Prague advices said today that the German Nazis were actively inciting the small Czech Fascist group to organize pogroms in order to strengthen German claims that the Czech populace demanded more stringent anti-Jewish laws than the Czech Government was willing to concede.
Reports from outlying districts in the German protectorate revealed that anti-Semitic excesses had occurred in numerous places, with Fascists attacking Jews and pillaging shops. The most serious developed at Bruenn, where Fascist squads dragged Jews from homes and cafes, wounding 26, and demolished numerous shops.
The Gestapo is conducting daily raids on restaurants and cafes in Prague. Agents armed with revolvers raided the National Cafe seeking “Czech rebels and suspicious Jews.” A number of Jewish prospective emigrants were deprived of all their possessions and now are unable to leave the country for lack of train fare.
The Gestapo in Prague has decided not to issue emigration permits to Jewish engineers, architects, physicians and pharmacists. The passports of such persons will be marked with the letters “W.W.” meaning Wirtschaftlich Wertvoll (economically valuable), in addition to the usual “J” (Jewish).
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.
