SUFFERING IN POLAND

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23315, 29 April 1941, Page 5

SUFFERING IN POLAND

COUNT WODZICKI’S ACCOUNT (P.S.S.) WELLINGTON, April 28, Everybody fighting in the of democracy realised by now that Hitler was the personification of tyranny and cruelty: but the people of New Zealand, living so far away from the influence of Nazism, could have no real idea of the extent of the sufferings of all who had come under Hitlers heel, said the Consul-General for Poland in New Zealand, Count Wodzicki, in an interview.' 1 Accompanied by his wife and two children, he has arrived at Wellington to take up his new duties. , , Count Wodzicki, who was formerly professor of biology at the Agricultural University College, Warsaw, said that one of Hitle.r’s aims was to strangle all culture and education in the countries he had over-run, making all conquered people the slaves of Germany to till the soil and work as labourers. The German people were like their master; the Hitler idea was in their blood. _ , Before her capitulation, Poland had six universities, at which there were 48,000 students in 1939, he said. In addition, there were many fine colleges, secondary schools, and other educational institutions. But now, under Hitler, all had gone except a few primary schools. “You will realise how the Polish children still there will be restricted in their education,” he said. “Poland in the future will have none of her own teachers, doctors, lawyers, or clergymen unless she regains her liberty. Similarly with other countries invaded by Germany. That is Hitler's intention: to kill all culture, science, and learning.” 14,000,000 In Slavery

Referring to the subjugation of the Poles, Count Wodzicki said that in the Reststaat. an area of 100,000 square kilometres in central Poland, about 14 000,000 of his countrymen were living in slavery. The area was under the control of Herr Frank, a German who was directly responsible to Hitler. He had power to exterminate all Poles who refused to carry out their allotted tasks—wood chopping, water carrying, and general unskilled work. “This area is grossly overcowded, he added, “but as in England during these days of bombing, everybody helps everybody else, sharing food, clothing and homes. But the Reststaat cannot exist for long under existing conditions. The people must starve, for the State is not self-supporting, and the Germans care little whether there is sufficient food for them or n °Count Wodzicki and his family had considerable difficulty in leaving Poland in December, 1939, after the. Germans had entered. Assisted by friends, he planned for six weeks before he finally made his escape to Italy, where he was later joined by his wife and children. From there thev went to France, where they stayed for several months before crossing to England, just before the capitulation of France. Since he had been in New Zealand, he said, his wife and he had been shown great kindness by all they had met. One of the important reasons why he was so pleased to accept his new position was that his two children, aged 11 and six respectively, would be given the opportunity of getting a decent education, which would have been denied them had they not been able to leave Poland.