Austrian Schemes

The Austrian government, failing in its diplomatic attempts to mask its anti-Jewish action by official and worthless statements, has now embarked on a new scheme. It is endeavoring to split the Jewish community in Vienna for the purpose of finding at least some Jewish backing.

The efforts which the Austrian government now is making to create the impression that the extreme Jewish orthodox groups favor the government’s present policy will fool nobody. We know that they do not express the opinion of Austrian Jewry.

The trick of splitting the Jewish population in order to weaken the resistance of the Jewish community and be able to say that not all Jews in Austria oppose the government’s anti-Jewish measures will not work this time. The Austrian government is making a mistake if it thinks that Jews abroad do not know who is who in Austrian Jewry.

The anti-Jewish policy of the Austrian government is an open book. The revival of anti-Jewish agitation in the Nazis press, now permitted by the government, cannot be shielded by any statements issued by the Jews of the Schiff Synagogue in Vienna. The Austrian government will have to show actual—and not diplomatic—goodwill towards its Jewish population if it is interested in preventing a worldwide Jewish campaign against Austria.