The premises of the Central Union of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith were searched today by political police aided by Nazi Storm Troops in the role of auxiliary police.
The search was carried out in connection with the destruction by fire yesterday, of the Reichstag Chamber, and to establish whether or not the Central Union has any connection with the Communists who are accused of the deed.
The search has aroused great surprise, since it is known that the Central Union is one of the most loyal and patriotic organizations in the country and has never had any connection with the Communists or other radical element.
The Central Union is an organization representing German Jewry with a membership of 60,000 and is concerned primarily with combating anti-Semitism It has no political affiliation with any of the German parties.
A prison term of not less than three months is the penalty specified in the new decree signed by President Paul von Hindenburg today for anyone who publicly prints or discusses news which should be kept from foreign governments, regardless of whether or not the news is true.
The penalty was specified in the decree issued “against treason to the German people and highly treasonable machinations.”
Ten years imprisonment is to be meted out for transmitting to foreign governments objects or news, even if false, which should be kept secret in the interests of the German Republic.
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.
