Peruvian Government Denies Negotiations Under Way for Colonizing Jews in Peru

The report from Berlin that negotiations had been undertaken in Germany for Jewish colonization in Peru was definitely branded as false today by the Peruvian ministry of public works in a communication to the Peruvian embassy here, which transmitted this information to the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The communication from the ministry of public works came in response to an inquiry sent by the Peruvian embassy as a result of the original publication of the report some weeks ago. The embassy at that time expressed doubt as to the truth of the report, and this position has now been confirmed by the communication from Peru.

Following a report from Berlin which appeared in a New York Yiddish daily, May 9, to the effect that the Peruvian government was prepared to offer 2,000,000 hectares of land in Eastern Peru for exclusive Jewish colonization, inquiries by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in Berlin showed that a year-old project of a former German marine officer, Captain Perl, to settle Jews in Eastern Peru had been revived by a Dr. Kirschberg, a Jewish lawyer who was cooperating with a group interested in German colonization in Peru.

Unsuccessful attempts were made by Dr. Kirschberg and his associates to interest Jewish leaders in the plan. Later it was reported that the German colonization group, in which Baron von Maltzan, an uncle of the former German ambassador to the United States, was interested, had completed the draft of an agreement with the Peruvian government.

Those backing the project had also enlisted the interest of Lawrence Groves, American commercial attache in Berlin, who sent a communication regarding the matter to the United States department of commerce. Some days later the proponents of the Peruvian colonization scheme were given an opportunity to put their plan before Jewish leaders at a meeting called on the initiative of the Emigdirekt. At this meeting much skepticism was expressed but there was a feeling that Jewish leaders abroad should be given an opportunity to discuss it. Since then nothing has been heard of it until the denial of the Peruvian government.