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Upper Silesia Officials Break Germany’s Promise to League Not to Violate Rights of Jews

September 24, 1933
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Both the government and the local administrative bodies in Upper Silesia are actively assisting in the prosecution of the anti-Jewish boycott, the Manchester Guardian, noted liberal paper, disclosed, in the second and third articles on the present status of the Jews in the plebiscite area of Upper Silesia. The Guardian correspondent, in the first article, had stated that despite the promises made by Germany to the League of Nations in June to restore the rights of the Upper Silesian Jews, they were suffering the same persecution as the Jews in the rest of the Reich.

According to the Guardian, large posters in Be#then, Oppe## and Rati#or call for the bo### of the Jews. Among the thirty-two slogans displayed in Upper Silesian towns, were. “He who eats Jewish products will die therefrom,” and “Every purchase from a Jewish shop strengthens international Jewry.”

A booklet containing these slogans and also the names of all non-Jewish firms was published and the population was warned not to buy from those whose names were not mentioned in the booklet.

It is significant that the booklet was issued by the Kampf Bund, whose leaders are almost all prominent government officials in Upper Silesia. Thus, the very authority responsible for the government is actively engaged in the boycott of the Jews. The Kampf Bund is also issuing two scurrilous anti-Jewish weeklies, Isidor and Jude.

WARNINGS

The Guardian estimates that two-thirds of the Jewish population in Upper Silesia is unable to earn a living. Every German seen entering a Jewish shop is warned by Nazi agents that if he repeats his crime, his taxes will be raised or his bank account closed.

A German who ordered furniture from a Jewish shop was called to police headquarters and advised not to complete the purchase. Three German workers were dismissed from a factory after buying from a Jewish shop in Hindenburg. A storm trooper was expelled from the Nazi party after his wife bought a pair of stockings in a Jewish shop in Oppeln, the Guardian stated.

Almost all Jews have received notices from the state municipal banks, foreclosing mortgages and in addition Jews are required to pay higher taxes.

Jewish vendors have been assigned by the police to special places in the prominently marked Jewish market where non-Jews are afraid to venture to make purchases. The police say the reason this was done is in order to facilitate the supervision of their safety.

CONTRACTS CANCELLED

The Stadt Blatt, issued by the municipality of Beuthen, published the decision of the municipality not to accept Jewish advertisements.

Five hundred Jews who formerly made a living by contracts for supplying state and local authorities have now been forbidden even to enter the government buildings, no new contracts are granted them and the existing contracts have been cancelled. The Jews are afraid to protest because they will be arrested and mishandled as happened to a Jewish contractor at Strchlitz who complained that cancellation of his contract caused him heavy losses, whereupon, he was carried off at night by Nazi gangsters and severely mistreated. The unfortunate man then withdrew his complaint.

The Jews in Upper Silesia, states the Guardian, are afraid to speak to a stranger under the threats of imprisonment for spreading atrocity propaganda.

While m### the Jewish doctors

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