Manipulators of Today and Crimes of The Past

Stormy altercation around the anti-Polish import of the book "Neighbors"[2] by Gross and his vociferations in the same vein, resound ever so wider. The information discovered by professor Tomasz Strzembosz that the Gross' attack against Poles was based on the testimony of Szmul Wasersztajn-a witness, who had served as an investigating officer of the communist Internal Security[3] not to mention that he had not witnessed himself the Jedwabne massacre was particularly shocking. 

Bogumil Lozinski and Alina Petrowa-Wasilewicz- authors of Catholic Information Agency[4] disproved[5] the Gross' distortions regarding the late Bishop of Lomza[6], Stanislaw Lukomski. Fabrications advanced by J.T. Gross earned scathing criticism of Eward Moskal, the Chairman of the Polish American Congress, who warned against another anti-Polish offensive.  Chairman Moskal also expressed his surprise with the attitude of the Chairman of the Institute of National Remembrance, professor Leon Kieres, who long before the completion of the investigation of the events in Jedwabne, had already formed a verdict.  According to Mr. Moskal: "Prof. Kieres is more interested in how the Jews react than pursuing the truth". He added that: "Prof. Kieres does not know how to serve the justice " and that: "in this country [tr. US], a man is innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around". Furthermore, Mr. Moskal called for an investigation of all crimes in Kresy, including delivering Poles into Russians' hands by the Jews. Against Gross' misrepresentations, the disapproval voiced eminent scientists from abroad i.e. professors I.C. Pogonowski and W. Wagner.  It is also important to emphasize that a majority of historians (e.g. prof. T. Strzembosz, dr. Piotr Gontarczyk, or German dr. B. Musial) who joined the debate, condemn inaccuracies and deformations of Gross.

Kwasniewski again apologizes

It is symptomatic that even the post-communist circles, until now so vigorously in support of the Gross' anti-Polish generalizations (e.g. J.S. Mac in the weekly "Wprost "), show first signs of change of hearts and dissociation from the "researcher " -a crook from the other side of the Atlantic.

In "Trybuna " -an organ of the SLD[7], in the article "Holocaust in Jedwabne"[8], Jakub Kopec writes, "The book by Jan Tomasz Gross deludes effectively". Anti-Polish untruths pointed out by Kopec seem to have no meaning for the principal representative of the post-communists-the President of Republic of Poland, Mr. Aleksander Kwasniewski.  He preceded the results of the investigation in the matter of the Jedwabne murder and declared loud and clear that: "On 10 July, the Poles will apologize the Jews in Jedwabne (…) it is necessary to bow our heads and beg for forgiveness. Perhaps, after this act the Poles become better people"[9].  It is remarkable that Trybuna passed out these Kwasniewski's words quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza, on the other hand, it emphasized his statement that it would be wrong: "if the example of Jedwabne is used to transfer the responsibility for Holocaust from German onto Polish shoulders "[10].

The Zycie daily, the issue of 3-4 March 2002, rather sarcastically commented, "Kwasniewski did not unveil the source of his knowledge on the 1941 events ". Rightly so, if one considers his incomplete Bachelor's degree in a non-historical science, a deficiency that should limit his certainty as to the main culprits of the Jedwabne murder.  So, how come he dares to make a pronouncement, especially in an interview for an Israeli paper-Jedijot Achronot, before the final findings of the Polish investigation in this case.  An opinion on the guilt of the defendants, prior to the completion of investigation and verdict, used to characterize the Stalinist's leaders. Do all traditions, inclusive of the Stalinist traditions, of his former communist party are so dear to him that even today with no hesitation he publicly endorses them?[11]

LaymenÂ’s attack on historians

It is ghastly how many there are dilettantes who with no understanding of history, attack findings of even the most renown professional historians.  The recent attack on professor Strzembosz by the sicience-fiction writer Stanislaw Lem in Tygodnik Powszechny[12] is particularly grotesque. The writer-at one time deeply engaged in the Stalinist venal poesy, now, with a great cheek assails the statements of professor Strzembosz on the Jewish collaboration during 1939-1941. This is because he knows better, and besides, the Strzembosz' text is "sided"[tr. biased ]. With a similar impertinent boldness of an ignorant, J. Kurczewski- a sociolg, argued with Strzembosz' statements in the weekly Wprost[13].  But, the all records high was broken by father Michal Czajkowski, in a panel beside Gross in the television program "Kropka nad i"[14].  It seems that as per Ms. Olejnik's - the panel host, intentions, he was to create an impression that he represented all Poles and all Catholics (!). His first statement was quite revealing: "I am not a historian, I did not research any documents, all I know is from your book [tr. Gross' book] and the press". Olejnik deliberately chose father Czajkowski. He is renown for his zest and zeal in publicizing untruths damaging good reputation of Poland and Poles. He has been doing it for a long time. Six years ago, during our discussion with father professor Zygmunt Zielinski, I took a gibe at his humbugs on Polish pogroms of the Jews at the beginning of 20^th century. I appealed in vein, to his integrity to retract these nonsense statements as contradictory to the conclusions of not only the Polish but also the Jewish historians.

I will in depth, address various delusions of father Czajkowski, which disrepute his cassock in the "The liars and dilettantes' parade" series published by the paper Glos. In a discussion panel, putting together father Czajkowski-a fanatic discoverer of Polish anti-Semitism, and J.T. Gross-an anti-Pole, betrayed what a "dialog, discussion" really meant to those "red and rosé" big bosses of the television. In short, it signified a choice for the panel of participants who compete one against the other in branding Poles for sins of the nation since the beginning of times. Father Czajkowski talked of a many centuries long anti-Semitism in Poland; he forgot to mention that it was Poland where majority of the World's Jews found shelter and according to the Great French Encyclopedia of 18^th century, Poland was called "paradisus Judeorum" (the Jews'paradise), etc.

A particular type of complicity presented Bohdan Skaradzinski-a journalist of the left-Catholic political group "Wiez" [tr. Bond]. He wrote that the opponents of Gross: "defend themselves recalling the Jews' role during the Soviet occupation-adding often, "the first", 1939-1941, stressing the volunteer service in "organs" [tr. security, militia, etc.], alacrity in denouncing Poles and help rendered Russians during Siberian deportations of Poles. No one refutes it".

How come one can lie so insolently?!

It is the same paper Wiez, where Gross recently denied with obduracy these very same facts and Skardzinski must be well aware of this. I remind that it was Wiez of July 1999 during the discussion of the Gross' "Ghastly decade" when Helena Datnar stated an obvious deformation: "only unimportant fraction of the Jews cooperated with the Soviets". Furthermore, the same July's Wiez published a similar fictional account, this time authored by a not a trifle person-the current Vice President of the Warsaw University, professor Wlodzimierz Borodziej himself (also known for his support of Cichy's falsehoods against the Warsaw Resurrection). He declared that the numbers of the Jews helping the Soviets was in a proportion to their ethnic presence in Kresy. It is difficult to believe that professor Borodziej uttered this evident untruth out of a complete ignorance considering the findings of the Jewish historians, such as Ben-Cion Pinchuk, for instance, the author of acclaimed book[15] on Jews under the Soviet rule, the book based on great number of documental sources from 1939. This author wrote (op. cit., page 25) that: "Jews participated in disproportionate numbers in the Soviet institutions during the first weeks of the Soviet rule, (...), in many places the Soviet institutions employed high number of Jews ". Norman Davies quotes[16] (page 20) the opinion of another Jewish writer-Mr. Weiss, that: "Since the first days of the Soviet rule, the Jews were absorbed into the state administration in all its branches with no reservations and they were represented to a degree exceeding their total proportion in the entire population". I could quote many more opinions of the Jewish authors to the same effect.  Does professor Borodziej, the Vice-President of UW cannot do his homework and read such texts prior to taking a stand that strikes as completely un-scholar and shows his complete unfamiliarity with the subject matter [tr. yet, is damaging to his own co-patriots]?

It is difficult to imagine how we, Poles, can cope with an anti-Polish mud-slinging attack damaging our reputation when at the same time in Poland, in the intellectual milieu, there is already present a strong lobby that minimizes the importance of such attacks or even negates their existence.  Will such a historian like professor Borodziej dare ever to publicly denounce the anti-Polish lies?  And, there are more and more of them and they become more and more impertinent.  Just now, I have come across a text by a Jewish professor David Engel, an introduction to the American edition of "Neighbors" by Gross. The very first line of this text jumps at me with a cheek statement introducing the author-J.T. Gross: "leading figure among Poland's" new historians"". In this manner, the unsuspecting American readers are persuaded not only that a Jewish sociologist from USA who unabashedly slanders Poles, is a leading Polish historian but also that they should take his calumnies as an expression of Polish remorse and national self-incrimination.

Jewish Historical Institute Historian and his Subterfuge

Another example of an extreme partiality presented the Rzeczpospolita daily in its issue of 3-4 March 2001. In a discussion led by Maciej Lukasiewicz, on the matter of Jedwabne, it hosted Gross and Strzembosz, but somehow none of other historians who had criticized lies and distortions of J.T. Gross was invited.  Neither P. Gontarczyk, T. Szarota, B. Musial or me was contacted.  On the other hand, in the debate with Strzembosz, Gross was succored by dr. Andrzej Zbikowski of Jewish Historical Institute, historian renown for predicaments with his analyses and methodology.  And no wonder, what was delivered confirmed his earlier "exploit" of January 4, 2001 also in Rzeczpospolita. Zbikowski most likely hoped that no one would remember his published 8 years earlier in a little quantity and in not so widely known periodical[17], a text on anti-Jewish events in the Bialystok region and in Kresy of 2^nd Commonwealth. He must have banked on short readers' memory and little circulation when during the current discussion he presented absolutely contradictory views.  Then, in 1992, he indicated that anti-Jewish events of June-July 1941 had taken place mainly among the Ukrainian population, and in a negligible degree had concerned Poles.  Now, he states, that anti-Jewish incidents among Poles were of similar magnitude. Then, he doubted as "inaccurate" reports based on Finkelsztajn so much relied upon later by Gross. Today, the very same Finkelsztajn arises as a Crown witness against Poles. No one negates the right to change one's opinions especially when based on new evidence. It is "Holy Grail" of every researcher. However, it is difficult to accept when Zbikowski while presenting his new opinions does not hesitate and makes no reference what caused such a 180-degree reversal. I regret a lack of reaction on the part of Professor Strzembosz. Just to stress the point, one can compare both Zbikowski's opinions:

Zbikowski, 1992, in Bulletin of Jewish Historical Institute (JHI):

a)     "In number of memoirs from Archives of JHI, I found very little reference to the bloody pogroms beyond the regions inhabited by Ukrainians" (page 11) (...) acts of aggression against the Jewish population acquired a massive aspect in regions inhabited mainly by the Ukrainian population (...) The most tragic events took place in few localities inhabited beside the Jews and Poles by the Ukrainian population" (page 13).

b)     "On pogrom in Radzillow near Grajowa and bloody disasters in neighboring Wasocz and Jedwabne inform only report of Menachem Finkelsztajn. He made several times his declarations to the officers of the Jewish Committee in Bialystok in 1945.  His statements were translated not too accurately from Jiddish.  In its entirety, the statements are a kind of denouncement of few Poles in Radziillow who had helped Germans in searching for the local communists and Komsomol (communist youth organization) members.  These people got armed by Germans and for three days terrorized the entire burg.  Many information pieces, vouched by the report author particularly those concerning the victims' count (1500), are doubtful. Information relating to Jedwabne is equally imprecise." (pages 15-16).

c)     Locality – Wizna

Culprits [JRN. death incidents] - Poles

Zbikowski, today (2001), Rzeczypospolita:

a)     "Based only on the documentation gathered in the Archives of JHI, I counted over fifty" local " pogroms in the Kresy' towns; (...) They were particularly frequent in the East Malopolska[18], and their perpetrators came mainly from among the Ukrainian ethnic group. (...). Lecture of personal accounts of saved Jews written in Jiddish convinced me however, that the Bialystok region [tr. inhabited by Polish majority] did not differ much in this respect from Galicia [tr. East Malopolska, inhabited by Ukrainians, Poles, Jews] and Lithuania" (January 4, 2001).

b)     "From the pogroms in Jedwabne and Radzillow only a dozen or so Jews fled, and who subsequently lived together for 2 years. Reports of Wasersztajn and Finkelsztajn are generalized relations of accounts by the members of this group, a result of a common memory (...)  these are important reports despite that none of this people was a witness, and did not see the burning barn (…) in these accounts there are no Germans. As far as Radzillow is concerned, Finkelsztajn suggests that Germans forced Jews to the town market, and departed (...)" (March 3-4, 2001).

c)     " In the Bialystok region, in Tykocin, Wizno, and other localities murders were committed mainly by Germans" (March 3-4, 2001).

While comparing 1992 and 2001 statements, the methodological weakness of Zbikowski is quite obvious.  Today, he admits that "mainly Germans" murdered Jews in Wizno, even though in 1992 based on one account, he attributed the murder exclusively to Poles. There is another curiosity concerning the metamorphosis of his views.  In the text of 1992, he stated that main reasons for the anti-Jewish events in the summer of 1941 in Kresy resulted from the Jewish collaboration with the Soviet occupants in Kresy: "In short and very general way, one could state that a significant increase of tensions in the Jewish-Polish relations stemmed out from two phenomena: 1. general fervor of the Jewish population in welcoming the Soviet army invading the Poland's Eastern regions, in obvious way, not comprehended by Poles and construed as an evidence of high treason of the Polish state; 2. a great proportion of people of the Jewish descent in the Soviet state occupation apparatus and often use of this new found position in causing grief to the other ethnic groups (...).  In testimonials from Wilno [tr. Vilnius], there are mentioned  Lithuanian' transgressions against the Polish and Jewish population in September of 1939, and enthusiastic welcome of the Soviet army by the Jews in 1940 (e.g. building triumphal arches for the "liberators from the Lithuanian terror");  The Jews often teased and even denounced Poles, mainly former soldiers; others joined the Atheist Association [tr. actively anit-Christian].  A similar attitude the Jews showed towards the Lithuanians: a Jewish troupe reveled in the streets with a dummy of Antanas Smetona[19].  The dominance of the Jewish trade- already state regulated, was strengthened, the corruption and nepotism flourished.  It was not different in Grodno and Bialystok.  Authors of some accounts wrote with regrets about their co-patriots who, "treated Poles with no respect and often humiliated them".  It often happened that the open market stall sellers refused to sell their produce to Poles.  An anonymous Jewish account from Bialystok stated that at the moment of the German-Soviet war breakout, "we were afraid of not only Germans but also of the revenge of Poles".

The Jewish-Polish and Jewish-Ukrainian relations in Lwow were rendered sullen as a result of the 1939-1941 years' experience.   In the Ringelblum Archive, the source material on the subject is abundant and unanimous.  The most interesting are the memoirs of Stanislaw Rozycki, accounts of Helena Kagan, Ludwik Klaczko, Hanna Lewkowicz, and a few other-anonymous, accounts.  In all of them, the authors suggested that the Jewish population was concerned with the worsening of the relations with the Poles and Ukrainians.  Klaczko noted: "The relation of other ethnics towards the Jews was always to a certain degree strained, which was caused by the Jewish run on the managerial posts". Mr. Klaczko also told: "The Polish population attitude was mostly unfavorable towards the Jews after the Bolsheviks' invasion, mainly because the Jews in great numbers occupied those posts which earlier had been occupied by Poles.  In all offices there were many Jewish employees: warehouses, enterprises were also managed by the Jews".  Rozycki with apprehension wrote that already in the spring of 1941, Ukrainians threatened a massacres of "Lachiv” [tr. Poles], the Jews, and "Moskals" [tr. Russians]".

It was no different out in the country. An inhabitant of Mir, quoted by Pinchuk, many years later recalled, "we were quite happy to see Poles in this kind of situation.  Our yesteryear lieges were now humble and humiliated".

It is impossible to determine degree of the overrepresentation of the people of Jewish descent by the society sector without a thorough archival research. Nevertheless, the testimonials from these times suggest that other ethnic groups felt offended and threatened in their vital interests by this sudden advancement of the Jewish population.  At the beginning of the war [tr. German-Soviet in June 1941], a social mechanisms, which allow to vent a hidden need for "revenge", "balance the account", and "pay back" for the real and imaginary faults, emerged (...)" (Zbikowski, 1992, pages 8, 10-11.  I am quoting these fragments of A. Zbikowski with no footnotes as they do not elucidate the issue but only provide the information on the sources).

In the cited text, Zbikowski wrote on the causes of a string of particularly vicious anti-Jewish incidents among Ukrainians, saying, "This violence was supposedly justified by the Ukrainian public opinion after the corpses of imprisoned Ukrainians had been found in the Brygidki prison[20].  Among victims there were also the participants of the "Ukrainian resurrection of July 24-26".  Almost everybody, along with the German city command blamed the Jews for it". "The Jewish NKVD was helped by the Jewish informers (…).  The ensuing waves of pogroms followed the exhumation of the discovered bodies, cleaning of the prison, and the internment of the NKVD victims (...)" (op. cit., page 15).  At the same text, Zbikowski commenting on the Ukrainians informing Germans on the Jews who worked for the Soviets, wrote that: "There is a great deal of other material that confirms frequent interweaving of the personal and ideological motives, fomented by the ever growing attitude of common enmity towards the Jews" (op. cit., page 17).

It is astonishing to what extent the historian of the Jewish Historical Institute moved in his Rzeczpospolita text of January 4, 2001 away from his own findings of 1992.  Though, he admitted: "the Jews' run on managerial positions, denouncing Poles, etc, impacted on flaring the animosity up" at the same time he hastens to stress that: "these were not the main reason of pogroms".  Now, according to him, the main reason was a possibility to murder and rob unpunished.  And, "a Polish mob" of freed by Germans inmates from the Soviet prisons took advantage of the opportunity.  No wonder, Professor Strzembosz judged the Zbikowski's statements so shocking that they had to be addressed.  He indicated in "Przemilczana kolaboracja" [tr. Hushed collaboration] (January 27-28, 2001) the tremendous magnitude of the Jewish collaboration with the Soviets that laden the Polish-Jewish relations of the day.  One can only regret that Professor Strzembosz did not remind Zbikowski his own conclusions of 1992 when this historian of JHI had written more honestly on the subject so much evidently manipulated today.  It seems that what Zbikowski presented in Rzeczpospolita in 2001, giving the information blatantly contradictory to his earlier texts of 1992 without explaining this change, is a breach of a basic scientific ethics. It might be interesting to see whether dr. Zbikowski would be willing to give an explanation to this effect in a public debate?

Distortion of the Karski's text

A flagrant example of tendentious and highly selective treatment of the referenced material Gross gave in a deformation of the Jan Karski's report conclusions of 1940.   Famous courier, who at the end of 1939 had crossed the German-Russian demarcation border, sent his report to the Polish Government in exile in Angers (France).  The Karski's report astounded by the extreme form of collaboration of the great part of the Jews with the Soviets in Kresy, and by specific examples of Jewish anti-Polish attacks.  This testimonial was so much more valuable as it had been written by a man who later contributed valiantly to the propagation of the truth of Jews extermination.  Moreover, Karski in no uncertain terms, could be categorized as disliking the Jews, quite to the contrary, in the last dozen years he has been an extreme philo-Semite.  This probably makes the 1940's report, where he did not abstain from biting critic of the Jewish collaboration with Soviets and anti-Polish actions, so much more a powder keg like.  This could explain perhaps, its late publishing, barely in 1989, in a low circulation historical bulletin "Dzieje Najnowsze" [tr. The Most Recent History]. The report so explicit in its message of February 1940, in its completeness, puts everyone, who tries to justify the Jewish attitudes in Kresy after 1939, ill at ease. It is not difficult then, to understand the manipulations the text is subject to in the Gross' book "Ghastly decade".

Gross devotes almost four pages of his 119 page book to a discussion of the Karski's report, focusing on fragments that for their anti-Jewish disposition of Poles were supposedly never publicized in the West. Gross, therefore, expresses his great annoyance-how come it was not discussed earlier?! However, in the same work, Gross wrote a long chapter denying the Jewish collaboration in Kresy with making no reference to the very same Karski's report in its parts relating to the Jewish collaboration.  Isn't it a hypocritical cynicism?  And, there is a great deal to quote. 

Here are some of the most important statements of the Karski's report that Gross failed to take a note of:

"The Jews are here (in the region occupied by USSR) at home, they are not humiliated and oppressed, and because of their inherent smartness and ability to adapt to any new circumstances they obtained some political and economical privileges.  They joined political groups, took the more important political-administrative posts, and play significant role in the trade unions, Universities, and of course in the commerce especially in anything to do with usury and in illegal trades (contraband, foreign currency speculation, liquor selling, shady deals and brokerages, and pimping).  In these regions, their political and economical situation frequently is better than it was before the war (...). The Jewish attitude toward the Soviets is considered by the Polish society as a very positive.  It is generally believed that the Jews committed high treason of Poland and Poles, and that they are basically communists, and that they went to the Bolsheviks with full colors.  The  fact is that in most towns, Jews greeted the Soviets with red roses, speeches, declarations, etc.

It is necessary to understand that it was not all black and white.  Of course, the communist Jews were enthusiastic towards the Bolsheviks independently on the society class they belonged to.  The Jewish proletariat, minor merchants, tradesmen, and all those whose situation currently improved and those who before were exposed to oppressions, humiliations, affronts, etc of Polish element-all these in a positive if not enthusiastic way acknowledged the new regime.  It is difficult not to understand.  On the other hand, it is difficult to understand when they inform on Poles, Polish nationalist students, Polish political activists, when they administer the Bolshevik militias or are members of the militia, or when notwithstanding the truth they lie about the social relations in yesterday's Poland.  Unfortunately, it is necessary to state that such cases are more frequent than cases of loyalty to Poles or of sentiment to Poland.

The middle class however, the richer and better educated Jews-I think, (of course with many exceptions and discounting false pretenses) recalls rather with a certain sentiment Poland; they would welcome change of the current situation-the independence of Poland, with joy. Obviously, it is motivated to certain extent by expediency. They suffer difficulties-degradation of their social status, house confiscations; their stores, trade shops, and industrial plants are overtaken by the state (...). Here, the Jews basically created a situation in which Poles treat them as Bolsheviks' abettors; it should be admitted that they are waiting for the moment, when they will be able to take revenge on Jews.  All Poles are indignant and disappointed with the Jews-majority, and they-especially of younger generation, are awaiting for a chance of a bloody retribution".

The Gross' impudent manipulation, his consciously passing over those fragments of the Karski's report that refuted his theses, vexed even Agnieszka Magdziak-Miszewska, a participant of the discussion on "Ghastly decade" in friendly to Gross "Wiez"-the weekly of July 1999.  She stated firmly, "If one wants to overthrow the myth of general collaboration of the Jews with the Soviets, it is difficult to proceed convincingly while selectively treating the Karski’s account, for instance, quoting these fragments where he writes of anti-Semitic feelings in the Polish society and leaving out those fragments where he describes the Jews' aggressive behavior towards Poles under the Soviet occupation.  It is counterproductive."

It is significant that another of Gross' supporters, Andrzej Zbikowski from Jewish Historical Institute, did not brave to include compromising Jews' fragments of Karski's report in his work "Polish Jews under the Soviet occupation 1939-1941"[21]. Referring to the Karski's report (pages 62-63), Zbikowski left out painful for the Jews statements about the Jews: "But worse, it is difficult to understand when they inform on Poles, Polish nationalist students, Polish political activists, when they administer the Bolshevik militias or are members of the militia, or when notwithstanding the truth they lie about the social relations in yesterday's Poland.  Unfortunately, it is necessary to state that such cases are more frequent than cases of loyalty to Poles or of sentiment to Poland."

Falsehoods that Purge Jewish Collaboration

I have already quoted a couple of Gross' statements purging the image of the Jews' collaboration in Kresy.  There are couple more that could be added.  In "Ghastly decade" (page 80), Gross writes with gusto: "an image of Sovietization of the Western Ukraina and Western Beloroussia with help of Jews is untrue."  Couple pages earlier (op. cit., page 76), Gross says that: "only little part of the Jewish society openly manifested" the pro-Soviet sentiments.  And, how others more objective authors perceived it?

In "New York Review of Books", the renown British historian, Norman Davies, wrote[22]: "Among collaborators who arrived to help the Soviet security forces during the deportation of innocent men, women, and children to their likely deaths in remote areas, was a disproportionately great number of Jews.  The news about the circumstances accompanying the deportations contributed to worsening of the Polish-Jewish relations in other parts of occupied Poland (...).  Among collaborators and informers as well as among the Soviet security personnel there was a shockingly high percentage of Jews at that time (...).  From an emotional perspective, many Poles saw Jews as dancing on the grave of Poland".

It is worth to recall how the Jewish attitudes in Kresy after 17 September 1939 were perceived by so perceptive an observer of Polish affairs, as Frank Savery from the British Embassy, attached to the Polish Government in France.  In his letter to the Foreign Office of April 25, 1940, Frank Savery said[23], "As far as the present attitude of Poles, and particularly those who are now abroad concerning the Jews and the Jewish question, we cannot forget that in September of last year, the Jewish population in the provinces occupied by the USSR, and more particularly in East Galicia, sided with Russian invaders, with the exception of rich Jews who had a lot to lose.  According to the recent reports that passed through my hands, the Jews in these parts of Poland still constitute the main support of the Bolshevik regime".

A similar in tone was a statement of the War Office representative, Wilkinson in response to question tabled by D.N. Pritt-the MP of the Labor Party left, accusing the Polish military with anti-Semitism.  Wilkinson stated: "Behavior of the Jews in Poland during the Russian attack must obviously have induced a feeling of animosity in the army circles which I consider justifiable." (op. cit., page 109).

Jan Robert Nowak

Prof. Jerzy Robert Nowak, Tygodnik Glos, 2001-03-08

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