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Storm Troopers Agitate for Boycott Against Reich Jewry

July 6, 1934
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None of them describe any of the victims as being Jews).

A new campign of agitation against the Jewish population was under way today, however, in Berlin and the provinces. An inundation of anti-Semitic leaflets denouncing the Jews appeared in Berlin and several of the provincial centers. They urged a renewed, vigorous boycott of Jews in the Reich.

“The Jews are boycotting German exports abroad,” the leaflet stated, “yet Germans are buying from Jews and are thus supporting the fight against Germany and against Hitler.

“Whoever buys from a Jew is a traitor”

Ominous for the Jews was the visit here on Tuesday of Julius Streicher, organizer of the Nazi anti-Jewish boycott, Nazi overlord of Franconia and editor of the notorious weekly, Der Stuermer, which more than any other single agency has been responsible for the renewal of anti-Jewish activities in Bavaria and throughout the country. Streicher was officially received by the Hitler government and an official car was placed at his disposal for the tenure of his visit.

Much speculation was aroused, once Streicher’s visit became known publicly, whether his conferences with government officials signified their intention of aiding him in a new onslaught on the Jews. This was considered highly likely in view of the popularity of anti-Semitism among the storm troops and the desire of the government to keep them pacified by giving them their way in matters not affecting general government policy.

SCHMITT OPPOSES DRIVE

Strongest opposition to the anti-Jewish boycott has always come from Minister of Economics Schmitt on the grounds that the boycott has created considerable harm to the German economic structure. In recent months, with the increasing seriousness of Germany’s economic plight, some heed had been given to his words. But now Dr. Schmitt is ill and his resignation from the cabinet has been deferred only by pressure put upon him by Chancellor Hitler.

It is felt that if sufficient demand for a new anti-Jewish campaign is made now there will be little opposition to it, and it will be approved by the governing regime.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is enabled to present further evidence of the anti-Jewish program planned by the rebel storm troop leaders to embarrass the Hitler government by making it act as protectors of the Jews against the general population.

A special representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency secured an admission card to secret S. A. meetings at which it was “revealed” how the Jews had sabotaged and prevented a German victory at the battle of the Marne; how the Jews have succeeded in business by ruining the German middle-class, and at which renewed vigorous boycotting of the Jews

The group of S. A. leaders who fell in the Hitler “housecleaning,” it was learned, had planned a virtual pogrom on the Jews, chiefly with the purpose of embarrassing the government. The crushing of their attempted coup prevented this, but gang of storm troopers have been responsible for at least one attack on the Jews in Berlin—the raid on the Trianon Cafe in which 250 Jews, including two Americans, were the victims of a storm troop attack. One of the Americans was slightly injured.

Reports of the detention of Cardinal Faulhaber, stern critic of the Nazi regime for its attempts to regiment religion, which caused deep concern here today, coupled was urged. with the established fact that approximately 2,000 refugees, most of whom were said to be Catholics, fled across the border from German Upper Silesia last night into Poland, gave credence to reports that the Catholics, rather than the Jews, were the objects of a campaign of violence in Silesia.

A government official asked tonight concerning reports of the detention of the Cardinal, declined either to deny or confirm that the prelate has been imprisoned.

The spokesman said, however, that this failure flatly to deny that Faulhaber was in custody was not to be taken as indicating that something has happened to him.

The official’s statement was in answer to inquiries by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent and representatives of an American newspaper and of Reuter’s (British) news agency.

The exodus of Catholics followed a violent tirade against Catholic priests delivered by Governor Brueckner of Silesia. It followed the slaying of a still undetermined number of Catholic leaders, including Herr Erich Klausener, Father Muhler, organizer of the “Catholic Action” movement in Munich; the former Bavarian Minister of the Interior, Herr Stuetzel; von Seisser, commander of the Munich police at the time of Hitler’s aborted “beer putsch,” and Herr von Kahr, Bavarian Premier at that time.

(This list of casualties was confirmed by the London Times which reported that many arrests had been made in high Bavarian Catholic circles, including Prince Ysenburg, personal adjutant of General von Epp).

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