SECRET PRESS

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21524, 12 September 1941, Page 2

SECRET PRESS

WTDE POLISH NETWORK ANTI-GERMAN CIRCULATION When they occupied Poland, one of the first things the Nazis did was to clamp down on the Polish press. Of the 2200 periodicals, including 190 daily papers in Poland, only 16 were left and these were put under Nazi control. But alongside these has grown an illegal press which represents a network widespread and rich in results. It is known that there are at least 28 publications, among them daily papers on duplicator sheets which feature the 8.8. C. broadcasts. Then come weeklies normally printed which give an analysis of important articles from the British press. Even illustrations appear in these papers. Others are monthlies and quarterlies, one running to 32 pages. There are humorous papers, with anti-German cartoons and jokes and in the Warsaw ghetto a Yiddish paper appears. In addition there appear occasional leaflets and pamphlets. All these publications entail printing presses—probably concealed in the woods of Poland—well over 100 editors and contributors, and hundreds of thousands of readers. Every person involved risks his life, for death is the penalty not only for working on an illegal paper, but even for reading it. The Wall of Silence The question arises, how is it possible to maintain in secret such an organisation? (writes Czasiaw Poznastu). One of these papers gives the answer. It speaks of “the wall of silence” between the Poles and the Germans. This wall of silence is possible because there is complete unanimity among the Polish nationals. While there may be isolated individual traitors, there is no group or party that would collaborate with the Nazis. Of course the Gestapo is furious. As they are unable to discover the presses or the distributors, they themselves produce faked illegal papers, which their agents push under doors or surreptitiously put in the pockets of peasants in market places. Afterwards agents discover these planted papers and the bearers mre shot -**♦ t>»e real illegal press remains unuiscov tied.