Evening star., 1934-09-14
Poland Defes the League.

Brotherly love and international CO.
operstion have run into squaiiy
weather at Geneva. In the midst OF
the Leagues tribulations over admis-
sion of the Soviet Union Poland has
precipitated what may easily become
a major crisis by repudiating the
Leaeue's minorities pact. the YER
sailles agreement whereby the states
created at the peace conference
pledged themselves to give fun pro-
lection and equality Of treatment to
all minority races that found them
selves Incorporated within new ma
tional jurisdictions.
On Thursday Polish Foreign Min
lister Beck fiung . bombshen into
the Assembly by announcing that his
government will refuse henceforward
to submit to League supervision of
minorities In Poland. Affected are
4,oo0,0oo Ruthenians, more than A.
100000 Jews. about 100000 each Of
white Russians and Germans and
smaller groups Of other nationals.
Europe's political, racial and religious
minorities altogether are estimated to
total between 10000 900 and 10000. 900
persons.
Col. Beck declared that until there
d general and uniform" system, for
protection of minorities Poland win
reject any and all forms of interna-
tional control and treat minority pop
ulations within her borders purely In
accord with domestic laws governing
foreign languages, education, the right
Of religious worship and maintenance
Of racial institutions of all kinds.
Polands case rests on the demand
made BY her before the League last
year that the great powers In partic-
ular submit to international supervi-
sion Of their mincrities. instead Of ex-
pecting merely new postwar states
to do 50. A the Poles have con-
cluded that such universal" protec-
ton Of minorities is not obtainable.
they are renouncing the application Of
the treaty to themselves - contrary
to the principle upon which the
League Of Nations was founded
namely. equality as to members" Col.
Beck insists no other motive Is be-
hind the action Of Poland. She
win continue to give minorities the
full benefit Of her fundamental laws.
guaranteeing equality Of language.
race and religion.
League leaders, especially British
and French, do not conceal their
alarm and anxiety over the situation
suddenly provoked BY Poland. Il d
considered vital blow at the treaty
Of Versailles and at the sanctity Of
I'll League pacts, and Is the frst Of its
kind On record. In Poland's case It q
considered al the more grievous an
anrout. because the new state achieved
its independence q the direct result
Of the sacrifices Of the allied powers,
whsch were at special pains at YER
sailles to exact q Polish treaty for
the protection Of minorities.
The European political implications
Of Poland's action are of no less i'm
portance. It seems prima facie evi-
dence that she Is moving farther
away from the League and into the
German orbit. There are already
suggestions that Poland may formally
follow Japan and Germany out Of the
League. Not the least consequence
Of Polish denunciation Of the minori.
ties treaty ID that It facilitates Ger
man denunciation of the military
clauses Of the Versailles treaty.
These developments spell critical
times for the League. It will need
all the legalistic dialectics of Foreign
Minister Sir John Simon of Great
Britain and Of Barthou Of France,
scheduled for today, to save the shat
tered Versailles bark from perilous
shipwreck. Supervision of minorities
is one Of the Leagues principal rea-
sons for existence and one of its chief
duties under the covenant. In fight
ing for maintenance of such supervi-
sion, Geneva Is battling for its very
life.
If automobiles continue to be occu-
pied in wholesale crime, extreme theor.
lists in the subject Of social economy