Native Italian Jews are not being granted passports for emigration if they are of military age or possess qualifications making them valuable to the Government in the event of war. Great difficulties have been placed in the way of their emigration ever since the anti-Jewish legislation became effective, but the reason was not specified until it was authoritatively admitted today that they were being kept here because Italy may require their services. Hundreds of Jews throughout Italy who were called recently to military service with their class were released when they presented their identification cards. It was learned, however, that many of them were asked at military headquarters whether they would serve in case of necessity.
Most of the local Jewish communities are now circulating questionnaires to all members to determine the final effects of the anti-Semitic legislation and formulate the best possible program for alleviation. An attempt will be made to facilitate the emigration of those Jews who have relatives and possibilities for livelihood abroad and retain the others to work in occupations from which they are not barred.
The international situation may spell a further period of grace for foreign Jews, who had been expecting momentary summons to the police to justify requests for prolongation of their stay past the emigration deadline. It is believed here that the expulsion question may be shelved temporarily because of the Government’s preoccupation with the international situation. Except for a small number of ultimatums, the authorities have not changed their tactics of abstaining from forcible expulsion and encouraging “voluntary” emigration.
Two large groups of emigrants sailed for the United States Thursday and Saturday on the Conte di Savoia and the Saturnia. Considerable anxiety has been created here by the American Government’s plan to distribute quota numbers after July 1 according to date of registration, regardless of the country under which the prospective emigrants are registered. Thus, many Polish Jewish applicants in Italy will automatically be listed behind applicants previously registered in Germany and Poland.
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.
