Ask Protection for Saar Jews

Special protection for the Jews of the Saar region was demanded in a memorandum submitted today to Baron Pompeo Aloisi, Italian chairman of the League of Nations Saar Commission, by Dr. Nahum Goldmann for the Committee of Jewish Delegations. This memorandum completes a similar document handed to the Saar Commission on February 6, on behalf of the Committee of Jewish Delegations and the Joint Foreign Committee of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Anglo-Jewish Association.

Today’s memorandum, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned, demands that the Jews of the Saar numbering approximately 10,000, be protected according to the precedent laid down by the League in Upper Silesia. In that plebiscite area the League compelled the Nazi regime to withdraw all discriminatory legislation against the Jews and also forced the reinstatement of Jewish officials and professional men ousted under the “Aryan clause.”

On January 16 the inhabitants of the Saar will vote whether to return to Germany, become a part of France or continue under the rule of the League’s Saar Commission. The commission charged that Saar voters are being intimid##ed by Nazi secret police, and also that the entire police force had been corrupted by the Nazis.

Neville Laski, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Dr. Goldmann are cooperating closely on a number of problems vitally affecting Jews which will be discussed by the League during the present session, including the Polish proposal to generalize the minority treaties by applying them to all members of the League. The Polish plan is held to be a maneuver to escape obligations under the minority treaties and will be opposed by the Jewish representatives.

Arthur Lurie, political secretary of the World Zionist Executive, arrived here today to represent the Zionist movement at the League sittings. He will replace the late Victor Jacobson, Zionist representative at Geneva since 1925, who died recently.