The anti-Jewish student disturbances in Poland came under discussion to-day at the meeting of the Board of Jewish Deputies, when the Joint Foreign Committee, in the course of its report to the Board, stated that it has noted with great regret the anti-Jewish student disturbances which have occurred in the last few weeks in various Universities in Poland, adding that the authorities have taken appropriate measures to deal with the situation.
Mr. Morris Myer, speaking on the report, urged that representations in a friendly spirit should be made by the Board to the Polish Ambassador in London, saying that this would have a salutary effect on the bullies.
Mr. B. S. Straus, replying to criticism made of the Joint Foreign Committee for the paucity of details in the Report, said that the Report conveys what the Committee desired it to convey. The fact was, he said, that it is the policy of the Board not to take action unless the foreign community concerned specifically asked for it. In this case their assistance had not been requested. In these days the Board had to be more careful than in the past, for when one realised that the particular Government had not encouraged the excesses against the Jews, and was anxious that they should be suppressed, the Board had to be very careful not to upset that Government.
Mr. O. E. d’Avigdor Goldsmid, the President of the Board, followed up Mr. Straus’s statement by saying that the Board would remember that the Jewish Community in Poland were fully represented in the Polish Seym. That Community had a certain pride and had not asked for any representations to be made in England. We have the greatest possible regret at the outbreak of these disturbances and the riots, he declared, and we trust that the Polish Government will do its utmost to suppress them and will restore law and order, and further will restore the opportunity to the Jewish students to continue their usual work, which is their right. The Joint Foreign Committee will, at its next meeting, he added, give further consideration to this matter.
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