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Vienna Clergyman Asks Gov’t Intervention in Curbing Austrian Jews

December 12, 1933
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The necessity for an immediate settlement of the Jewish question as a means of forestalling the danger of forceful measures, was stressed by Pastor Wilhelm Schmidt, Professor at the University of Vienna, in addressing a conference of Catholic leaders today.

Pastor Schmidt pointed out that Jewish predominance in Austria was unbearable. He said it had penetrated the professions of teaching, medicine and law, pushing out needy. Christian youths, who have before them the example of the radical treatment of the Jews in the Third Reich of the Nazis.

Jews also dominate the cinema, the theater and the press, the Catholic cleric complained. He admitted that the solution of the Jewish question was rendered very difficult in the case of the converted Jew, declaring, however, that conversion does not remove the disadvantages created for the Christians and therefore, the converts too must be treated differently from the Christians.

Professor Schmidt’s speech is held to foreshadow a proposed Jewish law in Austria based on these premises.

The liberal Austrian press asks whether the government intends the withdrawal of equality rights from the Jews which are guaranteed under the constitution and peace treaties. The Jews themselves certainly will not agree voluntarily to the numerus clausus suggested by Professor Schmidt and Bishop Czermak, who made similar proposals some time ago, adds the paper.

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