The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-03-15
MINORITIEs-A MENACE AND
AN OPPORTUNITY

Minoritfes are people Of one lang
uage, race or tradition who live in
the midst of people of a different
race, or speaking another language,
or observing different traditions.
That is not the whole story. Inn
migrants are in very much the same
situation, but immigrants have gone
voluntarily to the country in which
they live. In the case OF most mi
norities, they are living where they
have always lived, but the bounda-
ries have changed as a result of the
World War, or some previous war,
and the foreign country in which
they live has reached out and abb
sorbed them.
The Situation of members of mi
nority populations in Europe is
rather like that of an old man in
North Carolina. He was born in
Buncombe County, lived in Hender-
son County in middle life, and is
passing his older years in Transyl-
vania County. Yet he has lived his
entire life in the same house. Di-
visions and changes of county lines
account for his many changes OF res
|idence.
Probably he has suffered no more
inconvenience than the old woman
whose house lay very near the Penn
sylvania- Maryland line. When that
boundary was re-surveyed, she asked
the surveyors in which state she
lived. and learned that her house
was in Maryland. "Oh, dear, she
sighed, i always heard the climate
was so much healthier in Pennsyl
vania."
1t makes some difference to Euro
pean minorities upon which side of
the line they find themselves. The
struggle for Italian independence
from Austria was so severe and SO
bitter that Austrians who find them
selves in Italy since the Italian
boundary shifted north after the
World War are in some danger of
suffering inconvenience. German
oppression of Poland was so severe
that now Germans who are included
in Poland are in considerable danger
|of petty persecution, or Of being
forced to give up their language,
customs and cherished traditions.
Even If there is no spirit of per-
secution or retaliation, shifts of
boundary cause serious inconven-
fence. Boundaries mean passports,
frontier guards and tariffs. They
separate families make it hard for
relatives and friends to visit each
other when the new boundary has
come between them, cut people OFF
from the markets in which they have
been in the habit of doing business,
and force them to seek new oppor-
tunities to buy and sell among peo-
pie who use different language and
strange customs. -
SSwifrzef ,ift haas tol s
three distinct groups. differing VI
language, customs and race, can get
along together. German. French
and Italian. sections of the Swiss
people all have equal rights, are
free to use their own language, to
each it to their children, and to
continue the distinctive customs of
their ancestors. Czechoslovakia is
srying to follow Switzerland's ex-
ample among the Czechs. Slovaks,
Germans, Poles, Ruthenians, Nag
CARS and Jews who make up the
population. Perhaps it is because
Of its policy Of fairness to everybody
| hat Czechoslovakia is one of the
most successful Of the new states
formed after the World War.
In order to try to protect the
rights of minorities in all countries,
the League Of Nations has estab-
lished Minorities Commission.
Some nations, particularly those es-
abolished or greatly enlarged after
the World War, have signed definite
.reaties guaranteeing to their min
GRITTY population equal rights in the
courts, the right to maintain their
own schools and churches, and to
SlmlldI measures eOI JuotiCC. uCoC
treaties are very difficult to enforce,
and dispute between Germany and
Poland at the December meeting of
the Council of the League of Ma
sions revealed so much dissatisfac-
lion that full discussion of the
whole question was arranged for the
near future.
AS dissatisfaction among minority
populations, especially in Austria
Hungary. was one of the important
,auses of the World War, 1t can be
seen that just treatment of minority
groups is of great Importance to
every member of the community of
nations. If the League of Nations
succeeds in improving conditions, it
viii have helped to remove one cause
# trouble in the future. AS usually
simple fair play seems the wisest
policy
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