countries (Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden).
During the last two years, however, the Jews in various countries have adopted a peculiar policy, threatening the fundamental principles of equal citizenship, by demanding special national or minority rights in central and eastern European states. During the Peace Conference the Jews maintained an influential delegation at Paris which insisted that such rights be granted to the Jews in Poland, Austria, Roumania, Jugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Ukrainia. A special Bill of Jewish Rights was presented by the Jewish delegation to the Peace Conference. This bill contained the following stipulations:
“First—New guarantees of citizenship for those born in the territories affected, or resident therein since August, 1909.
“Second—All citizens to enjoy equal civil, religious, national and political rights, without distinction of birth, race, nationality or religion.
“Third—The right to use the language of any national minority in business, private intercourse, public meetings or the press shall be guaranteed; nor shall there be any restriction of such language in the schools or other institutions, nor shall the validity of any transaction or document be affected by the use of any language whatsoever.
“Fourth—The state shall recognize the several national minorities as constituting distinct autonomous organizations, having the right to establish, manage and control schools and religious, educational, charitable and social institutions.
“Fifth—Each national minority shall be allotted its proportion of state, departmental and municipal funds, based on the ratio of its numbers in the respective areas, as well as in the entire population.