Everything points to the fact that within a few days the American government will, after long deliberations, enter its first barter agreement with Nazi Germany.
The Jews of the United States are the last persons in the world to hamper American export. They will, however, greet with mixed feelings this new pact, since it implies that Washington is, after all, giving in to Nazi Germany.
It was only two weeks ago that the State Department sent a strongly worded protest to Berlin against the specific discriminations practiced by the Nazi government with regard to American investors. We have not heard so far that the Nazi government has taken the American protest seriously. What we do however hear is that a thirty million dollar cotton barter deal with Germany is nearing its completion and is being financed by the Export-Import Bank.
This is very regrettable. Regrettable because it will be interpreted to mean that the American government is beginning to give way to the Germany of Hitler. Once the first concession is made, one can never tell when other concessions will follow and what their nature may be.
The half million bales of cotton which the United States will export to Germany under the barter agreement may be of assistance to certain groups in America. The fact, however, that the millions of organized labor in America, supported by millions of Jews and Catholics, are refraining from buying German goods in the United States, should also have been taken into consideration by the American officials during the negotiations on the deal.
The deal with the Nazis, if officially approved by the United States government, will not receive the moral support of those millions of American citizens who should like to see Germany treating its Jewish and Catholic population more fairly. It is not for nothing that the German Embassy in Washington insists that the transaction should be carried out quietly. The average American citizen is certainly not for any such transactions with countries where there is no freedom and liberty.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
