WARSAW, February 1 1969 - In Poland, discontent has by no means been suppressed.
Certainly, after the demonstrations of March, when the students took to the streets, the forces of repression moved into action; and for pero• or monus. rcavy SCTILCTICCS WCEC inflicted on those who took part. But, below •the surface, trouble still brews.
Secretly, with COYCHACHE DCHUSSOR. sociologists investigated the attitude of young workers in Silesia, Poland's industrial belt. The results were far from what the government had hoped. The brutality and cynicism of the government's policy had had effect, causing disillusion ever demoralisation among these young men. They had realised that reports in the press were not to be trusted, that phrases about total support for the government's policies were quite clearly false. They had not moved during March; and, in the wake of the reprisals that followed, and having no organisations completely their own, they had decided to give nominal support to careerists who, displaying an attitude which the he party, or, to withdraw from all political government requires, have taken up importan iction. Not usually apathetic about political posts events, they were uncertain what the present many teachers were fired. If the careerists are circumstances required. They had decided, vocal at present, the rest are not: terrorised by therefore, to wait.
worried indeed that revisionism' would be spread amongst the working Students have continued to build upon the foundation laid by the demonstrations last leading Warsaw newspaper replied that, since March; the party attempted to infiltrate the the students were unable to give assurances as movement, to split it up into groups, and to to their conduct, such infiltration would not be intimidate by a series of political trials. Kuron curtailed. Scholarships now coming. and Modzelewski, lecturers at the University of stricter control, those who can least afford to Warsaw, originally imprisoned four years ago pay for themselves are compelled to make the but released before the demonstrations, were most open expression of loyalty. re-arrested in March and sentenced under the 36th clause of the law against political crimes, and nihilism become wider spread. Lacking directed against participating aim a concealed from the sate, Formation or intered Many there at aim is concealed from the state.
The two sentences were driven through, of all-powerful. course, without the safeguards built into the who have more access to the facts, have no law, but the effect was counter-productive.
Juron and Modzelewski have become the Jerzy Andrzejewski, author of 'Ashes and acknowledged leaders of the intellectual left.
The "Open Letter' they wrote came to reflect the views of the majority of this part of the Pact powers. left.
letter has been proved by events which have was the story spread by the government that been occurring of late. Gomulka, the first Secretary of the Communist Party, acting under tne influence of General Moczar, chief of SCCUTLY. sought to cure the headache by removing the head. The failure of this therapy has been revealed by the hard line still being taken, and by the fact that the terms bandied by the Moczar-Gomulka clique - imperialism", 'revisionism' have been completely devalued. The language understood not even by the party itself. Official lack of willingness to debate with young people has always been known, but the time-server, Gomulka, fearful of the signs of unrest, took preventive and repressive measures first tested indersto ed this to be a confession our weaknesse in ine era Stalin. The young for how could the party educate those outside its ranks if it were still so badly divided inside?
Who supports the government at present?
The trouble has given a chance to all sorts of - particularly in the universities, where the government's discussion The Communist Party has done everything to limited to contacts small and informal: And separate the workers from the students. It has even this is not safe, for government agents made contact impossible; for it has been very have infiltrated student hostels, institutions indeed of all kinds. One of the demands made class itself. by the students last March was that spies should not be permitted in the hostels; to which the under This state of affairs lowers morale. Cynicism in proper information about events in Poland and believe that the party avenue of communication left save to protest.
Diamonds, addressed a letter of protest agains the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsav The letter was published hostile comments; the The truth of the criticisms levelled in this government's most effective reply, however, the intervention was directed against a German invasion. After a significant meeting of the Warsaw branch of the Polish Writers union twelve months ago, organised to protest against the banning of a nineteenth century Mickiewicz play, the works of those who took part were withdrawn from libraries and shops. Again, in reply, the party organised meetings in factories condemn "political hooligans, e.g. Lne philosopher Kolakowski, Kuron, Modzelewski, and others. By coincidence, those who stood by the government were the least respected as writers, economists, enduring the her e COLLE to promihence during the periot Stalin's excesses.
*The the better' this proverb expresses the feeling that, the more fierce the the more will realise the limitations of the party.
Since the period 1960-1962, a political basis has been laid by students in creating an anti-party left. The Philosophy Department of the University of Warsaw, which included man outstanding intellects, became the centre of criticism and research on socialist thought - on Marx, Trotsky, Marcuse. Scholastic Marxism was ended; and theory was made closer to practice. The party leaders, afraid of all change, in whatever direction, gradually expelled from the party thinkers like these; and thereby created an opposition outside. The Gomulka group, anxious to retain its power was compelled to renege on the promises made in 1956, to undertake a hard-line policy which they themselves had criticised then.
Kuron, Modzelewski, Michnik, Gorecki, Dajczgewand, are all now in prison, but the young people are not lacking a sense of direction. The consciousness of individuals after the events of last March was greatly increased. Tension increased between conscious, active students, and 'petty bourgeois' elements: the crisis is clearly deepening. The working class however, unsatisfied with their standards of life, with the shortage of housing, with rising prices, is ready to join students and intellectuals though not yet. This, the party realises, and therefore tries to deceive them, to spread false informations. The clearest indication of the links that may yet be forged comes from Czechoslovakia; and the students, secure with this knowledge gain thereby the strength to survive the present reaction.
REVOLUTIONARY FESTIVAL TUDOR GRANGE ACTION COMMITTEE As everybody knows there are a lot of petty and stupid rules in this school. It is about time they were changed, and the boys given more freedom in the school. It is our school! Since the present senior master came to the school, a lot more petty rules have been introduced Who does he think he is The following things are examples of the old fashioned regime, eg.
the senior master, and the headmaster. 1. Compulsory wear of caps.
Of grey socks.
Of short hair.
Of black regulation shoes.
Of white shirts.
Rules like.
Must not eat out of school in school time, and uniform.
Cannot enter school during break and dinnertime.
Certain activities outside school tim where the boys have to put on "fals faces"
rugby. majority of the boys Woul prefer a more modern sport. eg would There are many more complaints as all of you will know.
In general we are discontented with the dictatorship of the senior master.
A last thought where do the school subscriptions go?
Think and Act!
----- pull-quotes -----
SHORT HAIR AND GREY SOCKS
Hae nigth play certain games to. hes obviously the ma