As the unprecedented round-up of Jews throughout the Old Reich continued, informed circles today interpreted the current intensified anti-Jewish drive here and in Austria as a dramatic piece staged for the benefit of the forth-coming Evian conference.
Last night Joseph Buerckel, Reichs Commissar for Reunion of Austria with Germany, stated that 70,000 Jews must emigrate from Austria within the year. This statement, coupled with the sudden spurt of Gestapo activity, are held to be aimed at “stampeding” the refugee conference into decisive action.
Meanwhile, the wholesale arrests, which began Monday, continued without signs of abatement, with the total number believed nearing the 2,000 mark. According to informed sources, the police were acting principally against Jews who had spent varying lengths of time in prisons and concentration camps for real and fancied political offenses, “anti-social” activities and minor offenses, for which they were subjected to extraordinary punishment because of their race.
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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.