The Polish Government is prepared to repatriate four to five thousand Polish Jews residing in the Reich, provided that the German Government is willing to hand over 70 per cent of their property and an equal proportion of the fortunes of the 6,000 Jews previously deported, Nazi sources revealed today. The proposal was advanced, these sources said, during today’s session of the negotiations between the Polish delegation and German Government representatives.
The Jews to be readmitted to Poland would be those who have been denationalized or who face denationalization soon. According to the same sources, the Germans are not interested in the fate of the stateless, and demand 70 per cent of the Jews’ fortunes as their own share of the spoils. The stateless Jews, along with all German, Polish and other Jewish nationals, according to the Nazis, will be leaving Germany within a year or two in any case.
From the Nazi view, a compromise must be reached directly with the Polish Government and not with the deported Polish Jews to whom the money belongs. The Nazi stand is that if as a result of the negotiations Poland is granted possibly half of the amount involved, it is entirely up to Poland to decide what share, if any, will be yielded to the Jews. Some quarters believe that the Jews ultimately will receive not more than 15 per cent.
Informed circles declare that the Reich is not likely to repeat the mass deportations of Polish Jews. A decision to this effect is said to have been reached after Poland gave assurances to the Reich on the number of Polish Jews resident in Germany who are slated for denationalization. Apparently, the number does not exceed 4,000. Nazi sources declare Germany does not intend to take precipitate action against the stateless Jews but expects them to leave the Reich together with all other Jews in the course of the next few years. Past treatment of the stateless does not lend credibility to the declaration.
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.
