Jews Flee Starvation Threat in Provinces by Move to Berlin

The Nazi anti-Jewish drive turned today on Jewish dealers in groceries as steps were taken to “co-ordinate” the grocery business to the aims of the Third Reich.

The wholesale grocers, meeting today, voted not to sell anything to Jewish retail merchants. The wholesalers’ association is the chief source of supply for foodstuffs produced locally as well as for canned goods and other grocery market staples.

Retail grocers, who also met today, voted not to buy anything from Jewish wholesalers. The Jewish wholesalers deal mainly in imported teas and coffees.

The continuously narrowing circle of possibilities for Jewish traders is particularly disastrous for the provincial Jewish population because the grocers there are even refusing to sell food to Jewish customers. With Jewish grocers unable to obtain stocks from their wholesalers it would be impossible for the Jewish population to depend on Jewish grocers or to rely on non-Jewish grocers who are frequently intimidated by Nazis and are afraid to sell to the Jews.

Jewish emigration from the provinces to Berlin is expected to reach mass proportions in the near future. This week already, the rush to Berlin reached unprecedented proportions following a false rumor, which spread like wildfire through the country, that Portugal had permitted unrestricted migration of the Jews from Germany to that country and that the Berlin Jewish community had assigned a large sum for transportation costs. Many besieged the community offices for information and for railroad fares to Portugal.

It is estimated that five thousand Jews left Germany within the past fortnight. Those who have been unable to obtain foreign visas, have fled to the Saar region, which is under French control, and where they are at least temporarily free from persecution by the Nazis.