Nazis Halt J.t.a. Cable Service out of Germany; U.S. Consul Intercedes

Prohibition of the foreign service of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from Germany was officially announced this afternoon by the Nazi authorities in an interview with Raymond Geist, American consul at Berlin, when the American diplomatic representative made inquiries regarding the closing of the Berlin bureau of the American-owned news service and the suspension of its service within Germany.

This marks the first case since the Hitler regime came to power in Germany that the rigid censorship installed here has been extended to prohibit completely the functioning of correspondents of an American news-gathering agency who are American citizens.

The authorities explained that this measure was not directed personally against Ber Smolar, chief European correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, whose headquarters have been in Berlin, but against the news service. Mr. Smolar, it was said, will not be deported but may remain in Germany safely as long as he does not engage in correspondence work for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

This prohibition has aroused much interest among the foreign correspondents here and several of them feel that it may be the forerunner of other prohibitions. Many American newspapermen in Berlin have aroused the keen displeasure of the Nazi authorities because of the contents of their news dispatches and it is believed that similar steps may be taken against them, if the authorities succeed in maintaining their ban on the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondents.

Official representations to the German authorities made by the American consular authorities may result in reopening of the question of suppression of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency service, George S. Messersmith, American consul general, informed the news service representatives here today.

“Representations have been made to the authorities in your behalf,” Mr. Messersmith declared, “and a promise obtained to reexamine the case. I have suggested the finding of a modus operandi satisfactory to you and to them. I am hopeful of finding a way out of the difficulties.”