ir right to opt, we can undoubtedly classify Article 3 among minority protection measures.
While Article 3 determined who was entitled to opt on a territorial basis (based on one's residence), Article 4 referred to the principle of birth, although it may seem that the Polish solution referred much more to the principle of descent. Accordingly, citizenship depended not only on one's place of birth, but also on whether he was born in the said territory of parents habitually resident there. Nevertheless, within two years after the coming into force of the treaty, these persons could make a declaration before the competent Polish authorities stating that they wanted to abandon Polish nationality. They did not have to go through further formalities in this case.
In Article 5, Poland undertook to put no hindrance in the way of the exercise of the right which the persons concerned had to choose whether or not they would acquire Polish nationality.
Under Article 6, Poland eliminated one of the reasons that could have made one stateless by stating that all persons born in Polish territory who were not born nationals of another State should ipso facto become Polish nationals.
Article 7 guaranteed equality before the law and the enjoyment of the same civil and political rights for all Polish nationals without distinction as to race, language or religion. No differences of religion, creed or confession could prejudice them concerning their admission to public employments, functions and honours, or the exercise of professions and industries. No restriction could be imposed on the free use by any Polish national of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings. Although the first three paragraphs of the article concerned all Polish nationals, it is evident that it aimed first of all at the protection of members of ethnic, religious, or religious minorities. Paragraph 4 realised the direct protection of linguistic minorities, in so far as Polish nationals of non-Polish speech were granted adequate facilities for the use of their language, either orally or in writing, before the courts. According to certain authors, a drafting error occurred concerning language use before the courts ("devant les tribunaux"), since it is indisputable that this obligation concerned the use of language not only before the courts but before every other authority as well. Notwithstanding this, the establishment the official language was to be a separate and independent decision of the Polish Government.
Article 8 concerned directly the minorities. It established the protection of those Polish nationals who belonged to racial, religious or linguistic minorities in so far as the treaty guaranteed that they should enjoy the same treatment and security in law and in fact as the other Polish nationals. The drafters of the treaty sought to protect minorities against discrimination on the part of the state. The Article guaranteed the right of association to them, in so far as they were granted an equal right to establish, manage and control at their own expense charitable, religious and social institutions, schools and other educational establishments (e.g. schools), the right to use their own language and to exercise their religion freely therein.
Article 9 settled matters related to public education. It established that the Polish Government was to provide adequate facilities for ensuring that in the primary schools the instruction shall be given to the children of Polish nationals of other than Polish speech through the medium of their own language. This provision, however, could not prevent the Polish Government from making the teaching of the Polish language obligatory in these schools. According to Paragraph 2, racial, religious or linguistic minorities were to be assured an equitable share in the enjoyment and application of the sums which may be provided out of public funds, for educational, religious or charitable purposes. However, provisions of Article 9 were to be applie