Meeting Between Bruening and Hitler Causes Consternation Among German Jews: Berlin Jewish Community

German Jewry is in a state of consternation because of the meeting which took place yesterday afternoon between the Prime Minister, Dr. Bruening, and Adolf Hitler, the leader of the National Socialist Party.

Although their interview was arranged on the request of Dr. Bruening in order to influence the Hitlerists to agree to a prolongation of President Hindenburg’s term of office, which expires on May 5th., to avoid an election campaign, and for which purpose it is essential to have a two-thirds majority of the Reichstag, an impossibility without the support of the Hitlerists, the Jews are afraid, however, that any approchement by the Government to the Hitlerist Party will involve concessions to the Hitlerists which would expose Jews to the undisguised antisemitism of the Hitlerist programme.

The Representative Council of the Berlin Jewish Community held a special meeting to-day, in order to consider the political situation created for German Jewry as a result of the meeting between Hitler and the Premier and to discuss measures for their protection.

Speakers belonging to both the Liberal and the Zionist Parties agreed that the Jews of Germany are in a dangerous position since the revelations of Hitlerist intentions with regard to the Jews contained in the Boxheim documents seized at the Hitlerist headquarters in Hesse show that if the Hitlerists come to power in Germany their first action will be to starve out the Jews. Even accepting Hitler’s repudiation of the Boxheim documents, there is sufficient evidence in the Hitlerist press and the statements made by Hitlerist leaders and also in the published Draft Laws of the projected Hitlerist State in regard to the Jews to show that the Hitlerists, whether they come into the Government with an independent majority, or in a coalition, would, above all else, proceed to deprive the Jews of all civil rights, and subject them to oppression.

The East European Jews enjoy the protection of their Consuls in Germany and of the League of Nations, one of the speakers of the Liberal Party said, but the German Jews would under a Hitlerist regime be entirely defenceless.

Finally, the meeting appointed a permanent committee to go into consultation with regard to the Jewish position in Germany, and to propose measures for the protection of Jewish life and property.