German Jewish Leaders on Prussian Referendum Result: Satisfaction That Antisemitic Slogan Beginning

Satisfaction at the failure of the combined extremists of right and left in the Prussian referendum was expressed today by several of the leaders of German Jewry in special statements made to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here.

Herr Heinrich Stern, President of the Federation of Liberal Jews in Germany, and Chairman of the Representative Assembly of the Berlin Jewish Community, said:

In my opinion the Jewish point of view on the result of the referendum is no different to the general German point of view. Like all sober German citizens, the Jews, too, feel that any attempt at a radical solution of the present political and economic situation could only do incalculable harm. The strengthening of the moderate and sober middle-class and of responsible organised labour, is in the interests of all Germans, including, naturally, the German Jews. We Jews are also glad to see that the antisemitic slogan is beginning to lose its appeal. In this regard, too, we only share the opinion of all sober elements of the population who hold that what we need nowadays is not internecine warfare, but a united front, in the upbuilding of which all citizens, without distinction of religious affiliation, must join. August 9th is a date that marks the first step towards such a unity of front, and it is, therefore, a date of great historic significance.

Dr. Alfred Klee, the leader of the Jewish People’s Party, who is Vice-President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Prussia, and Vice-Chairman of the Representative Assembly of the Berlin Jewish Community, said:

The referendum has gone as the Prussian Government expected. It was obvious that the tremendous agitation conducted by the radicals of both right and left would bring a large number of people to the ballot box. We need only think of the 600,000 disqualified and negative votes, cast by people who were forced by terrorism to go to the polling booths, in order to realise how powerful was the pressure exercised by the extremists in certain of the constituencies, especially in the East of Prussia. Nevertheless, it was clear that the extremists would not be able to secure the support of a half of the entire Prussian electorate for their demand. I have nothing but admiration for the way in which the people of Prussia, at this time of the utmost severe economic distress, has understood where its real interests lie, and has not allowed itself to be stampeded by incitement from left or right to take a leap into the dark.

One can well understand that with the Hitlerist papers filled day after day with fanatical hatred of the Jews there should be real anxiety in Jewish circles over the danger of a deprivation of their citizenship rights. The referendum has shown that there is no real power behind the National Socialists groups. I myself did not anticipate any acute danger, nor do I see any danger now. At the same time, however, it is, naturally, the duty of a wise policy to look ahead and to take the necessary measures to remove the latent peril which undoubtedly exists as a result of the activity of the National Socialists and their allies, and which menaces the position of German Jewry.

Dr. Alfred Wiener, the Syndicus of the Central Union of German Citizens of Jewish Faith said:

German Jews join with all responsible Germans who hold that it is dangerous to incite political passions at a time of serious economic and political anxiety in welcoming the result of the referendum. The referendum agitation was not, as in the case of the elections, identified to any large extent with anti-Jewish incitement. There was too much diversity among the referendum parties to allow of that. They included groups who stand on a platform opposed to the denial of the citizenship rights of German Jews. But as the 9th of August came nearer, the leading Nationalists could not resist indulging in what was almost pogromist agitation. On the eve of the referendum, the notorious Dr. Goebbels, addressing 15,000 people assembled in the Berlin Sport Palace, announced that they were going to end now the 13 years of Jewish domination. The day of reckoning, he shrieked, had come for the Jewish blood-suckers, and all over the country there would be gibbets going up from which the Jews would soon be dangling.

The Nazis fully expected their slogans to bring them success, perceiving in them their chance of at last depriving the German Jews of their rights, which they have been endeavouring to do for ever so long. The rejection of their plan by the overwhelming majority of the Prussian electorate has shown that the tide of radicalism has been stemmed, and that we are now having a rise in the numbers of those who see the best guarantee for German reconstruction in the collaboration of all citizens of good will.

The Central Union, Dr. Wiener concluded, has been conducting an extensive enlightenment campaign among all sections of the people during the period of the referendum campaign. We do not, however, see the result of the referendum as bringing a final and lasting calm in our internal affairs. On the contrary, there is the danger that the Nazis will vent their fury at their failure upon the Jews in the form of an intensified anti-Jewish agitation, and the Central Union feels, therefore, that it must continue its enlightenment campaign more vigorously than ever. We shall make use of all lawful and permissible measures for conducting our work of enlightenment in both the political and the literary fields against the disruptive anti-Jewish agitation, and for the restoration of internal peace in our German Fatherland.