Varying explanations were given here today for the Russian order, revealed on Friday, that no further transports of Palestine-bound Jews from Eastern Europe would be permitted to pass through the Soviet zone in Austria.
The Soviet move is reported motivated by the belief that the continued presence of Jews in Poland will aid in the democratic reconstruction of the country, by the alleged presence among the emigrants of non-Jewish anti-democratic elements, chiefly members of pro-Anders anti-government bands and by the fact that among the refugees have been some who are now Russian citizens and consequently not authorized to emigrate.
The last transport of Jews to be allowed to cross through the Russian zone said on arriving here that they had been told by the Soviet military authorities that a large number of “fascist reactionary elements” had been found hiding among the fleeing Polish Jews.
It was learned today that the Russian authorities in Prague have also asked that the Polish-Czech borders remain closed to fleeing Jews. The frontier was closed last week following a protest to the Czechoslovak Government by the British embassy.
Only a small number of Jews arrived in Vienna this week, in comparison to the 700 who had been arriving daily, as a result of the closing of the Czech-Polish, Austrian-Czech and Austrian-Hungarian frontiers.
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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.
