European Democracy Under Severe Test Morris Waldman Says; Declares Anti-semitism Intensified by Econ

Owing to the interest aroused by the abstract of the statement given to a representative of the Jewish Daily Bulletin by Morris D. Waldman, secretary of the American Jewish Committee, upon his return after a four-months’ study of economic and political conditions in Eastern European countries, which was published in our issue of September 25th, the editor deems it important to present Mr. Waldman’s statement in its entirety.

“Though, in a physical sense, much of what was destroyed during the War has been rebuilt, Europe cannot yet be said to have recovered from its effects. The drastic changes in the map of Europe have resulted in an economic devastation of these countries. The arbitrary cutting off of huge commercial markets, the erection of high tariff barriers out of a desire on the part of every country to develop its own industries and the burdensome taxes required to support excessive military and civil establishments, have produced a state of economic stagnation which has spelled ruin for countless merchants and manufacturers, has caused great suffering among the peasantry and wide-spread unemployment among the industrial populations. The ill-balanced distribution of gold, resulting in a measure from the reparation penalties imposed by the peace terms and the hectic anxiety of Soviet Russia to become economically independent of the world, reflected in her policy of “dumping” huge quantities of commodities at the cost of starving her own population, are two other important factors contributing to this unsatisfactory situation.

“The defeated countries are profoundly dissatisfied with penalties imposed upon them by the Peace Treaty—crushing monetary obligations in the face of badly limited resources, due largely to the loss of some of their richest territory. Germany is demanding the abolition of the Corridor. Hungary sees its only hope of salvation in the return of her lost provinces. Austria has nearly lost all hope of independent existence and is yearning for annexation to Germany.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

“Democratic government is being severely tested and the struggle is getting to be more and more a tug of war between Fascism and Communism. These two movements are recruiting greater numbers from the moderate (Liberal and Democratic) parties. Germany has for some time failed to secure a Republican majority and the recent elections have formidably increased the power of the reactionaries on the one side and of the Communists on the other. A new Communist uprising in Hungary has only just been nipped in the bud but there is no telling when another effort will be made. Masses of men and women are in a desperate frame of mind. Parliaments have been dissolved in a number of countries and virtual dictatorships have been established.

“So called democratic governments are being unduly influenced by voluntary reactionary bodies, for example, the Heimwehr in Austria, the anti-Semitic organization in Roumania and the Hitlerites in Germany. The rights of persons belonging to minority groups are being everywhere violated, sometimes flagrantly, more often insidiously, in spite of treaty obligations, constitutional guarantees and the guarantee of the League of Nations, which, in this direction, has proven effective in only a very limited degree.

RESTLESSNESS AND DISCONTENT

“The transfer of millions of human beings to new states in which they constitute minorities has produced a profound unhappiness, a restlessness and discontent which, in spite of peace pacts and the covenant of the League of Nations, retard the assurances of peace in the world.

“Nationalism in the chauvinistic form in which it has developed since the War, is proving destructive. As a result, the Jewish situation has become more than ever precarious. The unhappiness of the peoples of Europe is finding vent in anti-Semitism. The Jew has again become the scape-goat for the troubles of the world—a renewed crucifixion of the Eternal people. Ignoring the fact that the great mass of Jews are living in the most abject poverty and misery in Russia and bordering countries, self-seeking politicians in these territories are exploting the bigotry and prejudices of the ages for their own ambitions. Even in Germany, or shall I say especially in Germany, where the Jews, constituting only one half of one per cent of the population, have made notable contributions,—far in excess of their proportion in the population to the development of German civilization in every direction, science, art, literature and government, as well as in finance, commerce and industry,—they are condemned by their enemies as dangerous aliens; and even Christianity is repudiated by these bigots because it is Jewish in origin.

“Anti-Semitism is the chief plank in the platform of the Fascist (National Socialist) party which has made great gains in the recent elections. It is very improbable, however, that the German people as a whole will allow the country to be overwhelmed by the present wave of super-nationalism, whose inundation has been made possible only by the general economic depression. With the return of economic prosperity, class antagonisms and group hatreds are sure to diminish, including this mediaeval recrudescence of Jew-baiting.”