Noted Belgian Statesman Hits “ghetto” System in Polish Schools

EMILE VANDERVELDE, AGED FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER, SHARPLY CRITICIZES THE “GHETTO” SYSTEM IN POLISH UNIVERSITIES IN A LETTER TO THE UNION OF JEWISH ASSOCIATIONS.

HE WRITES: “IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES, WHERE EXCESSES ARISING FROM RACE HATRED ARE UNKNOWN, ‘GHETTO BENCHES’ SEEM AT FIRST GLANCE MORE RIDICULOUS THAN DANGEROUS. HOWEVER, THE EMOTIONS AROUSED AMONG POLISH INTELLECTUAL CIRCLES SHOW THAT THE MEASURE IS TO BE CONSIDERED SERIOUSLY. SINCE YOUTH I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PROTEST ACTIONS AGAINST JEWISH PERSECUTIONS IN TSARIST POLAND. IT IS PAINFUL TO STATE THAT THE OLD SPIRIT OF INTOLERANCE HAS NOT BEEN EXTINGUISHED IN REBORN POLAND.”