The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-22

lis, Cne details OF the barbara
Ycruelties of Polish fascism reveal the
actual breadth of the working class
struggles now taking place there.
The prisoners are held in barrack
cells with stone floors. There are
80 in each cell. Most of the prison.
ers sleep on the cold stone floor
only few of them have straw sack
mattresses. Even in the 'dispensary'
the sick prisoners have to lie on the
floor. There are no tables or BEN
ches in the barracks. The prison.
ers can only sit on the floor. And
they eat the food given them also
on the floor. Only on Sundays or
holidays, benches are placed at the
disposal of the prisoners for one
hour.
The notorious Posen Police
Inspector, Greffner, was appointed
| to supervise the camp, the same
Greffner who in 1881, in answer to
the complaints of certain citizens
against ill treatment on the part
of the police during the dispersal of
a demonstration, said 1.-THE police
men are blockheads, they didn't hit
out half as hard as they should have
/ DONE"
The day in the camp begins at 4
a. m. At the beginning prayers
were an obligation, but now the
prisoners are compelled to sing The
'First Brigade" the (Horst-WesselO
song of the Polish fascists. The
particular work assigned to the
prisoners depends on the zeal with
which they sing this song. The
whole day passes in forced labour,
mainly building of roads in the
marshy districts. Besides this, the
prisoners are made to do the
dirtiest work, as for instance, to
clean the spittoons with bare hands.
The prisoners work under tie
strictest guard A machine gun is
brought to the place Of work, There
is policeman on guard for every
two prisoners. The work surpassss
all human strength. The prisoners
axe made to work twelve hours a
day.
During the work the prisoners are
forced to keep their heads lowered,
for they must not look at each
other, and of course not speak to
each other. Also in the barracks
the prisoners are not allowed to
speak to each other. In place of
beasts of burden the prisoners are
made to drag the heavy-work carts
along. Those who fall from ex-
haustion are again brought to their
feet by means of clubs. For the
slightest "offense" the prisoners are
made to do military drill. up and
down" for hours long, and they are
punched about and beaten with
sticks or rubber clubs all the time.
Kicking the prisoners, particularly
with hob-nailed boots, is daily
occurrence. Besides this the
prisoners are thrown into dark
punishment cells where they are
only given a piece Of bread and
some water every other day.
Notwithstanding the extremely
hard work 10 cents has been estab-
lished as the cost of each prisoner.
Breakfast, dinner and supper con-
siSt of dishwater that is called
soup" Only recently a piece of
black bread is also being given to
each prisoner. The prisoners are
not allowed to receive food parcels
from their relatives, or to buy any
additional food. If nevertheless, a
parcel arrives for anyone, the
prisoner in question must ask that
the parcel be destroyed for he docs
not need it," If he refuses to do
this, he is horribly mishandled.
Sick prisoners are sent to the
doctor only by permission of the
camp commander. With a tempera-
ture below 80 degrees (centigrade)
the prisoner is declared by the doc
tor to be quite well,-and SO he is
punished for shamn1ing. The same
conditions prevail for the sick as
for the other prisoners, they get the
same food
From the very beginning the
prisoners are not allowed to wear
their own underclothes. The camp
is full of vermin and this is often
the cause of skin diseases.
Beatings and tortures of every
kind complete the regime in Kartus-
Bereza. Had not Inspector Geffner,
in the presence of the prisoners,
ordered the policemen to give it
to them right in Their mugs" when
ever this is considered necessary?
An assistant inspector declared to a
group of prisoners: "The world has
never seen the like of what we are
going to do with you" The authori-
ties fear that due to the policemen
being constantly with the prisoners
they may become too soft
hearted" so the policemen are
often changed. This happens
mostly to those of the policemen
who show insufficient zeal in mis-
handling and torturing the prison.
ers.
The released prisoners are not
provided with any return tickets
or otter means Of returning to their
homes. Before they leave, they are
made to promise never to tell of the
conditions in the camp. To some
Of these released prisoners Greff-
ner himself declared: you are free.
You must never participate in any
political activities, and if you let
: drop one single word about how you
J were treated here Won will find