Polish Zionists Alleged to Be Using Influence with Government to Prevent It Ratifying Election of Ag

Efforts are being made by the Zionists in Poland to induce the Government to refuse to ratify the election a month ago by the new Board of the Warsaw Jewish Community which has an Agudist majority, of Mr. Eligah Mazur, a leading Agudist, as President of the Executive of the Warsaw Jewish Community, in succession of ex-Deputy Farbstein, who is now a member of the Zionist World Executive, it is alleged today by the Warsaw Yiddish dailies, “Unzer Express” and the “Volkscajtung”, the latter the organ of the Jewish Socialist party Bund. The Foreign Minister, M. Zaleski, is said in their reports to have favoured intervention by the Government along the lines desired by the Zionists, because he considers it advisable to maintain friendly contact with the Polish Zionists, in view of the fact that Mr. Sokolow, a Polish Jews is now President of the Zionist World Organisation, and another Polish Jew, ex-Deputy Farbstein, is a member of the Zionist Executive.

Dr. Goldflamm, the leading non-Zionist member of the Polish section of the Jewish Agency, is stated also to have thrown his influence into the scale in favour of such a pro-Zionist attitude in Government circles. If the Government refuses to ratify the election of an Agudist as President of the Warsaw Jewish Community, and the Agudists refuse to agree to a Zionist President, the report adds, the Government may dissolve the existing Board of the Warsaw Jewish Community and order new elections to be held.

The Council of Ministers, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Foreign Office, all categorically deny the reports on inquiry by the J.T.A., declaring that they are untrue and without the slightest foundation. The only thing that is true, they state, is that the ratification of Mr. Mazur’s election has been held over for the time being. Government circles, it is added, are convinced of the loyalty of the Polish Zionists towards the Polish State, and they consider that any intervention on their side in internal Jewish affairs would be unjustified and they have, therefore, made no such intervention.

Dr. Goldflamm, too, has assured the J.T.A., that he has never made any intervention whatever in this matter. In the same way the Zionist leaders here have declared to the J.T.A., that there is no truth in the reports.

At the same time, however, the J.T.A., is given to understand that it is not impossible that Mr. Mazur’s election to the Presidency of the Warsaw Jewish Community Executive will not be ratified.