The report in a number of leading Mexican papers that 40,000 Jews were about to arrive here from Poland and other countries of Eastern Europe was characterized as entirely unfounded in an official statement issued today by the Mexican state department. The state department declares that it has received no solicitation to permit 40,000 Jews to enter Mexico.
The statement adds that even if such an application were made it would probably be rejected in view of the fact that the recently enacted immigration laws establish barriers for all those unprepared to gain a foothold in the republic, and the Jews supposed to be on their way to Mexico are unfamiliar with agriculture and would have to seek a livelihood in commercial activities.
State department officials point out that the government’s attitude is not to be interpreted as unfriendliness to Jewish immigrants because the department would take similar action against any group of immigrants unable to comply with the requirements of the new immigration laws which provide that all newcomers must be able to establish themselves economically and otherwise.
The government’s denial is prominently featured in all Mexico City dailies and El Universal Grafico, which was the first to publish the reports of the impending mass immigration of Jews, blandly reprints the statement without comment. On the basis of these unfounded reports various chambers of commerce throughout the country have initiated a campaign to prevent the arrival of the Jewish immigrants.
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