The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1919-10-01

the Poles. There was but one Jewish
house which was not touched by the Po-
IIish pogromists. That was the house of n
Jewish physician. who had a sign on his
door Indicating that there was n hospital
/ for. contagious diseases The soldiers
were afraid 10 enter and thus his house
was spared.
During the last few --~rths many Jews
in various parts of Poland were caught In
the streets, in trains in cars attacked.
uniform The boards Of many Jews were
| cut off with knives or swords. and often
the boards Were torn ont by the roots.
| leaving deep wounds upon the faces and
thro8ts of old Jews. Many Jews were
hurled out OF trains in motion.
The anti-Jewish economic boycott is
still directed against the Jews. There is
la systematic campaign to crush Polish
Jewry, to humiliate 1t, to terrorize and
hound 1t. to heap upon it prosecutions and
lhumiliations such as even the Tsar's gov
eminent dared not impose upon the Jews.
The Polish authorities have created a
situation for the Jews of Poland which
is worse just now than the Russian Pale
of Settlement. for the Jews of free Po-
land can get permits to travel in Poland
only with the greatest difficulty. Graft
and corruption reign supreme in Poland.
The Minister of the Interior. Mr.. Vol
ciechowslsi. ehdeavoring to explain this
|anti-Jewish excesses said to me-
During the last two months all the
lanti-Jewish excuses were committed not
by civilians but by men of General Hal
ler's army. Most of these men are Poles
who lived in America or France. So. you
see. the anti-Jewish feeling which takes
this peculiar form of excuses was brought
to Poland from other countries-from
America. The Poles are accustomed to
Polish Jews. and they do not attack them.
It is the foreign Poles who are doing it.
Self-Indictment for Poland.
The Minister of the Interior apparently
did not realize that this statement con-
tanned the strongest Indictment of Poland
that coufd possibly be made. II Poles
who lived for years in America have failed
to acquire a spirit of fairness, II they
have failed to learn tolerance in Amer
lea, IL American Institutions could not
eradicate their bigotry and hoodlumism,
there would seem to be very little nope
for Poland and the Poles.
When I asked the Minister of the In
terror whether the Polish government had
punished any Poles for the crimes COM
mitted during these "excesses' no as
sured me that quite number of them had
been punished. 1 pointed out to him the
fact that there was no record OF such
punishments in the Polish press. l added
that the publication of the list OF names
of the men punished by the government
would do more to discourage these out
RACES than any orders or proclamations.
however forcefully they may be worded.
asked him whether he would let me have
u list for publication, He promised to
give it to me. but before L lett Poland l
was informed by representative of the
Minister of the Interior that at the time
he made the promise he did not know that
1. would be extremely difficult to prepare
such list. 1 did not get such list be-
cause there is no such list.
The Associate Minister of the Interior.
Mr.. BelS, who investigated the Chestochow
pogrom. described to me how Jewish
physician was murdered He was asked
by two Polish militiamen to treat a
wounded legionnaire. He feared to leave
his house because Jews We're being at
tackled by soldiers. The Tilitiamen prom
ised him protection. but ne was killed on
the way by a Polish mob. Mr.. BelS spoke
of the crime as a terrible outrage. He
said the government decided to give the
family of the murdered physician the
sum of q. 900 marks. Tie Jewish doctor
was survived by his mother and six chill
dren.- The fact that the government in
tended to reward the fantiiy of the MUIR
dered Jew was not published in the news