The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-14
What Poland Needs.


There is no question but, after read
ing both reports. one gets a fresh idea
of the turbulence in which Central Eu-
rope finds itself, and that all the inflI-
,ences of liberalism patience, goodwill
and tolerance viii have to be eNerted
to help Poland get a good start in the
world and to fulfill her pledge Of reli-
gious liberty.
Mr.. M~orsenthau, himself gives the new
Polish government considerable encour-
agement and is inclined to forgive the
excuses" on the general ground that
the government had not yet been estab-
lished when the crimes occurred and
that what happened was largely disor-
ders among soldiers and civilians who
inherited traditional prejudices of anti
semitisin. He applauds the Polish gov
eminent for it's activity in indicating
certain non-Jews responsible for the
excess" and calls attention to laxity
in other cases.
The so-called Jadwin-Johnson report
looks at the situation more from the
viewpoint of what will help poland IN
the future and is inclined to minimizf
the occurrences by showing that tit
total Of 800 is much lower than The
hundreds Of thousands Of persons re.
ported in the American press to have
been killed. II admits, however, tina
Jews were beaten, executed and perse'
cuted. but analyses the cause as a fun
damental after-the-war prejudice
against the Jews, first, for supposed
sympathy with tile Germans when they
occupied Poland, and second, for theil
alleged sympathy with the Bolshevik
movement.
Tendency to Criticism,
There is tendency in the Judwln.
Johnson report to criticize the actor
of the peace conference in making Pc.
land respect 1.-The rights OF minorities
and to argue that Poland will never
get along II THAI decision is emphasized
but that she will prosper only IL thC
non-Jews and Jews assimilate political.
of course, from the Jewish viewpoint
is Objectionable, Just as 1t Is from tn,
viewpoint of minorities of other re.
ligions in other countries Of Europe.
In fact, there is about as mucl
chance of assimilation between tn,
Jews and Poles as there is between thu
Catholics and Protestants of the NORTH
and south of Ireland.
Furthermore, the Jadwin- johnson re,
port commends the American schoo
system TO the consideration cf Poland
and emphasizes the need for publit
schools thai develop nationality instead
of religion. On the other hand, any.
body who can solve the eontroversS
that exists in the United States oyel
the existence of Catholic schools az
against public schools will find the joi
in Poland no less easy.
II by american experience thu
Jadwln-Johnson report means the ex
'stence Of Catholic schools that are no
supported by the state, the parable
would he Jewish schools in Poland tina
are not supported by the state, hu
there Is no specific explanation OF how
the analogy Of American experience
would apply to Poland.
Both reports are worth reading
They are lengthy documents and, wher
one gets through reading them, he feel.
like turning them over 10 some justic,
OF the supreme court Of the United
States who has no religious feeling o.
sympathy w~hatsoever-if, indeed, there
Is such a man-for an impartial Yer,
dict.
But the significant thing is that, faI
from being aba to keep out OF Euro
pean affairs, the Jew along with tn,
irish, have managed to exert their DO,
litical power here in the hope that thu
beneficent influence Of the United
States government will help their klns,
men abroad in the struggle for re
ligious freedom and individual liberty
Copyright, 1920. by David Lawrence.