History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust

Headline: ECONOMIC POGROM IS LAUNCHED
Sub-Headline: CRUEL HITLER REGIME BANS JEW ACTIVITY

Publication Date: Saturday, April 1, 1933
Historical Event: Nazis Boycott Jewish Businesses
This database includes 4,061 articles about this event
Tags: Gannett full page downloadable; Early Acts of Persecution
Article Type: News Article
Newspaper: The Hutchinson News
Location: Hutchinson, Kansas
Page Section and Number: 1
Author/Byline: AP
Article Text: Berlin, April 1.—(AP)—Berlin's busiest business streets bore a holiday aspect at 10 o'clock as the brown-shirted Nazis busily moved to and fro, pasting signs of identification on Jewish stores, standing guard or picketing before shops and driving through streets in motor cars, displaying boycott signs.

On many public squares and market halls, the Nazi brass bands made the air reverberate with snappy military marches. The Nazi swastika and imperial flags were displayed on all street cars.

Shops, whose owners were Nazi party members, flew especially, large swastika banners.

A one-day boycott on the means of livelihood of all Jews in Germany began at 10 a. m. today.

The German Stores Union issued an appeal to all members coming under the boycott ban to close their stores for the day.

Must Cease Campaign Abroad
Dr. Joseph Goebbels, cabinet minsister of propaganda, keynoted the campaign with a warning that unless "the foreign atrocity campaign ceases absolutely" the boycott will be resumed next Wednesday, He promised, however, "a return to normal" if this condition was fulfilled.

A government order shrank the National Socialist party's proposed indefinite boycott to one day's duration for the time being and it remained to be seen which of opposing groups in the government and party would be victorious in the end.

Only small comfort was derivable from the present limitations for half a million distracted Jews who to all practical purposes already are ostracized socially and professionally.

Cruelties Involved
There were so many tragic aspects to the situation that the boycott was only another bitter draught.

Such permanent measures as barring Jews from legal practice, removing them from courts, hospitals, and public institutions have been issued.

Doors were being closed to them all around. Jewish shop owners yesterday were ordered to discharge Jewish employees. The big Karstadt department store firm announced the resignation of Jewish members of the directorate and the dismissal of Jewish employees.

Ban Professional Men
The National Socialist Physicians society issued the following statement:

"No German must ever go to a Jewish doctor again for treatment or buy at Jewish apothecaries. It is untrue that Jewish doctors, dentists and druggists are indispensable or better than Germans.

The Municipal Relief Insurance society issued a statement forbidding members from receiving treatment from Jewish physicians or patronizing Jewish druggists, opticians, dentists and masseurs of Jewish owned medical baths, x-ray institutions and clinics.

Dr. Goebbels further warned that "if New York and London boycotts German goods," the government will "take its gloves of" in handling the Jewish problem.

Hitter Supports Measure
Chancellor Hitler's government, which had remained silent while the boycott plans were formulated by the party, was placed in the position of endorsing the action when Dr. Goebbels, read a government pronouncement last night at a packed meeting of Nazis.

He whipped them into a frenzy of antipathy for the Jews and shouts of "hang them" broke into his attack. He accused the Jews of robbing German workers of their bread by inciting an international anti-German boycott.

He admitted the Nazi government leaders were determined to carry out their long promised measures against Jews but declared the question would not have arisen so soon if it had not been for world-wide Jewish activities.

Will Retaliate
"When American and English Jews attack the German government we cannot hinder German people from attacking the German Jews," he said.

Declaring he hoped no further reports of alleged atrocities would be published in the United States and other countries during the next few days, he asserted those days would determine whether the boycott is to be resumed.
History Unfolded Contributor: Carlos G.
Location of Research: Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com)