Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-24

therefore not so popular. We
soon discovered though that the
Dabrowski, although a nice ship,
was difficult to operate. From
that time. until I was called up
for military service, I travelled
on the DabroWsik on 18 different
occasions.
This was at the end of the
period just before my military
service when political control on
the boat was severely frightened.
A so-called cultural officer was
appointed; he was nothing more
than a political commissar.
Shoppers and spies appeared
among us after that, and people
were induced to watch their coll
leagues. The atmosphere on the
ship rapidly deteriorated. After
that came the purges.
I know that today. from the
original crew of 60 hands, only
the ships carpenter. the Greek
Defareres, remains. He is the
one who wanted to knife me.
Radio Listening Restricted.
In this period a new order was
issued prohibiting our listening
to Western radio stations. We
were only allowed to switch on
Warsaw or other Communist re-
ports. The ship was completely
rewired and we got only broad
casts of programs which the
cultural officer chose.
Even so, life was much better
on the ship than ashore. One
could see foreign ports and
towns and compare the rich
varied life of other people with
our misery. Among those of us
who knew each other well, we
often discussed this tragic con-
trast.
During political discussions
which we endured daily, ar
ranged by the political officer,
we were told that this foreign
prosperity is built on the misery
OF the working people. I believe
that even the commissar knew
that this was rubbish. We sea-
men, OF course, knew it.
We were allowed to buy some
goods abroad. Every seaman is
allowed to bring in yearly 4
limited amount of merchandise
without duty. This merchandise
represents hard currency in
Poland, so that every one tried to
smuggle something extra. But
how to get money to buy things
abroad?
True, when at sea we got about
SO American cents daily, but
what Is so cents when my basic
salary was TOO zloties monthly.
Cat the official rate the dollar is
worth 4 zloties, but on the
unofficial exchange, 70-80 zlo-
tieS-Ed.)
Struggled Cheap Cameras.
So now I come to the problem
OF the so-called smuggling. AS
you know, was accused by the
Polish regime before the British
authorities of being a smuggler
and this point was raised in the
Western press. Yes, admit it.
I tried to sell a cheap camera in
England. thus avoiding duty.
I was trying to get some money
to buy a few nylon stockings or
razor blades, or perhaps chiffon
scarves which could be sold in
Poland at a terrific profit. A
pair of nylons which cost in
England say $3.50 would bring
me in Poland $50 zloties-that
is, nearly $40, if you count at
the official rate. Frankly speak
ing, all sailors did a little SNUG
Cling because they were greatly
underpaid and wanted to help
their families. OF course some
people do it on a larger scale,
but ] never did myself.
Recently in Gdynia the au-
thorities caught a large illegal
shipment of watches from Ant
werp. This was on the S. S.
Puck. The same thing happened
on the S. S. Krakow last winter.
Something like $4,000 worth of
watches were found. Punish
ments for this were most severe.
I know of other cases when
sailors caught smuggling a few
watches were sent to prison for
life. But that's that. The country
is very poor and people have
to do what they can to survive.
Victims of Conditions.
The Western public must un-
derStand that I. myself. and INV