Discussion of the petition of Franz Bernheim on the violation of Jewish rights in Upper Silesia, which was to have been on the agenda of the League of Nations Council this morning, was unexpectedly postponed until Monday as a result of further German manipulations to save the Nazi Government from having to face the Jewish question in open sessions of the League Council.
Arthur Henderson, as chairman of the disarmament conference, announced this afternoon an important session of the conference would be held Monday morning. Since many members of the Council will wish to attend this session, discussion of the Jewish question by the Council will be put over until Monday afternoon.
Extensive discussion on the rights of the Jews is expected at that time, led by Joseph Paul-Boncour, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of some of the smaller powers. It is also considered likely that Sir John Simon, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, may return here in time to participate.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is informed that it is not intended to let the Jewish question be considered without an impressive discussion of the treatment of the Jewish population by Germany.
It was learned from authoritative sources that the German representatives spent most of last night in negotiations with Sean Lester, of the Irish Free State, rapporteur on minorities, and offered to make a new and more satisfactory declaration regarding Jewish rights in Upper Silesia provided that this declaration would not be followed by a public debate on the question.
The general opinion of the German declaration made by Friedrich von Keller yesterday, in which the onus for anti-Semitic activities in the plebiscite area was put on the shoulders of minor officials, as unofficially expressed in League circles, was unfavorable. This reaction is believed to have induced the Nazi diplomats to offer a new declaration Mr. Lester, however, indicated that debate on the question was unavoidable.
GERMANS RESUME BARGAINING
The German delegation this morning resumed the bargaining tactics which earlier in the week apparently seemed successful in staving off public discussion of the Bernheim case. They demanded a closed session of the council at which they declared they would not accept Mr. Lester’s report which was to have been made today and was to have been the signal for a full-dress debate which undoubtedly would have gone beyond the confines of the Bernheim petition and included the situation of
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