EIGHTS OF MINORITIES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 104, 30 October 1933, Page 2

EIGHTS OF MINORITIES

A European diplomat who was reared and educated iv Chicago, Stephen Osusky, Minister for Czechoslovakia in France, probably will bring about a discussion of^the treatment of the Jews in Germany by raising the question of minorities before the session of the League of Nations Assembly, says the"San Francisco Chronicle."

Germany has signed no treaty concerning the protection of minority peoples except a convention with Po-. land affecting only Upper Silesia whereby each country agrees to extend equal rights to racial and religious minorities in its territory. But Germany is not bound as regards Germany proper.

The Leigue steadily is building a code of international law, and is determined to give publicity, at least, to any infractions of that code iv whatever country they occur.

There is, however, an Assembly resolution urging all members of the League to respect the rights of minorities whether or not they have subscribed to minority treaties.

Minority, treaties directly affect Czechoslovakia, Greece, Rumania, and Yugoslavia. Clauses in the peace treaties call for the protection of minorities in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and; Turkey. Albania and the Baltic States also have agreed to afford protection.

These obligations arose from the feeling of the great' Powers that unless the non-dominant population was assured equal treatment, the seeds of now disorders, or even wars, would be sown. Rights of minorities as contained in existing treaties may be grouped under two heads.

The first includes general rights. These are the right to nationality, the right to life, personal.liberty, and freedom of worship; the equality of all nationals of the same country before the law, and the right to use the minority lauguage. It is declared that differences of race, languago, or religion should not prejudice any national of the country in the admission to public positions* functions, or honours or in the exerciso of professions and industries. In towns or_ districts where there are many "minority" nationals this element shall be given an equitable share of State appropriations for educational, religious, or charitable purposes.

The second category of rights includes special rights guaranteed to groups like the Jewish minorities in Greece, Poland, ami Rumania and the Moslem minorities Jn Albania, Greece, and Yugoslavia.