NEGOTIATIONS FOR AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA’S TWO ANTI-SEMITIC PARTIES–THE NATIONALIST PARTY AND THE PRO-NAZI GREYSHIRTS–HAVE FALLEN THROUGH WITH THE NATIONALIST PARTY EXPRESSING APPRECIATION OF THE GREYSHIRTS’ ANTI-SEMITISM, BUT REFUSING TO BECOME ALLIED WITH A NAZI ORGANIZATION.
“…WE THINK THAT THE IDENTIFICATION OF THIS SERVICE WITH A NAZI OR FASCIST MOVEMENT AS IN THE CASE OF YOUR PARTY, CAN ONLY RETARD THIS SERVICE AND ONLY DO HARM TO THE OBJECT IN VIEW,” SAID F.C. ERASMUS, SECRETARY OF THE NATIONALIST PARTY, IN THE LETTER TO R.W. LAUBSCHER, SECRETARY OF THE GREYSHIRTS, IN TERMINATING THEIR CORRESPONDENCE.
MR. LAUBSCHER WROTE BACK TERMING AS “JEWISH LIES” THE DECLARATION THAT HIS ORGANIZATION WAS A GERMAN MOVEMENT AND AIMED AT DICTATORSHIP.
WHILE THE NEGOTIATIONS FAILED, THE NATIONALISTS EXPRESSED “SINCERE APPRECIATION OF THE USEFUL WORK DONE THE GREYSHIRTS IN ONE IMPORTANT RESPECT, VIZ., THAT THEY HAVE VERY PERTINENTLY DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE TO THE JEWISH PROBLEM, WHICH INDEED HAS ASSUMED VERY THREATENING DIMENSIONS.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
