Jewish People Need Have No Apprehensions Says German Consul General

Memorial exercises, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of Walter Rathenau, former Foreign Minister of Germany, were held at the German Jewish Center of New York.

An address was delivered by Willy Aaron who reviewed the life and contributions of Walter Rathenau, recalling that his address at the Genoa Conference ten years ago paved the way for understanding between Germany and the Nations of the world after the war. Mr. Aaron also touched on the present Jewish situation in Germany and expressed his sense of dismay that half of the German nation has turned to a party whose political program is directed against the Jews who have shown their devotion to Germany by the sacrifice of their lives as well as the contributions of their wealth, intellect and energy. Mr. Aaron voiced the fear that the Jewish population would be subjected to persecution and injustice under the new regime in Germany.

Dr. Otto Kiep, German Consul General in New York, who was present at the exercises, on being requested by the Chairman to address the meeting, expressed the view that the apprehensions voiced by the speaker were unfounded. No violence or injustice need be feared by any portion of the German population. If part of an alleged program quoted by the speaker seemed to suggest such events, he would remind him that there is always a great difference between a platform prepared by a party for political campaign and the actual policies of responsible government.

Furthermore the present conflict between the various political parties in Germany regrettably presented the picture of each resenting and antagonizing the other, so that it was hard to say whether any social or other group of the people was more threatened by the program of its opponents than the others. The main feature of the present situation, however, was that the extreme radicalization of the German parties had arisen from the economic and social distress born out of the pressure of political debts; the moment that pressure were relieved, peace and tranquility would be restored in Germany. In any case Germany in her present plight needed the cooperation of all her sons, regardless of social, racial or religious differences and it was therefore the duty of all to seek unity in the aims for the country rather than to stress existing party conflicts.