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Riots Unchecked in Warsaw, Lodz, Provincial Towns

March 20, 1936
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Violent anti-Jewish rioting continued unchecked today in Warsaw, Lodz and numerous provincial towns.

Spurred by unhampered agitation, anti-Semitic mobs in this city launched street attacks that resulted in serious injury to an aged Jew, Mendel Goldmann, who was removed to a hospital. A group of mourners at a funeral in a Jewish cemetery were attacked by another mob using stones and other missiles as weapons. The mourners were forced to take refuge in the cemetery office until arrival of police.

The most serious situation developed in the city of Lodz, forcing the Jewish Community there to appeal to Warsaw for aid. Deputy Minezberg addressed an urgent appeal for intervention to the Minister of the Interior.

A Palestine training farm at Galil, near Radom, was attacked by hoodlums who demolished the office building and seriously injured a young girl. Several arrests were made, police establishing that the hoodlums are members of the Nationalist (Endek) Party.

“Jim Crow” cars meanwhile were introduced for Jews on the Warsaw-Otwock branch of the railroad, whose trains have recently been the scene of several anti-Jewish assaults. Jewish travellers were notified they must use the cars when travelling on the line.

Twenty Jewish youths were arrested at Salenica, near Otwock, for organizing a self-defense unit for passengers.

Other disorders occurred at Klobuck, near Czenstochow, where a police captain was among those injured; at Pajentszno, near Radom; and at Karczev near Warsaw.

At Cracow, rabbis today visited the grave of Marshall Pilsudski to pray for better treatment of Jews and defeat of the anti-shechita measure on which the Sejm will vote tomorrow.

The first reprisals for participation in the general strike Tuesday were ordered by the Governor of Czenstochow. Offices of the Jewish Cultural League, Jewish libraries, sports organizations of the Jewish Labor Party and of the left-wing Poale-Zion Party were closed by the authorities.

The Polish labor leader, Nesnied Zalkowski, in an article in Robotnik, labor newspaper, appeals to the Government to curb the anti-Jewish disorders, pointing out that it may soon have to invite Jews to take arms in defense of the Republic’s frontiers.

Newspapers reported that the Vatican has instructed the Catholic clergy in Warsaw to change its attitude on the Jewish ritual method of slaughter, the bill to prohibit which is believed certain to pass the Sejm in its amended form.

Despite the pretext that the bill is aimed to prevent cruelty to animals, it was revealed here today that it contains provisions permitting export of kosher meat. This is taken as evidence that the bill was definitely inspired by a desire to eliminate Jews from the meat industry.

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