The Polish Government-in-exile today gave its first public pledge of equality for the Jews in a reconstituted Poland when Welfare Minister Stanczyk, addressing an assembly of Polish Jews in Britain in the presence of several members of the Government, spoke on behalf of the Government and promised the Jews of Poland full political, cultural and social rights on a basis of equality with the rest of the population.
Among those present when Stanczyk made the declaration were General Duch, representing Premier Wladislaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister August Zaleski, Information Minister Stanislas Stronski and Vice-Premier Stanislas Kot.
Stanczyk further declared that the Government condemned anti-Semitism and added that the bulk of the Polish population never had anything to do with it. Dr. Ignacy Schwartzbard, Jewish member of the Polish National Council, replying to Stanczyk said that the declaration guaranteed equal rights for the Jews in a reconstituted Poland and hailed it as “the most important step forward in Polish-Jewish relations. He promised that the Jews would always be loyal to Poland and said that in the army and out they were doing their part in the common struggle.
In his statement on the Jews, Stanczyk said: “I wish to assure you again in behalf of the Polish Government that nothing will seduce us from democratic principles securing every citizen in the future Poland equal political and social rights. The Jews, Polish citizens, will be equal in their obligations and rights with the Polish community and they will be able to develop their culture, religion and customs. This will be secured not only by laws in the future Poland but also by the common sacrifices in these most terrible days of oppression. The Jews, Polish citizens, fighting side by side with their Polish comrades are also earning by that the undeniable right to peaceful work, well-being and happiness in a liberated fatherland for which we are striving and which shall certainly be achieved by sacrifice and suffering.”
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.
