THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS IS URGED TO PROTEST TO GERMANY AGAINST THE NAZI RACIAL POLICY “TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHE WHICH MUST INEVITABLY HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS” IN A BOOK ENTITLED “INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF GERMAN RACIAL POLICIES” BY PROFESSOR OSCAR I. JANOWSKY AND MELVIN M. FAGEN.
DECLARING THE LEAGUE IS AUTHORIZED BY ITS COVENANT TO BRING THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE BAR OF INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE, THE BOOK WARNS THAT PERSECUTION OF MINORITIES IN GERMANY THREATENS THE LEAGUE’S FOUNDATIONS AND ENDANGERS WORLD PEACE.
THE VOLUME, PUBLISHED BY THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NOV. 12, TAKES AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE THE LETTER OF RESIGNATION OF JAMES G. MCDONALD AS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR GERMAN REFUGEES. IT CONTAINS THE LETTER, AS WELL AS THE 86-PAGE ANNEX TO THE DOCUMENT, AND ALSO A PREFACE BY JAMES SCOTT BROWN, HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW; A POSTSCRIPT BY COL. JOSIAH C. WEDGWOOD, MEMBER OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND AN INTRODUCTION BY JAMES N. ROSENBERG AND PROFESSOR MORRIS R. COHEN.
AFTER SURVEYING THE HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM, PRECEDENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ASPECTS OF NAZI POLICIES, THE AUTHORS DISCUSS “THE TASK OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS,” INCLUDING THE NEED FOR FURTHER ACTION.
DECLARING THE PERSECUTION OF “NON-ARYANS” HAS BECOME EVEN MORE INTENSE AND “HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HUMAN BEINGS ARE BEING DRIVEN TO DESPAIR AND DESTRUCTION,” THE AUTHORS HOLD THAT “THE LEAGUE IS DUTY BOUND TO INTERCEDE AGAIN ON THEIR BEHALF.”
NOR IS THE MATTER SOLELY HUMANITARIAN IN CHARACTER,” THE BOOK SAYS. “SELF INTEREST OBLIGES THE MEMBERS OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE PROGRAM OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT. THE SAVINGS AND FINANCIAL RESERVES OF THE GERMAN ‘NON-ARYANS’ ARE BEING RAPIDLY DEPLETED, AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME THE WORLD WILL BE BURDENED WITH AN EVEN GREATER RELIEF AND REFUGEE PROBLEM.
“MASSES OF HUMAN BEINGS, BROKEN IN SPIRIT AND IMPOVERISHED, ARE BEING FORCED TO FLEE FROM PERSECUTION AND TO THROW THEMSELVES UPON THE GENEROSITY OF ADJACENT LANDS. ACTION MUST BE TAKEN NOT ONLY TO UPHOLD THE ‘LAWS OF HUMANITY,’ BUT ALSO TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHE WHICH MUST INEVITABLY HAVE FAR-REACHING INTERNATIONAL EFFECTS.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
