Czech Anti-semitic Extremists Split off from Gajda Group

A group of extremists have seceded from General Gajda’s Fascist organization and formed a new body, “Vlajka,” meaning “the standard,” under the leader ship of Jan Roszevac Rys, who is known as the “Czech Julius Streicher.” Rys is a well-known Jew-baiter who has been repeatedly jailed for bombing Jewish shops, even before establishment of the German “protectorate.” It is intended to publish shortly a German-subsidized daily named Ceska Obrana, meaning “Czech Defense,” on the style of Streicher’s Der Stuermer.

Rys strongly opposes General Gajda, branding him as “a friend of the Jews.” The Vlajka organization is supported by Germans, many of whom participated in recent Fascist demonstrations in Wencelas Square disguised as Czechs. Several were arrested by Czech police and were released when it was established that they were Sudetens, although they shouted in the Czech language, “We want the Nuremberg Laws, not the Government’s Jew-law.”

Meanwhile, Der Neue Tag, organ of Reichsprotector Konstantin von Neurath, in a “friendly but urgent” manner, advises Czech booksellers not to dispay the works of Jewish authors, such as Stefan Zweig, Emil Ludwig and Jacob Wassermann, even if translated into Czech. A decree is expected to be issued shortly, similar to that in Germany, banning works by Jewish authors as “trash.”