Polish Consul General Says Government Has University Situation Well in Hand

The Polish Government is determined not to permit a repetition of the university riots which took place in Poland last Fall.

While a number of outbreaks have taken place recently in a number of university towns, the government has the situation well in hand and is ready to do everything possible to prevent the excesses and to close the universities if need be.

This statement was made by J. M. T. Marchlewski, Polish Consul General, following a conference with Z. Tygel, Executive Director of the Federation of Polish Jews of America.

The Polish Government has already given an earnest example of the vigorous stand it plans to pursue by sending police into the University of Posen to suppress riots there, the Polish Consul General stated. Two non-Jewish students were injured by the police on the campus itself and seven were arrested, all of whom will be brought to trial, he pointed out.

The Polish Consul stated further that the present disturbances are due to the fact that the anniversary of the death of Stanislaw Waclawski, the Christian student killed in the anti-Semitic riots in Vilna last November, offers a propitious occasion for the agitation of chau-

vinistic elements and the anger aroused in these circles by the amnesty granted to the Jewish student, Shmuel Wulfin, after he had been sentenced first to two years’ imprisonment which later was remitted to two months’ imprisonment for implication in the events leading to Waclawski’s death.

Mr. Tygel was received by the Polish Consul General at the request of the Polish Legation in Washington.

The interview was arranged after the Federation of Polish Jews had made representations to the Legation in connection with the reported excesses.

The Polish Federation sent a message to the Legation, declaring:

“Recent press despatches tell us of disturbances instigated by Polish students in several Polish cities where Jewish students are being beaten and injured. The despatches also emphasize the determination of the government to stop the riots. Remembering that such disturbances resulted in serious excesses against Jews in Poland last year, we follow the news with great anxiety. We ask you to kindly convey our message to the government in Warsaw.”