4 JUNE 1948, Page 18

POLISH REFUGEES

Sta,—According to an analysis of Polish military and civilian casualties in the Second World War, ten millions or 28 per cent. of Poland's pre- war population have been killed, deported, taken prisoner or sent to extermination or concentration camps. Some thousands of those who have survived life in concentration camps are now in Displaced Persons' camps in Germany and Austria. In some cases their health has been so injured that they are ineligible for resettlement, and are, therefore, condemned to what has been described as "existence without a future."

Under Article 8, Section C (III), of the Final Act of the Paris Con- ference on Reparation of December 21st, 1945, Poles were amongst those eligible for the Reparation Funds allocated to the rehabilitation and resettlement of non-repatriable victims of German action. But there has been a subsequent change of policy, and in the agreement drawn up in June, 1946, by the Five Powers Conference the categories eligible were limited to Jews an.1 to German and Austrian (anti-Nazi) nationals. How is it possible that the rights of Allies who have suffered the torture of concentration camps can be set aside? Even in these days of short memories, it is a strange response to the unconquerable heroism of Allies who, after the fourth partition of their martyred country, continued to fight in France, Britain, Italy and the Middle East.—Yours faithfully,