Polish authorities are anxious to ascertain the views of responsible Jewish organizations the world over regarding the future of the Jews in Poland following restoration of the Polish State, it was understood here today.
The use of the term “negotiations” in connection with conversations between representatives of the Polish Government and responsible Jewish organizations is “obviously out of place” in regard to such questions as evacuation of “surplus” Jewish population, it was learned from authoritative Jewish quarters.
While the Angers Government has made no official statement of policy on the question, the subject of reduction of “surplus” Jewish population, it is under stood, has been raised informally in Polish Government circles.
(Count Jerzy Potocki, Polish Ambassador in Washington, replying to a protest by the American Jewish Congress against the revival of the Jewish emigration issue, said: “I am not aware of any such negotiations which you mention.”)
The Jewish view, which has been made clear on numerous occasions, it is pointed out here, is that the Jews of Poland should enjoy the same status as all other of the State. This equality of status would, it is emphasized, preclude consideration of a section of the Jewish population as “surplus” and responsible representatives of the Jewish community could not consider any proposals derogating from full equality for Jewish citizens.
Polish Jewish circles, which have been keenly disappointed by the Polish Government’s failure so far to issue an official declaration of policy pledging full equality for the Jews in Poland, are disturbed by the raising of the evacuation issue by official quarters. Polish Jewish circles report attempts to secure Jewish approval of a policy providing for Jewish emigration from Polish territories.
Meanwhile the Jewish Chronicle reports the likelihood that a Zionist-Revisionis will be added to the Polish National Council “in view of the fact that the Revisionists are believed willing to support a policy of Jewish emigration which is favored by the Polish Cabinet, to whom a solution of the Jewish problem lies still, as it was thought to be under Col. (Josef) Beck and company, in getting rid of the Jews.”
Reporting that the Jewish question had been lengthily discussed in last week’s Cabinet meeting, the Chronicle states that it was decided to leave in abeyance for the time being the question of taking an open, clear attitude with regard to the Jews and try to deal with the problem slowly.
The paper further reports that the Cabinet had sent out a number of trusty representatives to put out feelers and approach various Jewish bodies in France, England and the United States with a view to obtain information on their attitude and to try to establish contacts between these bodies and Polish official circles.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
