The Society now defends its 1933 "Declaration of Facts" as an accurate statement of the organization's official position, and gives it a new, positive interpretation.
This contradicts the Society's earlier attempt to blame the Declaration's language on unauthorized tampering by an unfaithful German Branch Overseer.
(See 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses pages 110-111 reproduced below)

"I didn't steal the cookies, Mom. Tommy took them!"

Later: "I did take the cookies, Mom—just to keep the dog from getting them."

A naughty child caught in the act may change his story to escape responsibility. If Mom and Dad don't swallow the first excuse offered, the child will offer a new and improved excuse. Similarly, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society has changed its story on anti-Semitic teachings the Society published in 1933.

The first version was presented in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany found on pages 65-253 of the 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Yearbook relates that Adolf Hitler had just taken office as German Reich's Chancellor. As the time approached for the 1933 JW convention in Berlin, Watch Tower president J. F. Rutherford visited German Branch Overseer Paul Balzereit "to see what could be done to ensure the safety of the Society's property." (pg. 110) During the course of that visit Rutherford "prepared a declaration with Brother Balzereit to be presented to the convention delegates for adoption" and distribution to the public and to government officials. (pg. 110)

"Several days before the convention started Brother Rutherford returned to America," the Yearbook relates, and in the interim it indicates that Balzereit took it upon himself to alter the words of the Declaration to please the Nazi government:

Many in attendance were disappointed in the "declaration," since in many points it failed to be as strong as the brothers had hoped. Brother Mütze from Dresden, who had worked closely with Brother Balzereit up until that time, accused him later of having weakened the original text. It was not the first time that Brother Balzereit had watered down the clear and unmistakable language of the Society's publications so as to avoid difficulties with governmental agencies.

A large number of brothers refused to adopt it just for this reason. In fact, a former pilgrim brother by the name of Kipper refused to offer it for adoption and another brother substituted. It could not be rightfully said that the declaration was unanimously adopted, even though Brother Balzereit later notified Brother Rutherford that it had been...

...the declaration had been weakened and many of the brothers could not wholeheartedly agree to its adoption...

—1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses page 111

1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses pages 110, 111:

Ex-members have often pointed out the obvious falsehood of this story: Balzereit could not possibly have altered the words because the German matches the wording of the Declaration J. F. Rutherford wrote in English and published here in America—well beyond the reach of tampering by a German Branch Overseer.

In fact, the English-language "Declaration of Facts" was reprinted in the 1934 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses and can be examined today at many Kingdom Hall libraries.

The July 8, 1998 Awake! now admits that the 1974 Yearbook's story was false:

According to the account in the 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, some German Witnesses were disappointed that the language of the "Declaration" was not more explicit in tone. Had the branch office manager, Paul Balzereit, weakened the text of the document? No, for a comparison of the German and the English texts shows that this is not the case. Evidently, an impression to the contrary was based on the subjective observations of some who were not directly involved in the preparation of the "Declaration." Their conclusions may also have been influenced by the fact that Balzereit renounced his faith only two years later.

—July 8, 1998 Awake! page 14

But instead of taking responsibility for the false story, the Watch Tower Society blames "some who were not directly involved" and hence had a wrong "impression." Clearly the Society had the English text of the Declaration in its possession all along, and the Society's writers knew the German Branch Overseer could not have tampered with it.

Now in the July 8, 1998 Awake! article the Society stands behind the 1933 Declaration, saying it "made a clear statement of their position..." (pg. 12)

Faced with the anti-Semitic words used to express that position, the Society responds:

Some now hold that the 1933 Berlin convention and the "Declaration of Facts" were attempts on the part of prominent Witnesses to show support for the Nazi government and its hatred of the Jews. But their assertions are not true. They are based on misinformation and on misinterpretation of the facts. (pg. 12)

How does Awake! explain-away the remarks about no "money contributed to our work by Jews" and "commercial Jews of the British-American empire ... exploiting and oppressing the peoples of many nations"?

It now offers this excuse:

This statement clearly did not refer to the Jewish people in general, and it is regrettable if it has been misunderstood and has given cause for any offense. (pg. 14)

Jewish historians, however, have commented on the shift in teaching that occurred when "Judge" Rutherford consolidated his power and began introducing "new light" to replace the teachings of Zion's Watch Tower's pro-Jewish founder Charles Taze Russell: "Rutherford gradually changed his views about the Jewish people."—from the article "Jehovah's Witnesses and Their Attitude toward Judaism and the Idea of the Return to Zion" by Yona Malachy (one of Israel's first Ministers of Religious Affairs), published in The Herzl Year Book, vol. V (The Herzl Press, 1963), as quoted in Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist by David Horowitz (Philosophical Library, New York: 1986) page 36

For 15 years following Russell's death, Rutherford maintained the pro-Jewish policies of his predecessor. Then in 1931 he gave his International Bible Students a new name — "Jehovah's Witnesses" — and a new attitude toward Jews. Rutherford's book Vindication, Book Two, published by the Watch Tower Society in 1932 included these expressions:

Among the powerful men who control the commerce of the sea are many Jews, so called, yet who are against God and against Christ and against the Kingdom of God. (pg. 55)

...doubtless from Tyre the Jews learned how to cheat their fellow man. (pg. 70)

[Jewish bankers] Rothschild Brothers...Those money changers conspired... (pg. 170)

...the selfish bankers (p. 179)

Vindication, Book Two, page 70:

The following year Rutherford penned the "Declaration of Facts" stating:

“...there has never been the slightest bit of money contributed to our work by Jews.”

—Awake! July 8, 1998 page 13 quoting 1933 "Declaration of Facts"

“It has been the commercial Jews of the British-American empire that have built up and carried on Big Business as a means of exploiting and oppressing the peoples of many nations.”

—Awake! July 8, 1998 pages 13-14 quoting 1933 "Declaration of Facts"

Is such anti-Semitism, and the Society's subsequent deception what one would expect of "God's organization"?

1879-1930 WT Society takes pro-Jewish, Zionist position.
1931 International Bible Students change their name to Jehovah's Witnesses.
1932 Vindication Book Two attacks Jews.
1933 Watch Tower Society's "Declaration of Facts" attacks Jews.
1974 1974 Yearbook of JWs blames Declaration on unfaithful Branch Overseer tampering.
1998 July 8 Awake! admits Declaration was not tampered with.

Readers seeking more information on the Declaration of Facts and the position of Watchtower leaders during the early days of Nazi rule in Germany will find an informative 12,000-word report titled "Jehovah's Witnesses, Anti-Semitism and the Third Reich: The Watch Tower Society's Attempted Compromise with Nazism" by Canadian ex-JW M. James Penton at Norwegian ex-JW Kent Steinhaug's Watchtower Observer website at http://watchtower.observer.org/hitler/3rdreich.asp
However the web page at watchtower.observer.org was created some time before the July 8, 1998 Awake! was published and, as of this writing, has not yet been modified to discuss Awake!'s new spin on the Watch Tower Society's anti-Semitic remarks of 1933.

• Why did the Watch Tower Society publish anti-Semitic statements in 1933 in Germany?

• Why did the Society in the 1974 Yearbook blame those statements on tampering by the German branch overseer?

• Why does the Society now admit there was no tampering, but blame the reader for 'misunderstanding' the statements as anti-Semitic?

• Why does the Society overlook its anti-Semitic statements in its 1932 work Vindication, Book 2?

• Could this really be "God's organization"?