Antisemitish in Argentine

There has been a marked increase of antisemitic propaganda in the Argentine recently, which has even found its way into the recognised medical journal “La Semana Hedicine”, with a big circulation in the other South American Republics, where a well-known surgeon has printed an article presenting the Jews as an undesirable element.

In the elections which have just been held, too, a number of individuals and groups tried to ride into office on the crest of an anti-Jewish campaign, and antisemitic agitators were active in the towns and villages. One of the, a military chaplain, Gonazales Fan, travelled through various districts delivering virulent antisemitic speeches, alleging that there is a permanent war between Judaism and Christianity and linking together Bolshevism, the Zionist Congress and the Elders of Zion. In several places he succeeded in inciting the Christian population against the Jews, In Cordova and San Diego, for instance, his campaign resulted in antisemitic demonstrations and the Jewish population were panic-stricken, fearing a pogrom and made preparations to leave these cities.

Government representatives were present at some of the meetings at which Gonazales Fan made his wild accusations against the Jews, and showed no sign of dispproval. The representative of the local authorities in Cordova refused to receive a Jewish delegation who called on him to demand that the antisemitic incitement should be prohibited.

The Jews of the Argentine are looking forward, however, to a diminution of the antisemitic activity now that the election campaign is over, and in particular they are hopeful that if the Democratic candidate for President, Dr. de la Tore, is elected, and Dr. Repeto, the Socialist candidate becomes Vice-President, as is generally anticipated, there will be an end of the military dictatorship, which has caused a great deal of hardship to thousands of Jewish manufacturers and traders, and that the systematic press campaign to discredit Jews will be prohibited.