Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-19
Polish Uprisinq

The fighting in Poznan has
ended and we may make a pre-
liminary survey of the riots.
To begin with, it must be
stated that the uprising was a
spontaneous action and had
not been prepared beforehand
by foreign agents" or the I'M
foreground. An organized up
rising takes the enemy by sur
prise and the fighting begins
in several places at the same
time. In Poznan the revolt be-
gan with a peaceful parade of
workers thus putting the Com
muniSt authorities on the alert
and giving them a certain
period of time. though a short
one, for preparing themselves.
Later the parade was Joined
by Streetcar crews, taxi drivers,
store clerks who shut their
stores and went out into the
streets. school youth, women
and children; in a word, thu
entire city. The police mingled
with the demonstrators and a
certain number of soldiers laid
down their arms. This fact of
spontaneous mass participa-
ton in the uprising dealt to the
Communist regime in Poland
a heavier blow than the best
organized action carried out by
limited number of members
of the underground. 1t proves
that the feeling of hate for the
Communist system is universal,
making the Poles risk their
lives, and that, from this point
of view, the entire Polish ma
ton is one great underground.
All the photographs taken at
Poznan show faces of young
people between IA and 20 years
of age, educated under the
Communist system. That is a
very encouraging sign showing
that the Communists have
failed to win over the Polish
youth and to communize it.
Though the basis for the
Poznan workers parade had an
economic character, political
slogans came to the forefront
during the demonstration. The
strikers cried: I'VE want free
dom!" and Out with Rus
slams" Not only the buildings
of the authorities, responsible
for food shortage and low
wages, as for instance Commu-
mist Party headquarters, but
also the buildings Of the po-
litical police, the city prison,
from which political prisoners
were released. and the radio
station. used to jam Western
broadcastS, were stormed.
The Communist authorities
are maintaining now that West
German agents helped to pre-
pare the revolution in Poznan.
Thus they want to discredit the
uprising before the Polish pop
ulation. the Germans being not
popular in Poland. This per-
fidy of the Communists is too
primitive for the Poles not to
see through it.
No list Of the people, who
have been arrested or killed,
has been published as yet. 1t
is feared that the Warsaw re-
gime will organize one public
trial to which foreign corre-
spondents will be admitted,
but hundreds of unknown
people will be sentenced in nu-
merous secret trials. The world
public opinion should be aware
OF the fact and insist that the
list of the arrested be made
known, which will enable the
relatives of those omitted to
intervene.
The Poznan drama demands
more than platonic declara-
tionS from the free world. 1t
appears that the situation be-
hind the Iron Curtain is so
tense that it endangers world
peace and security CU. N.
Charter, art. 34). That gives a
formal basis for putting the
matter before the Security
Council of the United Nations.
Poland and the heroic people
Of Poznan, who have shed
blood for our and your free
dom. are waiting for it.
Stefan KOrbOnski,
Former Acting Underground
Deputy Prime Minister of
Poland.
I take this opportunity TO
thank E. D. Simpson, author
of the recent letter "Poland's
Plight" in which he, an honest
and sincere American, express
es great sympathy and admit
ration for Poland and Polish
people.
AS long as there are Ameri-
cans like Mr.. Simpson, the
Poles will continue to look and
turn to the United States with
a hope that this free country
will not repeat the past mis-
takes and will assist the Polish
people in their great struggle
for freedom. Sigmond.