The world boycott of German-made goods is highly effective in England, and, according to reports received, very effective in other countries as well, Sir Robert Mond, British industrialist and honorary president of the World Jewish Economic Federation, parent boycott organization, declared today upon his arrival from Europe on the liner Majestic.
Sir Robert, who is on his way to Toronto, Canada, where he is to receive an LL. D. degree from the University of Toronto, asserted that the boycott of Germany is causing the Nazi leaders an enormous amount of worry and predicted that within a short time the German industrialists, who financed the Nazis in the hopes of smashing the German labor movement will withdraw their support.
The English industrialist declared that the Nazi government is spending “colossal sums for propaganda in England and other countries. That is the real reason why they are unable to pay their debts,” he said.
Expressing complete satisfaction with the working of the boycott movement as a whole, Sir Robert declared that “the main task of the boycott is to divert the channels of the rivers of commerce from Germany to other countries. True, that is a slow process, but I warned the boycott advocates that this would be the case.
“In England the boycott is working most satisfactorily. The entire English labor movement is behind the boycott and is bitterly opposed to the Nazi regime.
WHAT REICH JEWS SAID
“There can be no question but that the success of the boycott movement is worrying the Nazi government.”
Asked whether the boycott would not affect the German Jews adversely, Sir Robert stated that before lending support to the boycott he conferred with leaders of German Jewry who assured him that in any case the boycott could not make conditions for them any worse or increase their misery.
“After all,” Sir Robert declared, “even the boycott movement could not stop the Nazis from carrying out their program against the Jews. But it must be remembered that the great German industrialists financed the Nazi movement primarily to smash the German trade unions. When they find that this does not pay they will withdraw their support.”
THE DOUBLE PROBLEM
Sir Robert praised the British Central Relief Fund, which is directing efforts to ameliorate the conditions of the German Jewish refugees in England. He said that English Jewry, in helping the relief work, was faced with a double problem, the necessity of helping the refugees, and the unemployment in England itself, which made it impossible to do very much for the refugees. “In bringing refugees to England,” he said, “we must act in a way which will not arouse any feelings against the Jews.”
When asked about conditions in Palestine, Sir Robert, who stated that he had visited Palestine and knew the situation well, justified the course pursued by the Palestine administration, pointing out the great difficulties of ruling a country with so many conflicting groups. He praised Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, the present High Commissioner, characterizing him as a man of “high character and fair mind.”
TO SPEND WEEKEND HERE
Sir Robert, who has been recuperating for six months from a serious illness, declared that he was “out of touch with affairs,” except what I know from Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.”
The Anglo-Jewish industrialist, who is accompanied by Lady Mond, will spend two or three days in New York with friends and then proceed to Toronto.
Also on the Majestic was Lewis Einstein, diplomat and historian. Mr. Einstein, who was formerly American Minister to Czechoslovakia, is returning to the United States on a business trip. At present he resides in London.
The Majestic carried a large number of Jewish passengers in all classes.
In some circles the tactics of the League of Friends of New Germany are seen as an effort completely to Nazify New York’s Germandom as a preliminary step to the Nazification of the whole of German American society, which, it is learned on good authority, will be attempted at the annual convention of all German American societies at Cincinnati next month.
FATE STILL UNCERTAIN
As the plans stand, the national convention is expected to be thoroughly American; but with the ultimate effects of Friday’s meeting not yet fully precipitated it is difficult to foretell the fate of the convention.
The strongest Nazi influence on the Conference comes from the quarters of the United German Societies, a member organization which was taken over eight months ago by the Friends of New Germany and which has since remained an American operative in effecting the designs of Hitler’s agents, Spanknoebel, Gissibl and others who have successively controlled the League of Friends of New Germany until recent weeks. Gissibl is still in this country and unofficially but none the less effectively dictates the machinations of the Friends of New Germany.
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.
