Jews in Mexico Panic-stricken by Anti-alien Move Directed Specially Against Jews: Driven by Police F

The Jews of Mexico have been plunged in a state of panic by the action of the police in Mexico City, who yesterday drove by force all Jewish market traders there from their stalls in the market-places, which were taken possession of by Mexicans, who celebrated their victory with music and a display of flags. Several Jews were beaten and a number of others were arrested for refusing to leave their stalls immediately they were ordered to do so.

The move against the Jewish market traders is consequent on a recent Government decree, which says that immigrants who were admitted to Mexico as labourers must not engage in trade, and that those who have come into the country as traders must renew their licences by April 28th. The Jewish traders who applied for a renewal of their licences, in accordance with the order, were told that their licences could not be renewed.

A mass meeting of Jewish street-traders who are in a state of despair over the new situation, has been called for today to decide what measures should be taken to protect their interests.

For several weeks one Miguel Angel Robles, claiming to represent Mexican market-traders, has been collecting signatures from market concessionaires and owners of large and small shops in Mexico City, on a petition which is to be presented to the President, Pascaual Ortiz Rubio, demanding the expulsion of all foreign market-traders, especially Jews, on the ground that they are detrimental to Mexican trade.

Their action is not in the nature of retaliation for the deportation of Mexicans from the United States, the petitioners declare, nor prompted by the fair competition of the foreign market-traders, claiming that the trouble is that the aliens, and above all, the Jews, are able to sell cheaply, because they deal in smuggled goods and are aided financially by Jewish organisations.

The petition demands that Jewish, Russian, Lebanese, Turkish and Syrian market-traders should be expelled from Mexico and warns the authorities that if they do not do this the Mexican market-men will resort to direct action to drive the foreigners, and especially the Jews, out of the country.

The Jews were invited to Mexico in 1924 by the then President Calles, who in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency declared that Mexico was prepared to welcome the immigration of Jewish refugees, whether they intend to engage in agriculture or in industrial pursuits. An important point was that the refugees would not all be expected to go on the land. The Jewish refugees, he said, would be able to engage in various trades and build up big industries, as for example, in tailoring, enabling Mexico to manufacture in its own boundaries articles which at present have to be imported.

This offer followed on a previous one made in 1922 through his predecessor in the Presidency of Mexico, General Obregon, which was investigated by the American Jewish Congress, whose decision was that the scheme was not feasible and advised prospective emigrants from Eastern Europe not to embark upon the search for a new home in Mexico.

In 1925 President Calles wrote to the J.T.A. that he still maintained the statement which he had made the previous year to the J.T.A., that the Government of Mexico would be pleased to see immigration of Jewish elements on a sound basis and would grant all necessary facilities.

Last January, when there was a considerable outcry against Jewish immigration to Mexico, the Confederation of Mexican Chambers of Commerce issued a statement denouncing the agitation against the Jews and declaring that the Jews of Mexico are advantageous to the country in the business field and are ethical, honourable, enterprising and excellent citizens. The Confederation is proud, the statement said, to have Jews among its members.