The Czechoslovak Government is cooperating closely with Jewish organizations in providing shelter and transportation for thousands of Jews who cross from Poland and other neighboring countries into Czech territory en route to the American zones in Germany and Austria, Dr. Rudolf Kuraz, Czechoslovakian Consul-General in New York, declared at a press conference here today.
Dr. Kuraz also reported that the remnants of Czech Jewry are starting a new life with the help of both the government and their fellow citizens. He stated that more than 50 new Jewish communities have been established during the past year containing many Jews from Poland and the sub-Carpathian province which Czechoslovakia
The Consul-General professed ignorance of a report that the Czechoslovak Government was planning to expel 3,000 Sudeten Jews to the American zone in Germany. Instead, he pointed to Podmokly, a town near the German border which the Sudeten Nazis cleared of Jews in 1938, and in which the Jewish community is flourishing again.
Dr. Kuraz emphasized that his government is determined to eradicate anti-Jewish acts. Admitting that some elements in Slovakia have retained the anti-Semitism propagated by the former pro-Nazi regime, he said the authorities are vigilantly prepared to suppress any anti-Jewish outbreaks, such as occurred several months ago.
As a sign of his government’s good intentions, Dr. Kuraz recalled its action in turning over to Jewish communities the property and funds left by Jews exterminated by the Nazis. He admitted delays in restitution of Jewish property, but explained that the legal process is slow.
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