Austria is going to join the Third Empire. It seems to be a foregone conclusion. The creation of that duodecimo state in utter #regard of economic and political potentialities is another proof of the dreadful lack of vision and wisdom revealed by the fathers of the Versailles treaty. Truly the helplessness of the League of Nations in the face of that situation is the most distressing spectacle of our days.
The League will yield to Nazi pressure. What ar we going to do?
The invasion of Nazism in one form or other into Austria may occur any moment. What will happen to our Jewish brethren? What to 200,000 Jews in Vienna, most of whom came decades ago from Poland, Rumanai, Hungary, Bohemia and other places? Will they be considered aliens in a new invented Aryan country? Are we going to sit with hands folded while any moment the Furor Teutonicus, magrificently drilled through recent practice, might go and repeat its crime and outrages?
Certainly, world Jewry is not going to wait and to protest afterwards. We must rise before the inevitable happens and address ourselves in unmistakable terms to the leaders of the nations. We must say to them: “Yours is the responsibility. You have to demand that Germany shall respect the sanctity of the lives and the property of our Jewish brethren.”
World Jewry has to appeal to the League of Nations, not through too wisely worded and too discreetly transmitted petitions, but openly and unanimously. One night should be chosen, where throughout the world Jews rise and accept one resolution: “League of Nations, Geneva: You have the moral duty to protect the Jews of Austria.”
Every moment is precious. This is no time for talk. For God’s sake let us act?
Rabbi Jacob Sonderling. New York City.
BOYCOTT UNITY DESIRED
Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
The menace of Nazi propaganda in the United States is a danger to welfare of our people and to American ideals, which cannot be over-estimated. There surely ought to be greater unity and more effective effort on our part to meet this problem. The lack of larger cooperation among our several central organized groups is certainly most deplorable. Even the most urgent needs and most pressing obligations do not seem to bring us together for united action.
Not only are we divided and ineffectual in meeting the Nazi propaganda, but we are equally divided with regard to other identical activities for which Hetlerism has created a tragic necessity.
With regard to the boycott on German goods, we are in the same situation of lack of unanimity of opinion and centralized activity. I can understand the position of certain organizations being aginst the boycott as a means of defending the rights of our people. This is a point of view which though not acceptable to many of us, is still understandable as a certain definite attitude. But many of us who favor the boycott find ourselves scattered and divided by different groups sponsoring the boycott.
Again Jewish organization and leadership seem to have failed to recognize the deadly seriousness of the situation. The Jewish public which favors the boycott acted spontaneously and promptly in carrying out the theory that the boycott is serving to bring at least some German opprossors to their senses. On the other hand, the agencies which were expected to guide and direct the ban on German products and servoces seemed to have groped in the dark and stumbled a whole lot. Things are done only sporadically and from three different headquarters, so that many communities throughout the country receive communications and appeals with regard to the same subject from three different offices.
There must be a union of all forces which are working for the boycott.
Maurice E Weis.
New York City.
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.
