRETARY DISPOSED TO FRIENDLINESS AND JEWS LOOK TO THEM FOR CO-OPERATION IN INTERESTS OF COUNTRY

Mr. Leonard Stein, in a statement on Palestine, said that 1931 was as elsewhere a difficult year in Palestine. But curiously, and perhaps paradoxically, it was less difficult in Palestine than in a good many other parts of the world. That did not mean that there was not great poverty and distress in parts of the country, especially in Jerusalem. But it was true to say that the economic situation on the whole had developed more satisfactorily, or less unsatisfactorily, than would be supposed.

As an indication, Mr. Leonard Stein quoted the granting of 1,700 certificates of entry under the Labour Schedule. He added that it was interesting and encouraging to notice that according to the 1931 census the Jewish population had more than doubled since 1922 and that the rural population had trebled itself in that period.

In a reference to changes in the personnel of high offices in relation to Palestine, Mr. Stein said that in the new High Commissioner and the new Secretary of State for the Colonies they had two gentlemen who were disposed to friendliness, who were always ready to give a fair and patient hearing and to whom the Jews looked for co-operation in the interests of the country.