The Denver Jewish news., 1919-06-18

Zionist ORGANIZATION. His first report of
the conditions In Poland. printed in the
London Times of February Sth and in
large number OF American newspapers
aroused the indignation of the civilized
world against the outrages he described
Thru his Investigations the wall of 81
lence which had been built around Polish
atrocities was broken thru. Mr.. Israel
Cohen ss speaks authoritatively on the Jew
article. which will appear in the June
number of the 'Maccabaean" Magazine, the
official organ of the Zionist Organization
Of America Of which Mr.. israel Cohen Is
foreign correspondent. is issued as ''ad-
vance copy" by the Zionist Publicity De-
partment and we herewith present to our
readers the views ON the Polish sifua-
tion of this distinguished English Jewish
3ournsiist.-Thc Editor.
(Conclusion.)
The demand of the. Jews in Poland
is not for ain imperium in inperio. as
1t is SO often designated for the pur-
pose of condemning it. 1t is not II
demand for separation from the body
polite of the Polish State or for the
enjoyment of political self-government.
The Jews are willing to cooperate to
the fullest extent. materially and NOR
ally. with their fellow citizens of 9th
CT creeds and nationalities in the up
building Of the new Republic; they are
prepared to bear all the burdens and
discharge all the duties of citizenship.
But they also wish to have the right
Of managing their own affairs as MEM
bers of the Jewish nationality, without
in any way neglecting their duties to-
wards the State, and without in any
way infringing the interests of the
State. They wish to live and act as
Polish citizens of the Jewish nations
atty. and they arc. asking for the same
rights that the Poles are demanding
for themselves in the Ukraine \
member of an Allied Mission in Pol
and with whom / recently discussed
tie question. observed that as the
Jews had the right to vote and to sit
in Parliament they would be able, as
in Western constitutional countries, to
exercise Parliamentary pressure In or
der to secure the fulfilment OF their
demands. The recent elections have
shown the futility of this hope. The
constituencies were carved out in such
Il manner that by the amalgamation
of urban districts With Jewish pop
,,lation with. far-sprcading rural dis
tricts with Polish population. the
Jewish ma ajority of the towns was often
converted into an electoral minority.
cent. Jews, Chrzanow with sixty per
cent. Biala with forty per cent, Ja-
yOrzuo twhere the Jews were terroriz-
cd by two opposing Polish parties into
ibstaining from the po1lsl, and a fifth
town were combined with 1856 hamlets
and villages, so as effectually to
swamp the Jewish vote. Besides, in
some districts Jews were not allowed
to vote unless they signed II declaration
that they regarded themselves as mem
hers of the Polish nationality, and in
others the speaking of iiddish was
forbidden ut meetings. The return Of
nine Jewish members tone of whom
died and has not yet been replaced)
affords n very feeble weapon for secur-
ing Jewish rights in Parliament of
100, who are all, irrespective OF party.
united in opposition to Jewish de-
mands. The Polish Government must
therefore make the grant of Jewish
national rights its own concern. 1t
x,in ,rf x,,,I, Ls. in
ton of the Jewish people but also the
consolidation of the Polish State.
What are these Jewish national
rights? They comprise, in the first
place, the right of self-gorcrnment in
oil affairs of religion, educa tion, cul-
turc, charitable organization, public
health, and economic betterment The
right of the Jews to administer their
own religious affairs is such cardinal
principle in Western countries that it
ihay safely he accepted without discus
sion. The Jews wish to administer
their own schools, because the Polish
schools are conducted in denomina-
tional spirit, animated by Catholic
teaching and impregnated by anti
Semitic prejudice Moreover. the Pol
ish schools are open on the jewish
sabbath and festivals. so that the Jew
ish children either violate their re-
llGious principles by attending or pro-
woke the resentment of teachers ana
iellow-pupils by staying away. The
Jews wish to cultivate their national
tongue. Hebrew. and they must also
reckon with the fact that the Language
Of the masses is Yiddish: but they
ire quite willing and determined to
teach the Polish language, aAd also