Ukrainian Clerics Reported Bitter Enemies of Jews

Anti-Jewish boycotts, murder in eastern Gealicaia and terrorism of Jewish merchants in Ukrainian towns, caused by Hitlerite propaganda from Germany were described here in a series fo articles on “Ukeainian Terrorism”, appearing in the London Jews Chronicle.

“The Ukrainisans use two main methods in their onslaught on the Jews of eastern Galicial. One is economic preassure and other is terror,” the article asserts. It was written by the chronicle’s correspondent in Lwow.

During the past two or three years the Ukrainians have to a great extent entered into small shopkeeping, thus throwing many thousand Jews out of their means of livelihood. A number of chain stores have been established, and at the same time the Ukrainians have begun a severe anti-Jewish boycott, supported by localpoliticians, priests and jounalists. The president of the Ukrainian National Democratic party, Dr. Dymitro Lewicki, appealed to the people last December to maintain this boycott, according to the Chronicle.

PRIESTS LEADERS

“In many villages the priests are not only themselves the most bitter agents of anti-Semitism, but punish those who do not follow them,” contnued the writer. He cited cased of priests refusing to christen children of parents who had not acrried out the letter of the boycott. “There are even cases where priests have refused to conduct the burial ceremony of a person whose family had sold some eggs or chickens to a Jew.”

In the farming regions, a program of terrorism is being carried out. Ukrainian youths visit Jewish farms during the night, smashing windows or setting barns on fire. “In many villages,”states the article, “Jewish houses have been shot into and a number of persons killed or injured. The terorists do not even stop at open murder. At Soposzyn, a Jewish family was murdered at night. Nothing was stolen, but other Jews were warned to leave under threat of similar treatment. Since tghen otehr murders have been reported.”

BOYCOTT IN TOWNS

The effects of the boycott have also been experienced by the Jews living in Ukrainian towns, particularly the smaller ones. “The Ukrainians not only refuse to buy of the Jew, but also refuse to sell to him,” explains the Chronicle article. The Ukrainian peasants, who formerly traded with Jewish shops are now forced to do business with the community cooperative stor. If a peasant is seen with a new coat or suit, he is immediately questioned as to where be purchased it, so that anyh asales of Jewish tailors may be carefully tracked down. Although the Jews in towns are not terrorized as in the rural districts, they are nevertheless faced with ruin.

Of the 80,000 Jews in Lwow, more than half are absolutely without any means of livelihood, and many of the rast are in almost as bad a plight. In Stanislawow, the Jewish population of 24,000 is also faced with ruin; many of the Jews are satisfied with a single meal of potatoes a day. In all the other Ukrainian communities the same situation prevails. Everywhere the boycott is proving disastrous, thrusting helf a million Jews into poverty and despair.

HITLER PROGAGANDA

The reason for this wave of terrorism, according to the article in the Chronicle, is the spread of Hitlerist propaganda. Until the World War, the Ukrainians had been on the friendliest terms with the Jewish population. These good relations had prevailed during the first weeks of the Ukrainian Republic formed just after the War.

This friendly feling remained until about a year ago, when Hitler’s agents became active in Eastern Galicia. “There is a feeling, shared by millions of Ukrainians, that their independence and reintergration as a united Ukrainian nation is only to be won by war with Russia,” the Chronicle’s correspondent reports. “This war, they think, is to be started by Hitler. Hitler is considered to be the greatest antagonist of Russia, and the Ukrainians hope that with his help they will be able to obtain their goal.”

The peasants are steeped in the crudest type of Nazi progaganda. Uneducated and simple, they still think they are under the rule of Austria-Hungary, yet they know all about Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies. The Priests ask their congregants to “pray for Hitler” because he is “the father of the Ukrainians.”

ANTI-NAZIS ATTACKED

When the Jews began an anti-Nazi boycott, they were attacked by Ukrainian youths. The local papers openly praise Hitler, and a local slogan is “Gitler Ide”-“Hitler is coming to deliver the Ukraine.” There is also a German minority in the district, which have gone completely Nazi and are joining the Ukrainians in the anti-Semitic campaign. The influence of Nazism could be discerned in the recent Minorities Congress, when the Ukrainian delegation voted solidly with the German delegates against the Jews, the Correspondent asserts.