Hungary Resumes Deportation of Jews; 8,000 Jews Deported from Prague

Following the lead of Germany, the Hungarian authorities today resumed mass-deportation of Jews from Hungary into Nazi-occupied territory, under the pretext that the Jews are not Hungarian citizens. Many of the deported Jews were born on soil which is now a part of Hungary but which belonged to Rumania and Czechoslovakia before the outbreak of the present war.

Simultaneously mass-deportation of Jews from Prague started yesterday with 2,000 Jews being transported to the Pinsk swamps, on the former Polish-Soviet frontier. 6,000 more Jews in Prague were notified today to be ready for deportation within a few days.

From all indications it looks as if the Nazi authorities have embarked on a plan to establish a “Jewish reservation” in the swampy district of Pinsk which was considered a natural frontier by the Polish government since no human being could ever cross the swamps.

Special “evacuation numbers” were distributed today by the police to Jews in various cities in Germany to be displayed on the yellow Mogan Davids. It is assumed that these numbers signify the order in which the Jews will be called up for deportation to Poland.

Police authorities in Berlin today instituted a new method for expelling Jews. Instead of raiding the homes of the victims, the police order the Jewish community council in each city to write individual letters to each local Jew advising him to be ready for departure without any official notice. The Jews must then sign a special form stating that they will not take along with them to Poland more than one extra suit, a few shirts, six handkerchiefs, and no bed linen.