Evening star., 1948-02-18
Letters to The Star
Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address of the
aoriter, although it is permissible for
1Driter kno1Dn to The Star to use
nom de plume Please be brief.
Education in Poland
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
should be very grateful for your great
interest in the vital problems of my country,
if only all your articles on the Polish problem
would reflect the situation as it is.
recent Star editorial dealt with our educa-
tioral system. 1t is not true that the educa-
tional policy of the government is directed
towards an theological regimentation of our
youth. 1t is, however, true that we are trying
by every possible means to raise the level of
educational training, to open the possibilities
of proper school facilities for all the classes of
the Polish population. One important proof
of the success of our endeavors is the fact
that the number of students in the universities
is now much higher than it was before the
war although Poland after the war is country
smaller in area and population. 1t is a fact
that we face enormous difficulties as far as
textbooks and equipment for our scientific
laboratories are concerned. In this respect
any practical help from abroad would be more
valuable to my people than unjustified criticism
According to the figures from the Department
of Commerce, Poland imported in 1947 Ameri
can books in the amount of $230,708 larger i'm
ports than Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Belgium, Greece, France, Switzerland or Tur-
key. The figures speak for themselves.
The existence of many Catholic schools di-
rectly run by the church. the publication of
numerous Catholic periodicals and dailies, the
religious and educational freedom, enjoyed for
the first time in the contemporary history of
my country. by all the Protestant churches,
contradict the implication of your editorial
Special arrangements had to be made in
order to raise the physical condition of our
youth, so low as a result of undernourshment
and other strains during the years Of war We
are also including in the program of our youth
organization occupational training, which, to
every unbiased man, can appear only as very
sound proposition. You objected to military
training; it is also being proposed for the
United States. Why do you object to 1t being
introduced in Poland?
A recent article by Constantine Brown dis
cusses the loan to Poland for coal mining
equipment.
The Polish coal production is steadily in
creasing. The progress Is greater than in many
other countries One has only to look at the
statistics published by the United Nations in
order to realize what an important factor the
Polish coal exports are for the reconstruction
of Europe. Two-thirds of our coal exports are
going to Western and Northern European ma
tions. We have duly concluded trade agree
ments with them and we have repeated several
times that we intend even to increase our
trade relations with those countries. The
newly signed trade agreement with the Soviet
Union does not provide for any increase of
our coal exports to that country. Every
additional ton of coal which Poland will mine
in 1948 over what she has mined in 1947 will
increase our exports to the west. Any addi-
tional capital investment in our mines would
>give the possibility of an even greater coal
output and, as a result of it, greater coal
export Without this investment the work
also will be done, however, with greater
sacrifices on the part of our miners, who
should not be denied sympathy.
The basic weakness of the present interna-
tional situation is the lack of mutual under
standing and helpful good will Poland has
sacrificed 100000 people for common
victory. The Poles since the first of septem-
Der, 1899, were your faithful Allies in the strug-
Gle for better world. We do not deserve to
constantly be the Subject of attacks.
JOZEF WIN1EWICZ
Ambassador of Poland.