Conflict over Elections Between Zionist Leaders in Poland Becomes Acute

Split may Lead to Reduction of Jewish Representatives in Sejm (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The conflict between the Zionists of Congress Poland and the Zionists of Eastern Galicia over the forthcoming Parliamentary elections, has become so acute that the Zionists of Congress Poland, as a part of the bloc of national minorities, have decided to put up Jewish candidates in Eastern Galicia against the candidates of the East Galician Zionist Organization.

Dr. Leon Reich, the leader of the Galician Zionists, and Isaac Gruenbaum, the leader of the Zionists of Congress Poland, explained their positions in interviews with the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here.

The two leaders were asked whether there was no possibility of settling the conflict between the Zionist Organizations of Eastern Galicia and Congress Poland, whether the decision of the Zionist Organization of Congress Poland to put forward Jewish candidates in Eastern Galicia would mean the loss of seats formerly held by Jews, and whether the Zionist Central Council of Eastern Galicia has made representations to the Executive of the Zionist World Organization in London against the action of the Zionists of Congress Poland.

Dr. Reich said in reply: “The conflict can be settled if the Zionist Executive of Congress Poland stops hindering the work of the East Galician Zionist Organization, which is an independent body. There is no likelihood of the Zionists of Eastern Galicia altering their decision with regard to their attitude in the elections, which was adopted after long consideration by all the organs of the Organization. If the Jews of Eastern Galicia lose any seats, I shall have to congratulate the Polish Zionists on their success. We for our part will call the Jews of Eastern Galicia to vote for our list. We are sure that the Jews standing on our list will be Jewish candidates, while the Jews standing on the list of the Bloc of Nationalities will be Ukrainian candidates. Whether it is worth while menacing Jewish candidates in this way must be left to be answered by those who are taking this course of action.

“Naturally,” Dr. Reich said, “we have approached the Zionist World Executive in the matter. It is not a question of the Executive interfering in the internal policy of the Polish Zionists, but one of preventing the Zionist movement from suffering because of our differences of opinion, and of deciding whether it is right for one Zionist Organization to invade the territory of a second Zionist Organization, thereby causing a split in the Zionist ranks and doing damage to the Zionist cause.”

Mr. Gruenbaum replied: “It is difficult to say how it is possible to settle the conflict, since the East Galician Zionists have rejected all our proposals for a compromise. If there are to be any fresh negotiations on the quesion, the initiative must come from the Zionist leaders of Galicia.

“We for our part have done all that was possible, we have proposed the most far-reaching concessions, but all our suggestions were rejected, although they would have enabled four more Jewish seats to be secured in Eastern Galicia which cannot be won if the Jews of Galicia go to the polls independently. If any Jewish seats are lost, it will be only in the case of those candidates who will stand on the list of the East Galician Zionists, for the Nationalities Bloc has guaranteed the Jews a definite number of seats in Eastern Galicia. It goes without saying that the list of the Nationalities Bloc will poll a large number of Jewish votes in Eastern Galicia, for in addition to the Hitachduth Organization and the Zionist opposition in Eastern Galicia, there are a large number of non-partisan Jewish organizations which support the minorities bloc.

“As for the intervention of the Galician Zionists with the Zionist Executive in London, the Fifteenth Zionist Congress adopted a number of resolutions declaring that the local Zionist organizations must be given a free hand in the internal policy of their respective countries,” Mr. Gruenbaum stated.