Germany and Poland Pledge to Respect Mutual Minority Rights

A MAJOR SOURCE OF FRICTION BETWEEN GERMANY AND POLAND WAS ELIMINATED TONIGHT WITH PUBLICATION HERE AND IN WARSAW OF IDENTICAL GOVERNMENT DECLARATIONS PLEDGING RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF GERMAN AND POLISH MINORITIES IN BOTH COUNTRIES, THE HAVAS NEWS AGENCY REPORTED.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASES OF THE ACCORD, AS FAR AS GERMANY IS CONCERNED, WAS THE PROMISE TAKEN BY BOTH COUNTRIES NOT TO ATTEMPT ASSIMILATION OF, OR PRESSURE ON, MEMBERS OF EITHER MINORITY GROUP, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. THE REICH HAS REPEATED TIME AND AGAIN THAT GERMANS LIVING ABROAD STILL HAVE DEFINITE TIES TO THE FATHERLAND.

IN ADDITION TO THE OFFICIAL DECLARATION, IT WAS LEARNED, CHANCELLOR HITLER ASSURED POLISH AMBASSADOR JOSEF LIPSKI DURING AN INTERVIEW TODAY THAT THE DANZIG QUESTION COULD IN NO MANNER TROUBLE GERMAN-POLISH RELATIONS. THIS ASSURANCE WAS HELD SIGNIFICANT IN VIEW OF THE NAZIS’ SEIZURE OF COMPLETE POWER IN THE FREE CITY, WHERE IS AN IMPORTANT MINORITY GROUP.

THE JOINT DECLARATION PUBLISHED TONIGHT CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING FIVE MAIN POINTS TO SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR THE TWO GOVERNMENTS’ FUTURE ATTITUDE ON TREATMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MINORITIES:

1–MUTUAL RESPECT FOR THE NATIONAL SENTIMENT OF MINORITIES, WHICH FORBIDS ANY ATTEMPTS AT ASSIMILATION OR PRESSURE.

2–THE RIGHT OF BOTH MINORITIES TO THE FREE USE OF THEIR OWN SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGES IN PRIVATE OR PUBLIC RELATIONS.

3–THE RIGHT OF THE MINORITIES TO FORM ASSOCIATIONS.

4–THE RIGHT OF MINORITIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS, OPEN NEW SCHOOLS AND USE THEIR NATIVE TONGUE IN THE INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.

5–THE RIGHT OF CHOOSING OR PARTICIPATING IN A PROFESSION OR TRADE NOT TO BE HINDERED BY MEMBERSHIP IN THE MINORITY GROUPS, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC EQUALITY AND THE RIGHT TO ACQUIRE AND RETAIN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY — SUCH AS REAL ESTATE.