The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-01-08
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


by way of the Polish consulate in
Washington. The leaders of the Polish
Jewish Social Democratic Party,
Henryk Erlich and Victor Alter, have
been arrested in Kouibyshev, the tenn
porary seat of the Soviet government.
The news reached the world the very
day new Soviet-Polish alliance was
signed between Joseph Stain and
Gen. Sikorsky, the leader Of Free
Poland
Erich and Alter were arrested by
Stalin's G. P. U. in September, 1889,
when they fled from the advancing
German armies to viet-occupied
territory. No body knows what
"crimes" the men had committed.
However, the two Polish leaders were
strongly anti-Nazi and in view of the
alliance existing between the Russians
and Germany then, it is not surpris-
ing that the Russians jailed them
Quite likely Stalin's men thought
their action would be pleasing to the
Nazis, then their buddies.
But when, as the New Leader, New
York, points out, Stain himself last
June became the victim of his pals of
yesterday, a change in his policy to-
ward Polish anti-Fascists was to be
expected, and the signing of an un-
derstanding with his recent Polish
victims seemed to indicate such a
change.
In September, 1941, Erich and
Alter were freed on the basis of the
Soviet-Polish pact and their first pub
lie utterance was an appeal to their
friends in America to create a united
military front with Soviet Russia, and
to Jewish immigrants in Russia to
join the Red Army against Hitler. "Is
it possible that this appeal serves as
the basis for jailing these men," asks
the New Leader.
CONNIE ing further on this
astounding case, the New Leader
says:
"The Russian army is conducting a
heroic fight against Hitler's forces
For the first time in this war the
Soviet forces are able to stem the tide
and start a powerful counteroffen-
sive. And this is the moment selected
by Stain for the arrest of the Social
Democrats and Socialists who are the
most outspoken opponents of Hitler.
At this moment he Institutes a new
terror. Does Stain plan that all
freedom-loving citizens, simultaneous
ly with their joy about the victories
over Hitler, should sense the threat
of Stalin's jails and concentration
camps?
"This policy is completely unintelli-
gible from any realistic political or
military point of view. Nothing will
raise the moral prestige of Soviet
Russia in the entire democratic world
more than full amnesty to all So
cialists and -Fascists in Russia.
This should include not only Polish
citizens, but Russians as we'll"
X X X
Reports from Oslo show that the
Norwegian economy under the Ger
mans and Quisling has reached the
brink of a very serious crisis, or even
of calamity. This is largely due to
the enormous cost of the German oc-
cupation and to other contributions
which have been imposed upon the
population; and also to the effects of
military work, which is not only non
productive in itself, but has withdrawn
labor from civilian employment. More
over, there is an acute scarcity of raw
materials which threatens to cause a
cessation of industry.
The Svenska Dagbladet says that
the direct charge for the German oc-
cupation has been imposed amounts to
$500, 100000 kroner, not including
other costly services and "kindnesses'
that have been eXacted. Other esti-
mates place the cost Of occupation
thus directly raised from the popula-
toin at more than 5000, 100000 kroner