Situation in Germany As Jewish Press Sees It

All the current issues of the Jewish weeklies in Germany which appeared to-day devote themselves to considering the situation created by the recent Hitlerist electoral successes in Prussia and other German States.

If the Hitlerists agree to collaborate with the Centre Party, Dr. Julian Lehmann writes in the “Israelitische Familienblatt”, it will take much of the danger out of Hitlerism. The Centre Party can take Hitler’s hand only on condition that law and order is maintained and the equality of all citizens is assured. The whole structure and past of the Centre Party are a guarantee of that. The Centre Party will not permit any infringement of liberty of conscience and of the personal safety of the individual, but it will have to agree to laws and ordinances which may be of very general character, but which will in practice hit us Jews harder than the rest, and will be directed mainly against those branches of economic life in which we are mostly engaged. The Centre Party will perhaps also be unable to prevent an administration which is very markedly of the Right from applying the laws in such a way as to place greater difficulties in our way than necessary. But the fundamentals of our citizenship will not suffer one iota, either in Prussia or anywhere else in Germany, for in none of the States is there any likelihood of the Nazis obtaining a majority to change the Constitution. We are not blind to the gravity of the situationm especially in Prussia, where 70 per cent, of the Jews of Germany live, he concludes, but at the same time there is no reason for a panic.

Dr. Ludwig Hollaender, writing in the “C. V. Zeitung”, the official organ of the Central Union of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, says: The extraordinary success of the Nazi Party is the result of the widespread economic distress in Germany and the despair into which vast numbers of Germans have been plunged. The Nazis obtained the support of these people by holding out to them hopes of an immediate and effective improvement in their position. While we do not overlook the Nazi successes, we must not minimise, however, the striking successes which, in spite of everything, were scored by the enemies of the Nazis, especially the Social Democrats, and the gigantic marches of the Republican Iron Front, which show that the Nazis do not represent the only mass movement in Germany. These forces are as big and as important as the Nazis, and it is just as much blindness to ignore their significance, as it would be to ignore their significance of the Hitlerists. The time has not yet come to throw up the sponge.

Unfortunately, there is tremendous unemployment among the Jewish population of Germany, as much, to say the least of it, as among the rest of the population. The great majority of German Jewry will find their lot a very difficult one, and the onslaught of the enemies of the Jews will add to the general distress. It is our duty to look this development clear in the eyes. But there is still one hope-if we continue to work, and do not drift into despair, the Jews, as has happened always in the history of the world, will in spite of our present difficult position survive. If we carry on our work we shall emerge from these evil days of 1932.

The Zionist organ, the “Juedische Rundschau”, says that the great lesson to be drawn by the Jews from the last elections is that 42 per cent, of the electors of Prussia voted for Parties whose programmes are antisemitic. That is the gauge by which to measure the position of the German Jews at the present moment, it says; that is the environment in which we live, quite apart from our economic conditions, which necessarily must become worse in such an atmosphere. It will be as well not to be too optimistic. The Jewish question in Germany which was thought to have been solved in 1918, has in one decade become terribly acute.

The question for German Jewry now is whether it has the strength to take determined action, to have the long vision, and to be confident of its own power, or whether it will allow itself to be lulled to sleep by its leaders of yesterday. The position of German Jewry is becoming symbolic of the whole Jewish position, of the position of the Jews all over the world. The Jewish problem in our day is a much more burning problem than it has been in the years that have passed. But it may all be to the good if the Jews will learn from it that the solution of the Jewish question depends practically entirely upon themselves.

Dr. Ludwig Freund, writing in the “Schild”, the organ of the Union of Jewish ex-Soldiers in Germany, says: The way in which the Jewish question is going to be dealt with depends on the extent of Nazi participation in the German Governments, on the degree of responsibility which the Nazis in office will assume. If the Nazis show themselves in practice incapable of taking over some of the responsibility of Government, their fate will be sealed very soon indeed. However disillusioned we may have reason to be, there is one fact that we must not forget, and that is that Nazism will never attain to sole power in Germany. The possibilities of Nazism increasing its numbers have now been exhausted. The Nazis have achieved something that is incredible, but their Third Regime is still very far away. What the Hitlerists have achieved is the maximum they can ever achieve, and the only way in which they can attain to power is to agree to compromises with other parties which stand by the Constitution and by law and order. If they do not agree to such compromises, they can never attain to power. And if they do accept compromises, it will be the beginning of a structural change in the Party. In passing from opposition to a responsible share in the work of government, the fate of the Nazi Party will be decided in one direction or the other, and we can wait till the decision is made. Meanwhile, we Jews will continue to do our duty as citizens, and we shall go on with our work in the hope of bringing together again the divided sections of our people.