Unparalleled panic reigns among the Jewish population of the provinces of western Austria today as the aftermath of the wave of Nazi demonstrations which are sweeping the country.
Throughout this entire region, thousands of Jewish families are packing their belongings and making frantic preparations to flee the country in a panic inspired by the belief that the Nazis will assume power in the country very shortly. Many of these people are flooding their relatives in Vienna with inquiries as to whether the capital offers them any refuge from the Nazi terrorists.
Little security is held out for them in Vienna, however, where the Dollfuss government, despite the enmity which its Minister of Public Security, Major Emil Fey, has for the Nazi movement in general, has not been particularly successful in curbing the Austrian Hitlerites.
Disorderly conditions reported from the capital in the last few days, particulary in connection with the Nazi demonstrations attendant to the arrival of Under Secretary Fulvio Suvich, of Italy, for conferences with Premier Dollfuss, last Friday evening, have intensified the felling of panic among the Jews in the provinces who see the government powerless to check the anti-government forces.
The Dollfuss government has given approval to the Haganah, the self-defense organization formed in Vienna by Jewish war veterans, and is permitting it to uniform and as semble arms. Members of the corps patrol the Jewish quarters of the city and maintain a state of preparation to meet attacks on Jewish residents.
The authorities mobilized the selfdefense corps and other Jewish veterans’ groups to aid in protecting the route which Under Secretary Suvich followed Friday from the railway station to the hotel.
Recent defections to the Nazi party of segments of the Heimwehr, the Fascist home guard organization on which the security of the Dollfuss regime is chiefly dependent have seriously sapped the strength of the government and weakened its ability to cope with the attacks of the Austrian Hitlerites. The Heimwehr, with the Schutzcorps, a semimilitary organization, and the police, have seen almost daily service in recent weeks in street fighting with Nazis.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
