Vichy Threatens Jews with Special Concentration Camp

Jews in occupied France were officially informed today that even if French born, they will be sent to special Jewish concentration camps, if found guilty of violating the new anti-Jewish decrees, recently issued by the Vichy government.

This warning came in the form of an official decrees which empowers the Prefect of Police in every community to decide whether the statutes have been violated. A penalty of imprisonment in a concentration camp of from six months to two years and a fine of five hundred to ten thousand francs, either or both, is to be imposed on such offenders.

The new anti-Jewish decrees, to which the warning has reference to, limits the occupations and general economic life to which the Jew is to be circumscribed. The decree bars the Jews from all public office, going into great details to include such posts as Head of the State, Order of the Legion of Honor, Ambassadors of France, down to functionaries of "all grades and officials of the police." Included in "the exercise of public functions" from which Jews are barred is also the teaching profession. Jews must not be engaged to teach in any French schools.

Within this category of "public service" however, some exceptions are made. The restrictions are not to apply in the following cases: 1. The holder of a Soldier’s Card. 2. Any Jew cited during the course of the campaign of 1939-40, entitled to wear the Croix de Guerre. 3. Any Jewish recipient of the Legion of Honor or the Military Medal for heroism in war. 4. Jewish widow or orphan or descendant of soldiers who died for France.