(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Dr. Leon Reich, former president of the Club of Jewish Deputies, and negotiator of the Polish Jewish agreement, charged the Polish government today with complete failure to carry out the terms of the agreement.
The charges were made by Dr. Reich in the Sejm during the parliamentary discussion on the provisional budget submitted by the government for the months of May and June.
“During the period when the coalition government, headed by Skrzynski, was being formed, the Club of Jewish Deputies decided to take a friendly attitude of watchful waiting toward the coalition government, because its leader, Count Skrzynski, was the negotiator of the Polish Jewish agreement,” Dr. Reich stated. “I must declare, however, that to our deepest regret, our hopes were not fulfilled.” Dr. Reich supported his statement by quoting a number of facts of present day life in Poland and he drew a pessimistic picture of the Internal economic situation, as well as the situation in foreign relations.
The speaker particularly charged the Minister of Education, Stanislaw Grabski, with deliberate chicanery against the schools of the national minorities in Poland and particularly against the Jewish schools. The Minister took this negative attitude, despite his solemn promises during the negotiation and conclusion of the Polish Jewish agreement. Dr. Reich stated.
“It is true that Count Skrzynski was in good faith when he concluded the Polish Jewish agreement. However, he displayed little energy in carrying it out.” Dr. Reich stated.
Dr. Reich charged Minister Grabski with reducing the number of the terms of the Polish Jewish agreement from 42 to 12.
“I declare solemnly before the Sejm and before world opinion that the agreement concluded between the Polish government and the Club of Jewish Deputies in the Polish Sejm included forty-two points, including twelve which were to be realized immediately,” Dr. Reich stated. He cited a number of instances proving the existence of a numerus clausus against Jewish students in the Polish universities and the continuation of the campaign against Jewish merchants and trades.
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.
