¶People "of the Hebraic race" who have settled in the Kingdom of Italy, Libya or Italian Aegean Islands since Jan. 1, 1919 were last week ordered by the Italian Cabinet to depart before March 1, 1939 or be forcibly expelled. Commented No. 1 Fascist Newspundit Virginio Gayda: "These Jews, political or racial refugees of other countries, represent a foreign and perilous body and spirit inserted in the body and spirit of the Italian nation." The decree will oust about 20,000 of the estimated 85,000 persons in Italy "born of both parents of the Hebrew race." Next day the Cabinet decreed the ousting from all State-licensed schools of Jewish instructors and Jewish students numbering about 10,000. Jews who were already enrolled last year in Italian institutes of higher learning will be permitted to complete their courses.
¶Jews from all over the World met in Antwerp last week to launch an appeal for $10,000,000 in behalf of the Palestine Foundation Fund. Dr. Kurt Blumenfeld, Director of the Fund, urged a change in "Jewish methods of propaganda" to oppose Communism as well as Fascism. Treasurer Eliezer Kaplan of the Jewish Agency for Palestine complained: "Jews because of their indifference and failure to provide adequate funds are equally responsible with the British Government for the decline of Jewish immigration to Palestine."
¶In Brazil last week, wealthy Jews received extortion notes threatening physical violence, destruction of property unless they sent large "voluntary contributions" to Brazilian groups with allegedly Nazi affiliations. In Sao Paulo, police at once marched out to guard the premises of Jews who received threat-letters.
¶The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg barred its frontier to further Jewish refugees from Germany last week, continued to care for 315.
¶Swiss authorities declared that an estimated 140 Jews per day had been "clandestinely" fleeing from Germany into Switzerland, announced that barbed wire is being strung along the frontier to stem this "Jewish flood." Jewish refugee camps in Switzerland were reported jampacked last week. The camp at Diepoldsau hoisted a banner reading: "THANKS TO THE SWISS PEOPLE."
¶Fearing Nazi oppression, about 30% of the Jewish population of the Free City of Danzig were announced to have fled abroad last week. Danzig Nazis of the Hitler Youth raided a synagogue, trampled and tore up the sacred Hebrew scrolls. Notice was served on 400 Jews owning houses in Danzig that next month Aryans will "purchase" their property. The Jews will be forced to sell out at Nazi-dictated prices.
¶Soviet police last week jailed numerous Komsomol (Communist Youth Organization) leaders in the Ukraine and White Russia, who were accused of fomenting pogroms, according to Swedish press reports from Moscow. Stirred up by Young Communists, citizens of Pedobanya of the River Nemiljana started beating up Jews and attacking their homes. Moscow dispatched a commission of inquiry which reported that in the Ukraine there is "organized and fairly widespread" antiSemitism. In Kiev, the Soviet Ukrainian Capital, anti-Jewish riots were suppressed by Red Army troops.