Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-18
Seaman Refuses to Act as Spy,
Risks Death to Flee Reds
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the whole Polish nation: The
churches were full of people who
7. am sure. were praying for
freedom.
T decided In 1851 to escape to
the West. That was when the
then-chief of personnel Of the
Gdynia-America Line, the main
Polish ocean-going line. called
me into his dreary Office and
said:
You are a young and intelli-
gent seaman. We would like you
to be our agent. We want you to
keep your eyes open to observe
what goes on around you in the
boat on which you sail. in for
eign ports and ashore in Gdynia.
You will be well rewarded for
this. A great future lies before
you."
Sealed Own Fate.
I rejected this offer. and in
so doing, knew that had sealed
my own fate under the Commu-
nists. I had become a suspect,
an unreliable person."
Two years of military service
followed. Immediately after
ward I made my first attempt
to escape. It was in February,
1854. After terminating my mil
itary service. 7 worked for short
time at jobs connected with ships
but actually ashore.
One day was again suddenly
called before the chief of per-
sonnet of the PLO Polish ocean,
going line. Antoni Kosinski was
known to be an agent of the UB
polish secret police). He took
my seaman's book and ordered
me to return within an hour.
slnelled trouble and I was not
mistaken.
"You are fred" he told me an
hour later. "Why?" I asked. Be
cause in the Polish peoples mer-
chant marine we need active
men who understand their So
cial obligations. You don't fall
in that category" I tried to in
tervene with the director of the
line. Golyszny. His reply was the
same.
Feared Polish Purge.
Leaving the building of the
shipping line on Lutego street,
I thought to myself bitterly: My
turn has come" For two years
the UB had been carrying out
purges of Polish seamen, officers
and sailors. In 1858 alone, 1900
crew members were dismissed.
Why? Everybody In Gdynia
and along the coast knew the
answer. Sailors are the only
group of the Polish population
which is in contact with the
West, the free world. They could
tell everybody on the free side
of the Iron Curtain what life is
really like. in Poland. That is
why the Communists need
trusted people, members of the
Communist Party,
I have never belonged to the
party. I revolted against their
lies and falseness. Nor did /
belong to the IMP (union of
Polish YOUTH which is the kom-
somol, or youth organization. I
am by nature religious, and I
hated the anti-religious propa-
ganda of the Communist Party
and its organizations. ] did not
want to become an agent or a
snooper. But you are fred was
the decision which fell upon, me
like lightning.
AS a suspect, I could not count
on getting any work except that
of removing rubble from war
damaged Gdansk-the duty for
unreliable people. 7 was not too
strong and my health was not
very good.
All this once again brought me
to the decision to escape.
Knew Ship Well.
On that day the SIS Jaroslav
Dobrowski returned to Gdynia
from a trip to London. Here
was the ship!
I knew her as well as I know
the back of my hand, since /
had been a member OF her crew
before by military service. In
) fact I had travelled on her Is
times to various European ports.
tried to get on board at
nightfall. February of this year
was bitterly cold, as is usual
along the Baltic coast. Hidden
by the darkness, / stood and
watched for my opportunity. It