Jewish Deputy Submits Data on Elimination of Jews from Polish Army to Sikorski

Dr. Ignacy Schwarzbart, Jewish member of the Polish National Council, today disclosed that he has submitted to Gen. Sikorski, the Polish Premier, further details regarding the alleged elimination of Jewish officers and soldiers from the Polish Army in Russia in order to prevent their leaving for Iran with the Polish troops transported from Russia to the Middle East.

“It is a fact that Jews constitute forty percent of all the Polish citizens now stranded in Russia, whereas among those evacuated from Russia the Jews constitute only about six percent,” Dr. Schwarzbart said.

Emphasizing that the representatives of Polish Jewry support the foreign policy of the Polish Government-in-Exile, including the policy of establishing permanent neighborly relations with Russia based upon the independence of the Polish Republic and the integrity of the Polish frontiers, Dr. Schwarzbart declared that the Jewish representatives expect the Russian Government to respect the Polish citizenship of Polish Jews in Russia. At the same time he pointed out that “for the second time since April” he charges the Polish Government with neglecting to lodge any protest with Moscow on the Soviet’s decision to treat as Russian citizens all Polish Jews who were on Soviet soil during the plebiscite held on November 1, 1939.

Jan Stanozyk, Polish Minister for Social Welfare, was asked at the session of the Polish National Council last night whether it was true that the distribution of clothing and food among the Polish refugees in Russia is conducted in a manner which is unfair and discriminatory to Jew. The Minister replied that he had no knowledge of such discrimination. Dr. Schwarzbart then announced that he would submit a detailed report to Mr. Stanczyk on specific cases of discrimination which have been reported to him.