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THE SITUATION ІМ POLISH UKRAINE Notes on the recent systematic policy of the Polish Government to weaken the ower and destroy the cultui re and rights of the Ukrainian Minority in oland. Such action is absolutely contrary to the provisions of the Treaty between the British Empire, France, Italy, Japan, the United States of Amer- ica and Poland, which was signed at Versailles on June 28th, 1919, and came into force on January 10th, 1920, and was intended to safeguard the rights of the Ukrainian people living under Polish rule. N THE autumn of 1930 Poland subjected Eastern Galicia to the so-called ‘pacification,’ which aroused sympathy for the Ukrainians in many parts of the world. The Polish Government tried to crush the e- conomic, cultural and poliitcal life of the Ukrainians. But this ‘pacification,’ not only failed to destroy Ukrainian cultural achievements, but made a very bad impression abroad. The idea of destruction of the part of the Ukrain- ian nation which comes under Poland was not a- bandoned after the failure of the ‘pacification.’ It is still being carried out systematically according to plan. The activities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (O. U. N.), which is an illegal revo- lutionary organization give the Polish Authorities the pretext for further persecutions not only of guilty persons but of all Ukrainians in general. As it may be known, when Poland took over the Ukrainian territories she made several pledges con- cerning the Ukrainian Minority, і. e. she was supposed to grant to those territories AUTONOMY. Poland, not only did not keep the pledge regarding Autonomy, but she does not even respect Minority Treaty Rights. Ukrainians have lost all the pre-war privileges; as one of many examples may serve — the school problem. Before the war, during Austrian time, there were in Eastern Galicia over three thousand Ukrain- ian elementary schools. To-day, on the same ter- ritory, there are less than two hundred such schools. This example shows clearly the situation of the Ukrainian population. No Ukrainians are admitted to the Civil Service and they are banned from the Universities. For in- stance, in the years 1933/34, only three Ukrainians were admitted to the medical faculty. (There are over six million Ukrainians in Poland.) Ukrainian students are compelled to study abroad, but after their re- turn home there is not the slightest possibility for them to find work or to practice their profession. What can they do? The village youths belonged formerly to national sporting associations, where they were educated to become good members of the community. The Polish Government has prohibited sporting associations (Boy Scouts, etc.). Peasant sons, even when they succeed to graduate from universities are unable to obtain work in their own country, and they see at the same time how Poles are being imported for positions which they ought to fill themselves. In the period after the ‘pacification,’ the Polish Government tried to use ‘legal methods’ for the de- struction of Ukrainian cultural development. One must mention only the new law about municipal self- government which is directed mainly against the Ukrainian Minority. One must also mention the election practices against which the Ukrainians are practically helpless. In the capital of the Province, in Lviv, there are over 60,000 Ukrainians but the ela- borate election system and election practices made it possible that during the recent municipal elections not one Ukrainian was elected to the City Council of Lviv. Legal development of cultural life becomes im- possible, incessant persecutions drive it underground and as a result of it one sees the unceasing number of trials and convictions for political reasons. The at- mosphere has become so tense that there is a very grave danger that the boiler may burst for lack of a safety valve. The world is under the false impression that in Poland a dictatorship rules; it is not true. Poland is a police State with all the destructive conse- quences of police rule. The heaviest fist of this police tule rests on the Ukrainians. The policeman is the sole lord over the citizen. In the far-off villages he is omnipotent authority and decides over the life and death of the population. The department of the so- called “Public Safety” decides whether a teacher should_be dismissed or not, and he may be dismissed in spite of the best professional qualifications, if it pleases the local police. i he latest innovation is that a Ukrainian cannot re- ceive credit from a bank even with the best guarantees and recommendations when the police do not give their approval. A spy system is being fostered amongst the youths of the villages and is being used even in schools. Political trials show that provocation is be- ing extensively used by Polish Police Authorities. What is the attitude of the Poles towards the Ukrainians? They all, regardless of their political divisions, unite for the destruction of Ukrainians. It is a war against the Ukrainian nation. Rumors about concentration camps were spread long before the assassination of Minister Pieracki, but |
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