Jewish Underground Groups Active in Poland; Conduct Armed Resistance, Assist Fugitives

Jewish underground groups in Poland have stepped up their activities and representatives are in contact with the Jews in the ghettos and labor camps that still exist and with those who are hiding in the homes of friendly non-Jews, according to a reliable report received here today. It discloses that the Jewish underground is in contact even with the Jews confined in the “death camps” awaiting execution.

Bands of armed Jews are still operating in Galicia and in the Kielce and Zaglembje districts, the report says. In addition, thousands of Jews are still living in caves under the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto and an attack upon a band of armed Germans at Belana, near Warsaw, recently is believed the work of these ghetto cave dwellers. In this foray the Jews succeeded in killing some Germans, although they suffered heavy losses. Some of the Warsaw Jews have been taken from the ghetto ruins by Polish democrats who secured false identification documents for them.

A special organization has been established by the underground to provide fugitive Jews with arms and to provide false documents and jobs for Jews who evade the Nazis. Some of these fugitive Jews are able to escape the Germans by travelling about the country in the company of priests or gypsy bands, moving in nomad-like fashion from one remote village to another through hidden forest paths.

The Polish Peoples National Council, which has been set up within occupied territory, has taken energetic steps to aid the Jews, and has publicly warned that persons surrendering Jews to the Gestapo will be executed. Recent bulletins of the Council contain lists of such sentences which have been carried out.

The underground report estimates that there are about 250,000 Jews remaining in Poland today, including those in the few ghettos and labor camps which have not yet been liquidated, and all fugitives.