POLISH ELECTORS
Snt,—In your last editorial "The Pattern of Europe," you write about the "full and unfettered elections on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot," which according to the Potsdam decisions are to take place in Poland, and you add that " such elections have never been held in Poland yet." I cannot agree with this.. The first four elections to the Polish Parliament, held in 1919, 1922, 1928; and I930, were carried out on the . basis of an exceptionally liberal electoral law, allowing for general, secret, direct and proportional ballot, in which both men and women took part. Those who saw the elections of 1919 and 1922 are unanimous in declaring that they took place in an atmosphere of absolute freedom; none of the political parties ever protested against the way that they took place. The elections of 1928 and 193o took place after Pilsudski's coup d'etat; they Were carried out in the same liberal principles as the previous elections, but certainly the electors were under the influence of the ruling party.
The last two elections to the Polish Parliament have been held in 1935 and 1938 according to a new electoral law, imposed by the ruling party. This new laW certainly kept the ballot general and secret, yet it was con- sidered by the opposition parties not sufficiently democratic, and subse- quently the whole opposition (Socialists, Peasant Party, Christian Demo- &its and Nritional Democrats) boycotted these elections. But as the old system was still used in the municipal elections, in 1938 the opposition Obtained a majority over the ruling party in most of the towns. This shows that even during the semi-dictatorship of Pilsudski, the- system of govern- ment was more liberal and democratic than the system reigning in the 'totalitarian countries.
TiMe will show whether the elections proMised in Yalta_ and at Pots- dam will be truly " free and unfettered." At 'present it does not look very hopeful. I know frnin my. filen& WliO have come lately from Poland, that at the moment terror reigns there. Anyone who damp to raise a Voice against the present system is arrested and put into one of the numer- ous. concentration camps, if not deported.intO Russia. Under these .cpn- ditions there can be no question of any free political activities, or free- dom of the Press, and those are certainly hasic conditions if there is to be anything like. free elections—Yours faithfully, Mits. A. WOOD.
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