Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-15
DEPICTS CRUELT|ES
TO JEWS IN POLAND
British Commissioner Says
They Are Boycotted Socially
and Economically.
BY WILLIAM ZUkERMAN.
by Cable to The Star md Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

Daily News. Copyright. 1919.
PARIS. France. December 13.-Sir
Stuart Samuels. chairman of the Brit
ish commission to Poland, is now in
Paris, on his way to London. after
three months spent in investigating
the complicated Jewish-P Polish situa-
ton. This British commission. like
the one from America headed by
Henry Morgenthau. was sent to Po-
land soon after the first anti-Jewish
outbreaks occurred there. with view
, - ascertaining the truth about the
relationship between the Poles and
the Jews and finding out what could
De done to improve this relationship.
Sir Stuart Samuels is an orthodox
Jew. He says frankly that he was
sent to Poland not only as an Eng
lishman but also as Jew in the in
terest of his fellow Jews. and as such
he is not much concerned about gain
ng the favor of all the parties. in
volved. He minces no words about
,Ae IN treatment of the Jews when
he found He made Thorough in
VeStIsation the S,tua lion IN Poland,
Gaiic.a and also the parts of LIthua-
MIA and Ckrainia now under Polish
rule He evidently reached definite
,,onclus ons and is ready to submit
his report.
Says Papers, People Not Ready.
'I found the Polish government
anxious to establish in Poland DEM
ocratic government along English
constitutional lines he said. put
the newspapers and the people are
not quite ready for it. Ninety per
cent of the Polish population cannot
read the Bible. A number OF the PoliSh
papers think that by raising hatred
and prejudice against the Jews the
large business which the Jews OF
Poland have been able to secure
through their honesty and energy
may pass into other hands. But this
is not possible because by long &C
quaintance with business the Jews
nave been able to secure connections
and credit which cannot be obtained
at a moments notice. These papers
are quite reckless in their statements,
which cause most OF the trouble pe-
tween the Jews and the Poles.
The Jews themselves are DIVIDED
into too many parties to make their
large proportion of the population
namely. IA per cent-fuily represse ehs
various parties could be concentrated
into one party the position OF the
Jews might be ameliorated."
Sir Stuart was very emphatlc In ms
assertions about the i'll treatment of
the Jews in Poland. He refused to
make any statement about the
pogroms. but used forceful language
in describing what may be called the
hard everyday life of the Jews there
Boycotted. He Declares.
Jews in Poland" he said. ARE boy
cotted economically and socially and
are assaulted and robbed in the streets
with impunity. The government IS
not able to protect their property and
Hardly their lives. True. the economic
situation of the country in general is
H. Av1ft
suffering. but the Jews suffer especial
" because they are Jews and no one
will dare deny this. 1t is the petty
everyday persecution and annoyances
which make the lives of the Jews mis-
cradle there.
deeply rooted in the masses" l
asked
NO. not at ALL" he replied quickly
and eagerly. IT found that the Polish
peasants are not against the Jews,
although their representatives in
feeling fiourishes chiefly in the big
cities among those who read the cheap
newspapers. The peasants cannot
read and their minds therefore remain
imprisoned found that anti-Semitism
was the growth of shallow soil.
There are some religious grounds for
the antagonism. but chiefly it is the
result of agitation in the newspapers"
Before he left Warsaw. Sir stuart
Samuels had an interview with
Premier Paderewski and President
Pilsudski and discussed with them the
Jewish question generally and spe-
+: officially the new Sunday closing act.
which had just been accepted by the
Polish parliament. He pleaded with
! the Polish leaders not to enforce this
/ law. because it would lead not only
| to the ruin Of the Jews but to the
: ruin of Poland.
! Sees Hope In Jews.
THE results of my study of the
/ Polish business" he continued. leads
! re tt believe that suffering will make
the Poles to realize that their hope
lies In the intelligence and enterprise
of the Jews. The new Polish govern
ment must follow the path of the
western European democracies and
not of the old czaristic Russia If it
wants to succeed. 1t is for it's own
sake and not only for the sake of the
Jews that Poland must adopt a liberal
policy in its treatment of the Jews"