League Council Today to Hear Jurists’ Verdict on Bernheim Petition

A meeting of the League of Nations League Council to consider the Bernheim petition matter has been definitely fixed for tomorrow morning. At that time, the committee of three jurists which has been considering Germany’s legal objections to acceptance of the petition by the Council, will render its report.

This report will state, it is learned, that the German objections are untenable under construction of Article 147 of the Polish-German convention governing the Upper Silesia plebiscite area, since that article does not contain the restrictions which the German delegation has claimed. This is especially so since Franz Bernheim, who protested to the Council that the rights of the Jews in Upper Silesia had been violated by the Nazi anti-Jewish laws, was domiciled in Upper Silesia and left that place temporarily when the anti-Jewish laws were published. The committee will hold, it is learned that it was unnecessary for Bernheim to suffer personal loss in order to have the right to petition the League of Nations. (The Bernheim petition, however, also states that the petitioner was forced out of his position as a result of the laws about which he protested.)

There are no indications here that the German Government has receded from its adamant opposition to acceptance of the report of Sean Lester, rapporteur on minorities, which was presented last week. Notwithstanding the verdict of the committee of jurists, it is believed the German delegation will continue its refusal to accept the report, aiming to deny the equality of the Jews of Germany.

If Germany persists in its refusal to accept the Lester report, the question will be postponed to the next meeting of the Council in September.