J. D. B. News Letter

Budapest-Admiral Horthy, the Regent of Hungary, has astounded and angered Jewish and Democratic opinion generally here, by conferring the distinction of Knight of the Order of Heroes on three of the most notorious anti-Semitic agitators in the country, Deputy Julius Goemboes, Commandant Hejjas, and ex-Deputy Hir.

Deputy Julius Goemboes is the leader of the anti-Semitic organization, the Union of Awakening Magyars, and is constantly engaged in violent anti-Jewish agitation. He is also connected with the so-called Anti-Semitic International, which has attempted to set up a united anti-Semitic front in all countries, other leading members of which are the Roumanian anti-Semitic leader, Professor Cuza, and the German anti-Semitic writer, ex-Deputy Fritsch.

Commandant Ivan Hejjas was the leading figure in the anti-Jewish brutalities committed during the White Terror in Hungary He stands, for the Jewish and Democratic opinion in Hungary, as the symbol and the embodiment of all the anti-Jewish pogroms which were carried out at that time by the Hejjas bands. This feeling is so strong that in 1926, when Commandant Hejjas was elected to Parliament, the Opposition Deputies notified the President of the Chamber that they refused to sit in a Parliament which contained “the mass murderer Hejjas, who was the leader of the pogroms at the time of the “White Terror.” They decided that if Commandant Hejjas took his seat in Parliament all the Opposition Deputies would lay down their mandates. As the result of this threat, Commandant Hejjas was prevailed upon to resign his membership in the House.

Ex-Deputy Hir is also one of the leading men in the Union of Awakening Magyars and has played a prominent part in the most violent of the anti-Jewish agitations in the country.

Vienna-The whole of the press of Jugoslavia, headed by the “Politika,” publish in full the interview given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. Marinkovic, to Jacob Landau, commenting upon it at length. The Austrian newspapers, too, publish long telegraphic reports of the interview from their Belgrade correspondents, giving them a prominent place on their front pages.

The J. T. A. interviews which Mr. Landau has had recently with the leading members of the Governments and with other influential personages in the South-European countries, like Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, and Jugoslavia, have succeeded in opening the front pages of the most important newspapers of Southern and Central (Continued on Page 4)

Constantinople-Several of the organs of the Turkish press, which is now of a semi-official character, have been for some time engaged in an anti-Jewish agitation, in connection with the rise of the pound sterling on the Exchange. The papers allege that the rise is caused by Jewish speculation. The Government has so far taken no action to put a stop to these allegations, although it is the custom of the Turkish government to act promptly in cases of reports published in the press which are incorrect or regarded as harmful. The passive attitude of the authorities is interpreted both by the Jews and the anti-Semites as meaning that the government has no objection to the anti-Jewish campaign. In financial circles here, it is understood that the government is the largest buyer of foreign exchange in the country, and that if private speculation was really the reason for the rise of the pound sterling, the government could easily break up the speculation, by placing on the market its own reserves of English currency.

For the last fortnight, too, the “Hareket” (“Progress’) has been publishing announcements that it is starting publication shortly of the “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.” In almost every issue, it prints headlines and extracts from the “Protocols,” as advance material. The “Hereket” is owned by a deputy of the National Party, of which Kemal Pasha is the leader.

Berlin-A memorial slab to commemorate the assassination of Dr. Walter Rathenau, the German Foreign Minister, was unvealed on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of his death, on the spot where he was assassinated. The slab has been fixed to a tree which still bears the marks of the bullets.

As each year, on the anniversary of the assassination, the members of the Republican Banner marched to the spot to hold their annual memorial gathering. A guard of honor had been standing there from early morning. State Secretary Oscar Meyer, who delivered the memorial address, dwelt on the international importance of the work done by Rathenau, who many years ahead of his time, had laid the foundations of Germany’s reconciliation with the rest of the world.

Wreaths were deposited by Federal Minister Groener on behalf of the government, by ex-Premier Wirth as a friend of Rathenau’s, Deputy Otto Nuschke on behalf of the Democratic Party and by representatives of all the Berlin Democratic groups, branches of the Republican Banner, various students’ organizations, scout groups and athletic bodies.

A huge crowd was present at the celebrations. The procession of the Republican Banner marched past with dipped banners and muffled drums.