(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The Club of Jewish Deputies in the Polish Sejm took the first step in the direction of opposing the Pilsudski government when it decided Friday afternoon that its members should not appear at the solemn ceremonies arranged for Saturday morning at the Royal Castle, prior to the opening of the Sejm.
The political situation was fraught with doubts and dangers before the session opened, it being the culmination of the dispute between the Sejm and Marshal Pilsudski. The decision of the Club is viewed here as an expression of its dissatisfaction with the governmental policy to place the executive above the legislative branch of the government. The Polish Socialist Party, as well as all clubs of the national minorities in parliament, have decided to absent themselves from the ceremonies.
The Club has also instructed its praesidium to seek an understanding with other parliamentary groups for the purpose of issuing a joint protest against the arrest by the Italian government of Deputy Wilfan, member of the Italian parliament representing the Slavic group, who acted as president of the national minorities congress held recently in Geneva.
The Club also decided to demand of the government that the new law promulgated by Pilsudski limiting the freedom of the press be annulled. The Club went on record as favoring a change in the Constitution to the effect that the postponement of the Sejm sessions, as was the case this time, should be made impossible.
The host of opponents to the Pilsudski press law was swelled yesterday when the Jewish Writers and Journalists Association of Poland adopted, at a plenary session held here, a resolution of protest against the new press law, which, it was declared, in limiting the freedom of the press will particularly affect the Jewish press in Poland because it will deprive the Jewish population of its opportunity to point out to the government cases of anti-Jewish discrimination. The Association also went on record demanding an amnesty for political prisoners.
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.
