Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-20

tlal lawyers have taken over.
A supreme body of control
will be set up by the Sejm to
keep an independent watchdog
eye on the executive.
The Poles, in fact, are doing
about all any group could to
build legal safeguards around
their new freedom.
There Are Limitations
But there are quite obvious
limits to the guarantees"
For one thing, Poland lacks
the trained legal personnel to
run an effective and efficient
legal system. The judges, law
yerS and police simply don't ex-
list. They will have to be trained
(many. incidentally, would like
to go to America to learn from
American law schools and
IjuriStS).
Another difficulty is that the
Polish people themselves have
little regard for the law. They
love their own rights, but Ger
man and Soviet-imposed re-
gimes based on illegal terror
have killed Polish respect for
the authority which is needed
to keep one persons liberty
from overriding another's.
Poland is plagued with
"hooliganism." a word that is
being written into Polish law
to describe a person who breaks
the law out of sheer disrespect
for it. Street fighting and
drunkenness are common
"Militiamen" (policemen) COM
plain that they can't get their
orders obeyed without hitting
the citizens over the head as in
the old days.
A great educational program
is needed in Poland, but teach
ers and community leaders OF
high moral standing are lack
ing in Poland. The Germans
and Russians killed them
Priests provide what little lead
ership there is, but the young
people of Poland are inclined
to believe the priests are pretty
old-fashioned and stodgy.
Poland. it seems, is in for a
long period of lawlessness just
when it is most important that
new civil rights be used with
mature restraint.
Marxist Theory an Obstacle
Marxist theory provides an
other obstacle to the job OF
safeguarding rights.
The new Polish attorney
general was explaining the new
legal reforms. Men are select
ed for my Office" he said, "whc
can be relied upon to put the
interests of the people ahead OF
those of the party"
An assistant leaned forward
with a correction: THE inter-
eStS of the people and the party
are identical. of course"
Eyes. that's true" the attor-
ney general said.
OF course. the attorney gen.
eral was right in the first place
and his assistant was reveal
ingly wrong. For despite Marks
words on the subject. the in
terests Of the party simply are
not in fact identical with the
interests Of the people. The i'm
plication that an official never
has to choose between party
and people is a false one. and
Poland needs the kind of men
who can make the proper
choice.
This is Just part Of the di-
lemma brought on by the
party's attempt to square So
cialist dogma with the people
interests and the party's nat
ural desire to stay in power.
Third Prerequisite: Intent
Preservation Of Poland's new
freedom depends on how this
dilemma is broken. For the
third prerequisite for freedom
is that the party have a real in
tent to keep it-keep freedom
that is. even at the risk Of going
out Of power.
The Marxist prophets say
quite clearly that the Commu-
mist Party must remain in pow
er in order to take the people
down the road to socialism
This squares nicely with the
desire Of Communist politicians
Tor any Politician to attain
power and thea keep it forever
But the Polish Communist
have added another factor.
They point out that the proph-