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Prague Cafe Owners Oppose Nazis Ousting of Jew; Czechs Patronize Jewish Stores

August 10, 1939
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Nazi storm troopers have visited several Prague cafes, ordering Jewish guests out, it was learned today, but the proprietors showed themselves anxious to assure the Jewish guests that the storm troopers had acted on their own initiative and had not informed the proprietors in advance. Czech cafe owners strongly disapproved of the Nazi actions, declaring Jews had always been welcome and would soon be able to visit the cafes again when things took a new turn.

The “Czech Aryan Cultural Union,” acting jointly with German groups, has approached the Prague slaughterhouse authorities with the request that Jews be barred access to the slaughterhouse. They have also demanded that separate places be assigned to Jews in public baths.

Eighty employees of the Jewish emigration office are busy daily from 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. dealing with applications of an average daily number of 250 prospective emigrants calling at the office. Most of the applicants already have their foreign visas but not their emigration permits.

Each applicant must fill out a 20-page questionnaire containing more than 500 questions regarding his political past and including even details as the value of the shirt he is wearing. When the preliminary formalities are concluded the applicant is admitted to the Gestapo Department for Jewish Emigration, where eight officials of the Jewish Community and Palestine Office again examine his documents. The procedure is repeated with 14 Czech Government officials and finally with the Gestapo agents.

After a fortnight the applicant is summoned for a personal interview by the Gestapo. If all his duties, ranging from 30 to 300 per cent of his transferable goods and capital, have been paid then his emigration permit is granted.

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