A campaign against an influx of Jewish immigrants from Poland is being carried forward here. The recent announcement that Jewish immigration to Palestine is closed has set anti-Jewish factions here in virtual terror of a “Jewish invasion” of Mexico. “El Universal Grafico,” a widely read local afternoon newspaper, says in a prominently displayed article:
“An almost fantastic number of Jewish immigrants, indeed, a veritable avalanche of them, is disposed to come to our country during the next few months, and it seems probable that before another half year has passed there will be no fewer than 40,000 people of this race in Mexico. For several weeks, these people have been preparing for their journey to the ‘Promised Land,’ which in this case, is our country, and is open to what may be termed armies of conquerors.
“According to trustworthy information that has been obtained by this publication, the first contingents of Jewish emigrants will leave Polish ports for Mexico during November. These contingents will be made up of a great number of men, women and children, all of the Jewish race. Other groups, each composed of thousands of persons, will leave the Port of Danzig for Mexico, during the next three or four months. Therefore, within six months there will be an enormous number of Jewish people from Poland in our land.
“We do not desire to venture pessimistic predictions, but in view of the economic crisis and the paucity of work in the country, the outlook is not bright for these immigrants who seek to find their fortune in this country. Indeed, it may be concluded that, in view of the prevailing depressed economic conditions here, these people may find circumstances here even worse then in the countries they abandoned, the lands where their ancestors have lived for centuries. It is most lamentable to draw attention to these facts, but it appears that this copious immigration will probably be a charge upon this country, and even aggravate conditions in Mexico that are now not of the best.
“This matter is one of great social importance, and because of that, this periodical desires to draw attention to this matter to those who have an aptitude for finding a remedy for a future situation which may become deporable.”
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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.