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French Jews Executed in Paris; Others Deported to Poland; Fined Billion Francs

December 15, 1941
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The execution of 100 hostages in Paris, including many Jews, the announcement that French Jews will be deported “east” for hard labor and the imposition of a billion francs fine on Jews in the occupied territory were reported today by the Vichy radio.

In Paris, the Vichy radio said, General Von Stuelpnagel, commander of the Nazi occupation forces in France, ordered the execution of 100 hostages, charging that attacks on German soldiers in occupied France were the work of “an organized Jewish, anarchist, Anglo-Saxon plot” to ruin France.

He also announced that “a large number of criminal Judeo-Bolshevik elements will be deported to hard labor in the eastern territories (probably Poland). Other deportations of still greater numbers will follow immediately should there be further attacks, and this independently of any other measures that may be taken.” Up until now French Jews had escaped the mass deportations which have been going on in Germany, the Czech Protectorate, Slovakia, Holland and other Nazi-occupied territory. The billion franc fine, Stuelpnagel declared, must be paid exclusively by Jews in the occupied area.

Free French solidarity with the hostages executed by Stuelpnagel was immediately voiced here today on a B.B.C. broadcast to France. “Neither Stuelpnagel nor any other German general has the right to declare that any people are not Frenchmen because they are Jews or because they hold any particular political view,” the broadcaster stated.

In Vichy the members of Jacques Doriot’s “Popular Party” who admitted the bombing of a synagogue today received very light sentences, it was also reported.

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