Jewish Credit Banks Essential to Uphold Jews in Austria

The Nazis have not as yet come into power in Austria, but in the Austrian government banks Jews are no employees of such banks are being thrown out of their jobs just as they were in Hitler’s Germany.

In this respect-that of credits-the Jews of Austria will be in a much worse position than the Jews of Germany. The Jews of Germany can still find some way to tide themselves over. If they are in business, they still have a little capital. They have special Jewish credit associations upon which they can depend. Moreover, in Germany to this very day there is a rule that no special discriminations be made against Jews in business or bank credit.

In Austria, things are different. There are no rules about Jewish credit in Austria. But it is no longer a secret that Jewish merchants can no longer hope to get their usual credit at Austrian banks. It is being said opiely and clearly that a “Christian Austria” is no place in which to stimulate Jewish trade by state or municipal credit extension.

Without the usual credit system upon which Jewish trade in Austria heretofore depaended, without Jewish credit societies of their own, with personal-even though small-capital, whither can the Jewish small trader in Austria turn? To whom can he appeal? How will he be able to exist?

The average Jewish merchant in Austria was never a very wealthy man. He has never had much capital of his own. He always conducted his business on loans, on a “give and take” basis. He would take credit and also give it.

Now he has been entirely cut off from his credit sources. He has no idea where aid will come from, nor how he can make it possible to continue.

These economic discriminations against the Jews, begun even before the Nazis come into power, are in many respects worse for the Jews than the expected political discriminations. They are a “purely internal” matter. No complaint to the League of Nations can be made about them. Sympathy cannot be sought abroad on that score. It can not even be shown that they are against the existing Austrian constitution.

The Jews of Austria are now faced with the problem of finding some way out of these economic discriminations, some way of conducting their businesses, bothgreater and lesser.

The only way they can help themselves is by establishing special Jewish banks and Jewish credit associatons, institutions “by Jews for Jews.”

Austrian Jews are discussing such credit socicties as their last hope. Thousands of Jewish families in Austria are building their plans upon the foundation of such credit sources. The “To undermine under the pretext that “in a Christian country there in no place for.

Mr. Smolar, chief European correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in this article outlines the economic position of Austrian Jewry and the measures that should be taken to safeguard the Jewish Community.

MONEY FROM ABROAD IS NECESSARY TO FINANCE NEW PROJECTS

Jewish trade” depends entirely upon such credit associations.

The Jewish credit banks in Austria-these urgently needed constructive aids for Austrian Jewry-will never come to be if Austrian Jewry does not get help from abroad. Help from America, from the “Joint” and the “Foundation.”

The Amercan Joint Distribution Committee and the American Joint Reconstruction Foundation have already had much experience in the establishment of such special Jewish credit banks. In Polished such banks and by means of them actually saved Jewish small trade from destruction.

Now the turn has come for Germany and Austria.

In Germany, where Jewish trade had not as yet been forbidden, cental Jewish relief organizations are now planning much on the strength of the Jewish credit frunds which the Joint has begun to establish there. In Austria the Jews are putting their last and only hopes upon these funds.

The Jews of Autria believe that in another week or so the Nazis will certainly come into power here. They know that the Nazis are merely looking for the appropriate moment to take control legally, and they have no doubt whatsoever that such a moment is near.

Under such conditions it is no wonder that Austrian Jewry is very much worried about the future of Jewish business. Austria is not Germany. When the Nazis come into power in Austria the Jews will not only lose their credit and their jobs, but there is even some question that they will be permitted to trade at all

AUSTRIANS NEED GERMAN TRADE

Christian deputations from various cities in Austria have already called upon Dolifuss and have declared that although they do not lack patriotism or faith in the Chancelor they will simply be compelled to go over to the Nazis because it has become economic all impossible for the Christian population to make a living since Austria has been cut off from Germany and because Jews play too great a part in business. They declard that for them it is a matter of life and death to have the German boundaries reopened and Jewish trade limited.

Resolutions recently adopted by the chambers of commerce in Tyrol, Salzburg and other cities formulated these demands clearly. They indicated that their members had been carring on trade with Germany for hundreds of years and cannot exist without Germany. They directly demanded a complete understanding with Hitler’s government and also made it clear that they want Austria reorganized as a “Christian land.”

The president of the Federation of Austrian Industrialists, inspired by a strong speech which Dollfuss delivered, declared that the whole federation stood behind Dollfuss and was ready to aid him in his fight against the Nazis. Several hours later, however, he was compelled to withdraw his words. Protests from all over Austria-with the excention of Vienna and Upper Austria-simply forced him to do so.

From all these facts it is easy to see that the more influential elements in Austria-the Christian merchants and industrialists-are daily becoming more and more inclined to Nazism, for purely economic. reasons. Not to mention the youth. For the youth believes that its chances will be better when Austria will have become a part of a country numbering 66,000,000 souls than they will be if Austria remains an isolated coutry of only 6,000,000. Austrian youth is definitely in favor of the Nazis and believes sincerely that National Socialism is unavoidable in Austria.

With this the ruling sentiment it is easy to see why the Nazi theory of “racial purity” appeals so strongly to the youth. It is easy to see why anti-Semitism is gaining ground among them.

Does the present government check these anti-Semitic tendencies? Unfortunately, no. The government does not at all wish to show the youth any opposition to anti-Semitism.

As yet, the Nazi are not in power. But Jewish bank employees are already being discharged from their posts and Jewish merchants can no longer obtain credit. The Jews of Austria may still be able to fight for their political rights through the League of Nations but their economic rights will have to be definded by the Jews of the rest of the world.