THE NEW POLAND
Snt,—I shall be glad if you would allow me to express the opinion of a group of polish students from the University and Technical College in Lodz. We were shocked reading the two letters in your " Letters To The Editor ": "Freedom or opression?"—by Katherine Atholl, British League for European Freedom, and " Clothes for Europe "—by Lattice Jowitt, Friends Relief Service, both in The Spectator, December the zoth,
1946.
The title alone and the signature seemed me to be very cynical. Please look again ! " Clothes for Europe." But Europe means in this letter only Germany. The people of those countries which were under German occupation used to say: the Germans are anti-european. Why? Because we saw ourselves the unhuman cruelty done by millions of German soldiers, officials, and party members. However, in some lucky countries which were rot occupied by the modern Hunns (Mrs. Lettice Jowitt writes—" our friends "—is it possible?) many people thinks: guilty arc only the Nazi leaders. It is not truth. All their nation is guilty all their nation took an active part in those cruelties. Our polish nation have losed more than 6 million citiziens! Would you believe it was done by a small group of people? Alone, in the ofens of Concentration Camp Auschwitz were burned over 4 millions people. You will hardly find a family in Poland-of-to-day which is not weeping after somebody murdered by the " poor " Germans. Our material life is completely ruined, because they have destroyed thousands of factories, and robbed many machines, tools and other goods. Why is the "Friends " Relief Service not organising a help for polish children, which have a great percentage of Tuberculosis? The fathers of these childrens were fighting from the beginning of the war on all the fronts. Perhaps there are hungry orphants in Poland, because their fathers were shot down by the Nazis in the air battle of London duringethe german Blitz? Why? Have you at all forgotten that we, and not the Germans are your allied?
Then the second matter. Mrs. Katherine Atholl which was never in Poland, and have no . idea of what is going on in our country tries to defend the Polish Underground Army against the Polish Police. We have heard here in Poland, that the Britons are peace and law loving people. What would you do in Britain in a case when there arise an British Underground Army which would kill people in their homes, on roads, in trains, etc.? Would you sympathize with an Army which is recruited among the spies and ordinary fascist? Would you sym- pathize with an Army which is terrorising many villages, and killing everyday officials, workers, Jews, members of democratic parties in a very similar way--like the famous SS-men? (Many of them are the members of this " Underground Army "). Why we students cannot go in Christmas time to the mountains because of the danger of this gangs? Mrs. Katherine Atholl is a member of a British League for European Freedom. Is it a joke? In the first letter we read, that Europe means Germany, in the second, that European Freedom means fascist terror. What does it, mean?
I remark, that all these facts I know from my own everyday practice,. and I luxe the full oportunity of forming my opinion by reading polish, russian and english newspapers (For instans The Spectator). I send this letter with a belief that it will be published, because I remember Mr. Churchill's speech in which he said, that on the other side of the " iron curtain " rules freedom.—I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
Previous page
