Polish Government Makes Clear Attitude on Jewish Question

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The attitude of the Bartel government toward the Jewish question in Poland was made clear by Prime Minister Professor Bartel in his first statement of policy submitted to the Sejm yesterday. The statement, which differed radically from previous nebulous remarks of former governments or their complete ignoring of the question, was welcomed with long cheers by the group of Jewish deputies.

Economic anti-Semitism is harmful to the Polish state, the Prime Minister declared in the part of his statement which dealt with the Jewish question. Questions of taxation and credit must be decided on their merits and not along religious and national lines, he declared.

Alluding to the Polish Jewish agreement concluded by the Grabski government, the Prime Minister declared that “the present government does not intend to enter into secret agreements with the Jewish population. On the contrary, it prefers that the constitutional provisions with regard to the Jewish population be carried out. The regulation of the closing hours of stores and shops must be in accordance with the needs of the consumers and merchants.

“Czaristic disabilities imposed upon the Jews have been annulled and will not be applied in the future,” he declared.

At Monday’s session, the Sejm adopted in its first reading the government bill to make changes in the constitution.