Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-17
/ Jews IN POLAND .
ASK HOME RULE
Nationalist Party Has
aspirations Like Czechs,
Leader Declares
OWN SCHOOLS DESIRED
Polish Military Chief Asserts
Both Races Must Make
Sacrifices
OWN SCHOOLS DESIRED
BY the Associated Press

al
S9 warsaw, Dec. II. =
General Joseph PilsudslSi, the military
head Of the Polish Government spoke
! freely with a correspondent relative to
the situation In this country. ..
sThe Jewish question ID most difficult
for Poland" he said, 'and It will need
great effort and sacrifices on the part of
both Poles and Jews to reach a solution.
Ono Of the best proofs Of our tolerance
toward the Jews may be found in the
fact that they were permitted to par
ticipate In the recent election.
"a special commission is investigat-
ing the alleged pogroms at Lemberg. 1t
has been established that the first act
OF the Ukrainians after occupying that
city was to release prisoners from the
jailH These prisoners began to pillage
the city and disorders naturally arose
Place 1900 in Jail
when Polish patrols entered the
Lemberg ghetto they were fired upon
from windows and hot water was poured
upon them. At the beginning of the
trouble the forces of Polish regular
troops in Lemberg were unable to cope
with the situation but when REINFORCED.
restored order and placed in jail 1900
persons, many OF whom were Ukrainian
soldiers"
Noah Prilucki, leader of the Jewish
Nationalist party, said to the corre-
spondent:
..srhe trouble between the Poles and
the Jews is the outgrowth of the indis-
position Of the Poles to meet our de-
mHnds in the light of President Wilson s
declarations The nationalistic idea has
been growing for fifty years, but has
developed among Jews only recently. We
have aspirations similar to the Czechs
and Serbians but lack territory. Anti
Semitic agitation began forty years ago
when Poles were urged to take up land,
open small stores and overcome Jewish
competition.
Jews Seek Freedom
Wewish nationalistic aspirations took
form nine years ago. being stimulated
by the Russian revolution. After the
present war broke out the Jews hoped
to gain political freedom, but friction
between the Poles and Jews began again.
When German occupation came the
Poles accused tho Jews of cooperating
with the Germans, owing to German
py0misos. The Germans permitted Jew
Nh newspapers. which had been sus-
PENDED at Warsaw. to reappear, allowed
uB' 70 open our schools and gave GER
tain liberties to both Poles and Jews.
i1t.was then that Warsaw elected its
fItst municipal council.
In this council began the formation
0xlf,nartiea which now eyist O,r
Nationalist party seeks autonomy for
the Jews. recognition, by the Polish
State. with home rule the right to have
our own schools and libraries and the
privilege Of using Yiddish in the schools
ana to study Polish history and the
Polish language. :. :: ~
Asks for Homo Rule
1--WE have no objection to the Polish
ha1. but We wish to have the right 10
regulate matters affecting Jews. We
have no desire to interfere in foreign
diplomatic matters and We wish to vote
with the Poles on all public matters,
including parliamentary elections.
Regarding the accusation that we
made money during the war by food
speculation, I may say that this is nc
trisr than other charges against US
those who did make money were the rich
JeNns not tne poor people, Our news
papers have always opposed speculation
Our poor suffered hunger the same as
Christians.
The Jews here are largely Socialists
but are opposed to Bolshevism. Also
unlike German Socialists, we are not in
ternAtionalists. 1t Is not true that Jew!
acted as spies for the Germans. i
might be remarked that Austrian.
hanged Jews before the war ended.
1T IL true that jails were opened a
hamburg, but Polish soldiers began tn,
disorders by setting fire to the homes O.
Jews and then thieves came"
Paris. Dec. 17.--(By A. PIN dis
cussing the severance of relations be.
tween Poland and Germany, the Petit
journal foresees an alliance in the neal
future of tho Polish Government with
y the Democratic party of Posen Ger
nnan Poland). The Polish Government
the Newspaper continues, is preparing tc
adhere completely to the Entente ALI
Z ance.