Should the Saar plebiscite, to be held in 1935, favor return to Germany, the League of Nations Council would have no right to impose special obligations for the protection of racial minorities, jurists of the League are said to have declared.
Under the provisions of the treaty the inhabitants of the Saar valley will have to vote on a return to Germany, inclusion in the French Republic or a continuation of the present League Commission government.
It is understood that the conclusion of the League jurists is contained in a jurist’s memorandum which the League committee in charge of organizing the Saar plebiscite will consider when it meets in Rome on Monday.
The opinion of the jurists is based on the fact that the Versailles Treaty clauses dealing with the Saar region do not contain specific regulations for the protection of minorities to enable the League to dictate on the treatment of minorities there.
However, even the formal conclusions of the jurists cannot prevent the Council of the League from specially recommending special clauses for the protection of minorities in the Saar region.
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