New-York tribune., 1920-09-22
Poland and The leu
Pogrons Are Continuing and Perpe-
traitors Are Unpunished, Lis Asserted

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Your correspondent, Mr.. Hoinko-
Siedlecki, is right when he says, in his
letter published in your issue of Sep
tember II, that "the American public
does not possess a correct understand
ing of Polsh-Jewish relations" but he
hardly has any ground for complaint,
as there certainly has been no negli-
gence on the part Of the American
press in presenting the case of Poland
to the public-and presenting it most
fully and most sympat thetically. The
complainant in this matter should be
the Jew, and not the Pole. But allow
me, sir, to follow up your correspond
ent's arguments, one by one.
The Record to Date
/. 1t is claimed that the number of
victims of the Polish pogroms has been
ovcrstated, the total number Of killed,
according to MIR. Morgenthau's report,
being only about 28O But that was
some time ago. Sir Stuart Samuel, in
his report to 'he British government,
few months later, places the number
of the positively known killed in po-
groms at 491; and as the excesses have
not been interrupted since and are
still being continued, it may safely be
surmised that the total number Of Jews
murdered by pogromists up to date
may be placed at still higher figure.
And if to those killed outright were
to be added the thousands Of wounded,
crippled, raped and pillaged, the mum
Der Of victims of Polish pogroms would
grow to vast proportions indeed-not
to mention the "minor" victims, such,
for instance, as those whose boards have
been violently torn out, or who were Sc
verely beaten up or otherwise mistreated,
or hundreds Of thousands who have been
ruined economically and whose lives
have in various ways been made miser-
able beyond description.
2. Your correspondent cites as causes
of the hostility Of the Poles toward the
Jews, first, the fact that the majority
of the Polish Jews are tradesmen, and
as such, he says, they are spectators
and profiteers; and, second, the allega-
tion that the Jews promote Bolshevism.
These statements are obviously SELF
contradictory. A people, the cover
whelming majority" Of whom are given
to speculation and profiteering, can
hardly be believed to promote soviet
ism, which puts an end to all chances
of speculation and which reduces all
tradespeople to beggary, and compels
them to work hard for q bare living.
The truth is, of course, that there are
some Jewish profteers, and also some
Jewish Bolshevists, the same as there
are some Poles who belong to either of
these two categories.
A National Nonenfiey
9. AS another cause of Polish hos
tility toward the Jews is given Jewish
nationalistic agitation" which obvi-
ously refers to the limited cultural
autonomy that was granted by the
Paris Peace Conference to national
minorities in the newly created or en-
larged states, including Poland. The
justice Of this act will be better appre-
ciated when it is remembered that it
mostly applies to areas of mixed popu-
lation, where the Jews especially. had
the misfortune of being classed as
national nonentity, and were thus
forced to officially declare themselves
as belonging to one or another of the
mixed nationalities who were con-
stantly at strife with one another for