Noweditorial Notes

The assassination of the Polish Minister of the Interior, Bronislaw Pieracki, by Nazified Poles shortly after the visit of the chief Nazi propagandist Goebbels, is sure to open the eyes of the Polish government to the grave menace that is threatening Poland. It is generally believed that the assassins of the Polish Minister are either members of the National Democratic party or the Nara, the National Radical party, the anti-Semitic Nazi-inspired rowdies who have been pogroming the Jews.

We have pointed out on several occasions during the past few months that the Polish anti-Semites, under the influence of the Nazis, have intensified their anti-Jewish outrages in their efforts to strike down the Pilsudski government. The present government in Poland, having given assurances to the Jews that it would not tolerate any anti-Jewish atrocities, has thus far handled the Naras and the National Democrats with silk gloves.

Now the anti-Semitic opponents of the Pilsudski government have murdered one of Pilsudski’s closest friends and aides. Bronislaw as Minister of the Interior, was believed to be in charge of the plan to crush the anti-Semitic, anti-Pilsudski group of the Nazified Poles.

Several months ago Pieracki declared in the Sejm:

“Acts of terrorism and violence by individuals and collectives, irrespective of their motives and no matter against whom they are directed, will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will not escape severe punishment.

We will not tolerate race and national conflicts because they are alien to the historical spirit of the Polish people.”

Even as in Rumania, where Premier Duca was assassinated by Nazified Rumanians because he had advocated a liberal policy with regard to the Jews of Rumania, so in Poland the Nazified Poles have murdered the Minister of the Interior because he had expressed himself as being friendly to the Jews of Poland. In both instances, the Jews were the scapegoats and the victims first. At first the governments, the real targets of these Nazified political parties, adopted no measures which could impress the people that there was an unmistakable determination to put a stop to the shocking crimes. Half measures and soft-spoken words only served to aggravate the situation. The Nazified rowdies grew more arrogant and more brutal.

Now Poland is confronted with the problem of anti-Jewish pogroms and with the assassination ### member of the Cabinet who ### opposed to the pogromists. ### the sake of her self-preservation, Poland will have to make