10 JUNE 1938, Page 2

Poland's Minority in Germany Herr Hitler has very strongly and

frequently asserted Germany's right to intervene in the affairs of other countries in defence of her minorities abroad ; by the same reasoning Poland appears to have every excuse for intervening in Germany in defence of the Polish minority, numbering 1,500,000, in Upper Silesia, Westphalia and East Prussia. In a memorandum addressed to the German Minister of the Interior, Herr Frick, the League of Poles in Germany have protested strongly against the educational, cultural, and economic discrimination from which they suffer, and com- plain that, against their convictions, they are forced to join Nazi organisations and that they are excluded from public and municipal life. They assert that, since Herr Hitler came to power, the position of the Poles has become " not- ably worse." Such discrimination is a logical result of Nazi doctrines, but it may have unfortunate effects for Herr Hider. It weakens his case, such as it is, against the Czech Government and it may be a decisive influence on the attitude of Poland. Those who believe that all Herr Hitler wants is " fair play " for minorities would do well to make a detailed and accurate comparison between the positions of the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia, of the Poles and Danes in Germany, and of the Germans in the South Tyrol, whom the Fiihrer appears to have completely abandoned.