2. From a practical point of view it is of the utmost importance to Christian countries to ascertain whether the Jews are to be treated as citizens who enjoy equal rights and equal duties with the rest of the community, or whether they are to have, in addition, special privileges uniform in every country because they are Jews.
The American Constitution grants equal rights to all citizens of the United States, without distinction as to race or religion. The same conception of citizenship prevails in a majority of the western European 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.
“Sixth—Proportional representation of national minorities in elected bodies.
“Seventh—Those observing any other day except Sunday as Sabbath shall not be required to perform on such days acts they regard as desecrations, and shall be permitted to conduct business on Sunday if they so desire.