Читать книгу A THREE PART BOOK: Anti-Semitism:The Longest Hatred / World War II / WWII Partisan Fiction Tale - Sheldon Cohen - Страница 18

Those who knew of the Nazis were perfectly aware that anti-Semitism was a cornerstone of Nazi policy, but before Hitler took power that thesis was only in writing, penned by an as yet mostly unknown organization with no power to make it part of government policy. Hitler’s twenty-five points developed in 1920 when he took over the fledgling Nazi Party stated that “Jews could never be a part of Aryan society.” When the Nazis took control of the German government, anti-Jewish decrees issued forth.

1933 December, Sam wrote to Al. (the stated facts in the letters are all true)…

Dear Al:

I hope you and your family are well. I’m sure you know that Hitler has assumed full power here in Germany; who doesn’t? The world must know, but will they care? We’ll soon find out exactly what it means, but the German Jewish Community is worried to say the least, and they fail in their efforts to reverse the trend. Hitler took power in 1933, and it didn’t take him long to implement anti-Jewish laws. One of the first things that happened was when the Berlin Mayor got rid of all Jewish doctors working in the city’s social welfare services. On April 7, 1933 Hitler issued his first anti-Jewish law “Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service.” Also in April, a new law restricted the number of Jewish students at schools and Universities.

And it looks to me that Hitler doesn’t make these laws by himself for the whole country, because the mayor of Munich, just like the one in Berlin, said that Jewish doctors cannot treat non-Jewish patients, and the Bavarian minister said that Jews cannot attend medical school. Now these guys are doing things that would be impossible in a democracy, but with a dictator in power in a dictatorship, and as long as Hitler agrees, his subordinates have free reign to do what they want.

It tells me that anti-Semitism is now blossoming out and is unencumbered by laws. I guess that could spell doom for guys like me in my early days as a physician, but so far nothing’s happened here in Berlin. Maybe it’s just a matter of time. It’s very uncomfortable having to work knowing all this. Either we’ll have to work in another city, or leave the country. I can’t imagine any other option.

Knowing Hitler’s hatred of Jews, I’m beginning to envision no future for Jews in Germany. Is he trying to get us all to get the hell out, or does he have worse in store for us. Anything is possible with this mad man!

Again, in April, another law stopped all Jews from being admitted to the bar. How do they practice? I guess that’s the idea. It looks like they can’t.

Now he came up with an idea about overcrowding in schools. Since they are too crowded, what should we do, thinks Hitler? The solution did not require a moment of thought. Keep Jews out! Dictatorships are simple, aren’t they? And if you are a naturalized Jewish citizen, you ain’t anymore, invokes Hitler. And as an afterthought, we might as well remove Jews from all editorial posts since they have no rights and we don’t want to hear from their subversive mouths.

That’s it, Al. I’m very afraid for Germany’s future, and it appears that the Jew’s future is bleak, but if you go out and watch a parade with Hitler in it, you can’t help but notice the adoration on the faces of the cheering crowds. God help us all.

All the best. Kiss your wife and daughter for me and tell me about Poland.

Sam

Dear Sam:

Thanks for the very informative update. I couldn’t agree with you more. I feel for Germany. One of the most important bit of news, and widely reported in all the Polish newspapers here was the Reichstag fire in Berlin on February 27. There was some debate about the fire’s origin, but none about how Hitler used it to his advantage on his road to dictatorship. Although Hitler blamed it on the Communists, most of what I read here seems to favor the theory that the Nazis did it. The fire, blamed on the Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe led to his trial and execution by beheading. They sure know how to silence a guy, do they not? It’s hard to speak up when one separates one’s head from its body. Anyhow, Polish newspapers report two theories: the Communists did it, or the Nazis did it. Hitler used this in his effort to convince President Hindenburg that the Communists did it, hoping he would get absolute powers, and it worked. They arrested many Communists and Hitler won a bare majority. His dream was fulfilled, and now he could rule with an iron fist.

After reading your letter, I must confess some personal concern about his future plans, but I have the perspective of having lived in Germany. A British politician named Winston Churchill gave a speech that I read when I was in Great Britain that warns the world about the danger of Hitler rearming. My impression is that few are listening.

All the best and kiss your wife and daughter for me, too.

Al

A year later, 1934 December, another exchange of letters described the growing desperation…

Dear Al:

Hope all is well with you and your beautiful wife and daughter.

Hitler is in the second year of his effort to consolidate power. In my opinion, he is like a raving maniac who will not allow anyone to stand in his way. This guy can do two things at once. He recognizes that millions are unemployed, so he started by massive public works employing many and raising wages. He also had to cool down the leader of the S.A, Ernst Rohm, who was making noises like he wanted to control the military. This made the military very nervous, but that was easy for Hitler to solve according to the British newspapers; he had Rohm and other S.A. leaders assassinated. Now that’s what you call a quick fix.

President von Hindenburg died, but this was an expected event already planned for in a law put forth the day before his death. The law stated that upon his death that the office of president will be abolished, and his responsibilities and his power would revert to Hitler. This put the icing on the cake. Hitler became the absolute dictator of a totalitarian state and commander of the military to the extent that the loyalty oath became a loyalty oath to Adolph Hitler (leader and chancellor, or Fuehrer). When he sees an opportunity to consolidate his power, he doesn’t wait a second.

For instance, in May, he dissolved trade unions. He had his troops break into trade union offices all over the country, and gave the trade unionists a simple order: get the hell out! I don’t think they were given a choice. Now the unions are kaput and replaced by the Nazi Party with a new Nazi director. How’s that for efficiency? But there are other political organizations out there. No problem. Let’s ban them, take their money, destroy their newspapers and declare them all illegal, except the Nazis, of course. Now is the time to have a new election. Guess who wins by a huge majority. Are they efficient, or what!

Kiss your wife and daughter for me. One of these days I hope we will meet so that we will see if your wife remembers me from your wedding. Probably not, since she had such stars in her eyes looking at you. And your daughter will finally learn who this foreigner is who keeps writing you letters.

All the best,

Sam

Al replied.

Dear Sam:

Thanks for your usual updates about conditions in Germany. Between you and the local Polish newspapers, I am very diligent about following conditions in Europe. So, I’m sure you will be interested about a development here which is worrying me. I had a short assignment in London and I read in their newspapers that they may have birthed their own mini-Hitler, God forbid. Anyhow, this guy, Oswald Mosley, used to be a conservative member of parliament, but over time he evolved into a fascist and formed a new party after he visited Mussolini whose philosophy he embraced. So now Great Britain has their own fascist, and they write about other similar examples that could represent a rise of fascism in the world. I can only hope that‘s nipped in the bud. More Hitler’s would be too much for this world. I came to this thinking when I recently read a very perceptive article which made me think negatively. I’ll summarize it for you.

The world is in what one writer wrote as a rock bottom depression. He blames this for what he says is a negative trend in the evolution of dictatorships: Germany with Hitler, Russia with Stalin who formed a Communist dictatorship by getting rid of his enemies, if you know what I mean. Getulio Vargas, Brazil dictator, turning Brazil into a fascist state, Japan flexing its muscles and thumbing its nose at the world and the Versailles Treaty by stating it will not honor its naval agreements to limit tonnage. His conclusion: world-wide conditions are heading in the direction of trouble. There is pessimism all over. He predicts another world war. Let’s pray he’s wrong; the last one was bad enough. We know that one first hand, don’t we? Can you imagine the next?

Then I read on one of the back pages of a newspaper that the Nazis have developed a “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring.” That one got me thinking How the hell do you know if a baby in the uterus is genetically inferior before it is born? Or does this have to do with not allowing people with genetic diseases to ever get pregnant? I have no clue, but has he gone from being a dictator to being the Deity? You’re the doctor. Clue me in please.

Write back soon,

Al

Soon, Al had his answer in a detailed reply from Sam…

Dear Al,

I can’t say I am comforted by the global appeal of fascism you described. As to the “diseased offspring law” you asked me about, the news is not good there either. This German law, which became effective in January 1934, calls for compulsory sterilization of citizens with genetic diseases. These include: schizophrenia, manic depression, and inherited blindness or deafness, not to forget “any severe hereditary deformity,” among others.

This law was patterned after an American counterpart, which applied only to residents of psychiatric hospitals. No such restriction here! Cases are brought before a “Genetic Health Court.” It will be interesting to see how broad this law becomes here in Hitler’s Germany. I predict it will be busy.

Hitler sure has been busy, mostly with Jews. The army has come up with a law that gets rid of all Jewish officers.

How’s this one, Al? There is a Nuremberg Race Law that prohibits Jews from sexual relations with non-Jews. Good thing we were good boys, huh? Also Jews cannot marry non-Jews. Good thing we married nice Yiddish girls.

You begin to understand how a man like Hitler starts acting like a God; all individual rights go up in smoke as long as Hitler pulls the strings. And he pulls the strings because he is a believer that a country must have a “strong leader” since a “democracy can never work.”

For your additional edification, here are the details of the Nuremberg Law in two parts:

Reich Citizenship Law states that anyone who enjoys the protection of the Reich is viewed as its subject and is obligated to the Reich. Notice that Hitler does not speak of Germany, but rather he now speaks of “The Reich,” or “The Kingdom” (The Third Reich) as he prefers to demonstrate what he has accomplished via German world history, assuring everyone that “The Third Reich will last for a thousand years.”

Also, the law states that all Reich citizens must be of German blood or Germanic origin and prove their loyalty before they can receive an official certificate of Reich citizenship giving them full political rights.

In my opinion, here’s what this really means. Now Hitler is free to disenfranchise Jews by denying them civil rights and liberties.

The second part of the law is “The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor.” Those with “German blood” could not marry or have sexual relations with Jews. Previously, such marriages were allowed, but German citizens were encouraged to divorce their Jewish partners. A few did; most did not. Also Jews were not permitted to hire female house servants under age forty-five for fear of risk of seduction and pregnancy by male members of the Jewish household. After all, we Jews are lascivious bastards, aren’t we?

Putting so many restrictions on Jews demanded a definition of a Jew: someone with at least three Jewish grandparents. Two Jewish grandparents labeled you half-Jewish.

I’m still here, so I’m in big trouble as Hitler works out his plans. I believe it is just a matter of time before I will be forced to leave to save mine and my family’s lives. Those that predicted this development years ago were the prophets. You are one of the lucky ones, Al, since you no longer live here.

Finally, Al, here are a few more icings on the cake of Hitler’s anti-Judaism. A new law regarding taxes forbids Jews to serve in the capacity of tax consultants. Jews cannot be veterinarians since they can’t be trusted with pets you see, and Jewish teachers can no longer teach in grade schools. After all, we don’t want Nazi children defiled by Jewish thinking.

One last thing to report, Al, I’ll briefly go over the Locarno pact for you, because it has relevance now. In 1925, in Locarno, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland met at the request of Stresemann of Germany for a mutual guarantee of the Rhineland, and a guarantee of the boundaries of Belgium, France and Germany. Germany also signed arbitration treaties with Poland and Czechoslovakia agreeing that the eastern borders of Germany will never change unless only by arbitration. For all this, Germany was guaranteed entry into the League of Nations. That was all before Adolph Hitler took power, you see. So now that he has arrived on the scene, he tore up the treaty and remilitarized the Rhineland! I think that tells you what the world is up against with this madman. The time is fast approaching for a major decision from me and my family.

All the best,

Sam