GERMANISING POLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 February 1942, Page 7

GERMANISING POLAND

NAZIS’ BRUTAL PROGRAMME. RUGBY. February 14. Light is thrown on Hitler's programme for forcibly Germanising that part of Poland incorporated in the Reich, in an article dated from Danzig appearing in the Cologne newspaper “Koelnische Zeitung.” The article admits that Germans in Danzig and west Prussia are “unfortunately” in a minority. German policy, it states, aims at Germanising this region as quickly as possible, Hitler having set a ten-year time limit. The newspaper quotes an article appearing in the local Press by the Gauleiter, Herr Albert Forster, who writes: “One cannot say the country is Avon back for Germany until every man, woman and child in this district is German." Forster relates how immediately after the occupation, all leaders of Polish thought—priests, teachers, members of the aristocracy and politicians—were removed. “It is the Nazi Party’s duty to Germanise the Polish masses.” he declares. He appeals to all Germans, csoecialiv officials sent from the Reich, to become active protagonists of this policy. The Polish language must be completely extirpated. The Roman Catholic priesthood must be closely watched. AH meetings of Poles, however small, must be prevented. , .

The "Koelnische Zeitung” admits ihat this task of Germanisation .is still far from complete. Some sections ol Hie German population, say the newspapers, arc reluctant to subscribe to the Germanisation programme ana would like to leave Poland, but have been ordered to stay there by the Gauleiter. . Polish observers in Switzerland date that the brutality of the Nazis programme has shocked many Germans themselves —both inhabitants nf the incorporated districts and officials sent from Germany who had no idea of the reign of terror the Nazis hwd established in occupied countries.