Between the Lines

The new year which dawns upon the world tomorrow promises to keep Jewish leaders very busy.

Besides fighting Hitlerism, Jewish organizations must mobilize forces to better protect Jewish rights in Austria; for a stronger fight for Jewish existence in Poland; for helping Jewish refugees from Germany remain in France; for combatting the anti-Jewish measures in Latvia and in Lithuania; for finding new territories for the immigration of oppressed Jews.

The first to suffer with the new year will be the five thousand Jews of the Saar. Exactly two weeks from today they will have to take their belongings and begin the exodus from their homes, of the Saar plebiscite on January 13 will turn this territory over to Germany.

JEWISH PERSPECTIVES

Next to the Saar Jews come the Jews of Danzig. They too, will have a difficult year, since Danzig, though a Free City, is gradually coming under the control of a Nazi administration, despite the presence of the League of Nations High Commissioner there.

The most difficult problem for world Jewry during the coming year will, however, be the question of helping the Jews of Poland and Austria. Everything points to the view that the Jewish situation in Poland in 1935 will develop to a point where Jewish diplomacy will have to be changed to open aggression.

The picture in Austria is similar. The government says one thing and does another when it comes to Jewish rights. Mere representations to the Austrian government probably will not be sufficient in 1935.

The silence which Jewish organizations abroad have maintained during 1934 with regard to growing anti-Jewish economic discriminations in Latvia and Lithuania may be changed to open protest in 1935. The governments in these two countries, rapidly falling under the influence of anti-Semitic elements, may have to face a strong Jewish resistance.

NEW TERRITORIES

Simultaneous with the fight for Jewish rights, Jewish leaders will find themselves occupied in 1935 with the problem or settling Jews on new territories in addition to Palestine. There is no doubt that a migration of Polish Jews to Biro-Bidjan will start on a substantial scale. Thousands of Jews may also take advantage of the invication to settle in Syria. Others may proceed {SPAN}###{/SPAN} Brazil, in accordance with a plan now under consideration.

The year of 1935 also will be full of outstanding events for Palestine. The Iraq pipeline, which will add to Palestine’s importance, will begin operations early in 1935. The doors of Transjordan may be partly opened in 1935. The Legislative Council may be proclaimed in 1935. The World Zionist Congress is scheduled for 1935.

As to American Jewish life, the year 1935 promises to be much brighter than its predecessor. There is good ground to believe that anti-Semitic propaganda in the United States will show a great decline since the economic situation here is on the road to recovery, and ###