“Criminal proceedings” have been initiated against the Bucharest Jewish community on the charge that it failed to deliver its proper quota of civilian clothes to the army as ordered by the Rumanian authorities last January, it is reported here today.
The Nazi newspaper Westdeutscher Beobachter, which carries the news, says that action has been taken against the Jewish community under the existing war regulations. It adds that the Jews of Bucharest are charged with delivering only half of the quota of clothing which they were ordered to surrender.
The January order specified that those Jews who did not possess the article of clothing which they were required to deliver would have to pay the cash equivalent of each article demanded. The Jewish Community of Bucharest, which was held responsible for the collection of the clothing, was ordered by the authorities to announce that “those who do not fulfill their obligations by February 1st will have to suffer the consequences.”
The Westdeutscher Beobachter, in reporting that the Jews of Bucharest will probably have to pay heavy collective penalties for not delivering the requested amount of clothing, explains that the Rumanian authorities have merged all Jewish organizations into a Central Office for Jews which is responsible to the government for all Jewish actions in the country. The Central Office, composed of ten leading Jews, must see to it that all Government orders concerning the Jews are carried out and must inform the Jews throughout the country about all these orders through its official organ “Gazetta Evreasca” which is the only publication for Jews permitted in Rumania. The actions of the Central Office are subject to control of a Rumanian Commissar, the paper points out.
Reports reaching here today also state that Jews in Rumania are no longer permitted to sell Rumanian newspapers and magazines.
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