Evening star., 1956-07-31
PoIond's S Red Rulers


America must break rela-
tions with the goddess tyranny
that machine-gunned helpless
Polish men, women and chill
dren crying for bread.
Following the Polish mas
Sacre, Americas Ambassador
to Russia entertained the per-
petratorS of this crime at a
garden party "honoring"
Americas birthday of freedom,
the 4th of July.
Are garden fetes for their
criminal captors Americas an
swer to the cries for help from
the enslaved?
Polish patriots have been
martyred in the cause of lib
erty. Let America honor these
heroic dead by expelling from
civilized society the diabolical
authors of their martyrdom!
Elizabeth Lippitt.
I was deeply impressed by
the recent letter of Stefan
Korbonski, former head of the
underground government in
Poland.
1 wish that the contents of
Mr.. Korbonski's letter could
be more generally known, as
he proves without a doubt the
falsity of the Communists at
tempt to present the Poznan
uprising as being organized by
Western agents. David Law
renee, who regularly unmasks
Communist propaganda tricks.
would be an excellent one to
take up this subject in his
widely read column.
I also wish that Mr.. Kor-
bonski's appeal that the United
States Government take a more
active stand regarding the
Communist purge of the Poz-
nan workers be needed and
positive steps taken to pre-
vent more horrible cruelties
to the poor, brave Polish peo-
pie who have already suffered
so much. F. G. V.
1 was deeply moved by the
anti-Communist revolt in Poz-
nan, the city of my birth.
But l was surprised and hurt
by references in The Star to
the alleged German origin,
character and population of
Poznan. Nothing can be further
from the truth. Poznan was
not "a German city before
World War T. and is not "for-
mer German territory
Poznan is one of the Oldest
Polish cities. Ghiezno, the old
est town in the Poznan prov
ince, was the first capital Of
Poland. Boleslaw the Brave,
the first Polish King. estab-
liShed his residence in Poznan,
the first Polish bishopric. The
early German, Scot and other
foreign settlers were assimi-
lated. Through the 1000 years
of Polish history Poznan has
never been outside the borders
of an independent Polish state.
In the latter part of the 18th
century, when the Polish-Lith-
uanian Commonwealth was
partitioned by Prussia, Russia
and Austria, the western Pol
ish territories were taken over
by Prussia. The 123 years Of
German occupation saw such
practices as settling subsidized
German colonists, forced sub
stitution of Polish language by
German in schools, Govern
ment Offices and law courts.
This did not quench the spirit
of resistance but doubled it.
From 1907 through 1915 the
province was a part of the
Grand Duchy of Warsaw. small
Polish state backed by Napo-
leon Of France. After his fall
the province was reacquired by
Prussia. In l848 Poles rose
against Prussian oppression.
The armed rising was sup
pressed by Prussian military
might. Anti-Polish measures
mounted and the policy of Ger
manization consisted of vari-
GUS means such as buying up
land from Polish peasants with
great funds placed at the dis
posal Of a colonizing commits
sion, campaigns against Polish
middle class in towns. forbid
ding Poles to establish new
peasant farms. dispossessing of
Polish landowners by force and
even beating children who re-
fused TO speak or pray in Ger
man. Also large limitations
were placed on forming socie-
ties and the use of Polish Ian
guage was forbidden at public
meetings.
All these measures failed.
Most Of the German colonists,
planted there by Prussian gov
ernment, returned to Germany
after the restoration Of Poland
in 1918; some were assimilated.
This region is and will con-
tinue to be Polish.
Richard G. BOhdanh