Ten thousand Eastern European Jews are liable to be affected by the Hitler cabinet’s decision to withdraw German citizenship at its discretion from “undesirables” naturalized within the last fifteen years, it was estimated today as a careful study was made here of the Nazis’ latest batch of decrees against non-Aryans. Citizenship may be withdrawn, under the new decree, from persons who obtained it between November 9, 1918, and January 30, 1933.
Among the German Jews who were naturalized during this time most of them are of Roumanian, Polish or Russian origin. If they are disfranchised from the German state they will probably become statenlose (men without citizenship in any country), since it is doubtful whether their native lands will reaccept them.
Other decrees issued by the cabinet struck hard and deep at German Jewry. The Nazis decided to withdraw German citizenship from Germans who fled abroad if these persons conduct anti-German propaganda in foreign lands or if they do not return to Germany upon the Hitler government’s request. But what was more to the point, they ruled that the property of persons refusing to return to Germany when commanded may be confiscated by the government. They also ruled that they could confiscate the property of all “anti-state” elements, with the ministry of the interior being given the authority to establish which persons it considers anti-state, and also what action is considered an anti-state action.
German Jews who fled abroad will be greatly affected by these decrees. Their banking accounts, which they were unable to export, as well as well as their immovable property, may be confiscated by the Nazis if they do not return to Germany when their visas expire. This has already happened to Dr. Albert Einstein.
ANTI-JEW PRESS DRIVE RENEWED
Anti-Semitic agitation is not diminishing here, even though, according to Chancellor Hitler, Ger-
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.
