Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-09-09
Louis Marshall Reaffirms
Stand Against Turkish Jews
Who Renounce Their Rights
Calls 1t Cowardly for Notables to Repudiate
Charter of Liberty Affecting Jews
in Many Lands

New York.-Whcn asked by the
representative of the Jewish Tele.
graphic Agency yesterday for his
comment on the cables from Constan.
tinople and Geneva, Louis Marshall
reiterated his previous stand, declar-
ing himself unwilling to modify in the
slightest degree his previous state
ments, in which the Turkish Jewish
leaders were charged with cowardice.
Mr.. Marshall declared:
Action Calamiio,is
"After reading the cablegram from
Constantinople in which it is sought
to justify the action of the Turkish
Jewish notables renouncing the rights
guaranteed by the Treaty of Lausanne
to the Jews of Turkey, am unwilling
to modify to the slightest degree what
| have said in my several statements
on that subject. On the contrary,
what Mr.. Franco has said by way Of
apology only strengthens my convic-
ton that the action proposed to be
taken is calamitous. II is entirely
true, however, that my motive in criti-
cizing this action was prompted by
the desire to defend the Turkish
Jews from themselves
1t might have been added that it is
likewise due to an overwhelming wish
that this action shall not be regarded
as n precedent to be pursued in other
countries. The very fact that it is
now said that the Jews of Turkey have
not Internationally renounced their
guaranteed minority rights and that
an attempt is now being made to
secure from the Turkish government
counter guarantees of Jewish pre-
negatives and rights tells the whole
story.
The treaty of Lausanne was not
intended to confer 'prerogatives' upon
the Jew or any other minorities. Its
purpose was to confer upon them the
fundamental rights of citizenship as
recognized in the United States, Great
Britain, France and other leading ma.
tions. By that treaty these rights
were by the government of Turkey
recognized as fundamental laws, that
no law, regulation or official action
was to conflict or interfere with the
stipulations contained in the treaty,
and that no law, regulation or official
action should prevail over them.
Must Retain Right of Appeal
at is these rights that the notables
have presumed to surrender with the
expectation that the Turkish govern
ment might eventually confer upon the
Jews similar rights. The fallacy of
this conception lies in the fact that the
Treaty of Lausanne affords sanctions
for rights conferred by that instru-
ment which can be resorted to in the
event of failure to conform with
their requirements.
mo matter what arrangement the
Turkish government may make with
the Turkish Jews it will save no such
sanctions. 1t will not be a matter of
international concern. 1t will elimin-
ate from the fundamental law of Tur-
key the Bill of Rights guaranteed by
the Treaty of Lausanne. 1t will ena-
BILE the Turkish government to do just
what Roumania did after 1878, and
what would be done in other countries
but for the fact that the treaty is a
contract, not with the minorities, but
with the nations of the earth. The
Turkish notables have no more right
to renounce this charter of liberty for
the Jews than they have for the Ar