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Jewish Business Leaders Arrested in Danzig Nazi Drive; Funds Confiscated

November 4, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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PRESSING THEIR DRIVE AGAINST JEWS, THE NAZI AUTHORITIES TODAY ARRESTED A NUMBER OF PROMINENT JEWISH BUSINESS MEN, CONFISCATED APPROXIMATELY 2,000,000 GULDEN OF THEIR MONEY, AND DEPRIVED THE JEWISH PUBLIC BANK OF ITS RIGHT TO DEAL IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE.

AMONG THOSE ARRESTED WERE DR. LEO GOLDHABER, DIRECTOR OF THE BANK, AND TWO ASSISTANT DIRECTORS. THE BANK WAS THE ONLY JEWISH FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN THE FREE CITY STILL PERMITTED TO DEAL IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE. A MAJORITY OF THOSE SEIZED ARE CITIZENS OF POLAND. ONE IS A GERMAN NATIONAL. CHARGES UNDER WHICH THEY ARE BEING HELD WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY ASCERTAINED.

IN AN ADDRESS LAST NIGHT, NAZI DISTRICT LEADER ALBERT FOERSTER VIOLENTLY ATTACKED THE JEWS, DECLARING THE NAZI PARTY “KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.” FOERSTER EXPRESSED RESENTMENT AT THE WORLD REACTION TO TREATMENT OF DANZIG JEWS, DECLARING, “THE BREAKING OF JEWISH WINDOWS IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE IN POLAND, YET THE WORLD MAKES NO SUCH FUSS.”

“IN THE MIDDLE AGES,” HE CONTINUED, “THE JEWS HAD TO LEAVE THE PAVEMENT WHEN MEETING A CHRISTIAN. TODAY, THE CONTRARY SEEMS TO BE THE RULE. IN THE FUTURE THINGS WILL BE QUITE DIFFERENT.”

THE REPRESENTATIVE OF A LARGE JEWISH GRAIN EXPORT FIRM CALLED ON DR. ARTHUR GREISER, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, YESTERDAY AND THREATENED TO STOP USING DANZIG’S PORT IF ANTI-JEWISH EXCESSES WERE NOT DISCONTINUED. DR. GREISER REPLIED THE EXCESSES HAD BEEN ORGANIZED BY STREET URCHINS AND DID NOT HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE NAZI PARTY OR THE SENATE, WHICH HAD NO INTENTION, HE SAID, OF INTERFERING WITH EXPORTS.

THE SENATE LEADER ALSO RECEIVED A DELEGATION OF JEWISH SOCIAL WORKERS, INFORMING THEM BOTH THE PARTY AND THE SENATE WERE PREPARED TO COOPERATE ON EMIGRATION OF JEWS FROM DANZIG. HE ADDED THAT GERMAN LAWS WOULD BE INTRODUCED WITHOUT REGARD TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.

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