Polish Prelate Wants Bessarabia for Jews; Urges Mixed Committee “to Solve Jewish Problem”

The suggestion that Bessarabia be set aside for large-scale Jewish settlement after the war, in addition to Palestine, coupled with a proposal for the establishment of a mixed Polish-Jewish committee “to work out a plan for the solution of the Jewish problem” was made here today at the Polish National Council by the Catholic prelate Sygmunt Kaczynski who is a member of the Council.

“During my recent visit in the United States, I met a number of Jews there who favored such a solution,” Prelate Kaczynski stated. He added that he believes that Soviet Russia will agree to transfer Russians and Rumanians from the Bessarabian province to their native lands, in order to make room for the Jews. Prelate Kaczynski was the head of the Catholic Press Service in pre-war Poland which spread anti-Jewish propaganda.

This is the second time within a week that members of the Polish National Council who were known to be anti-Jewish have put forth suggestions “for solving the Jewish problem” in post-war Poland. The other member to voice such a proposal was Mrs. Sofia Zaleska of the anti-Semitic Endek party, who on Thursday introduced in the Council a resolution urging the forthcoming peace conference “to solve the Jewish problem in Europe.”

Arka Bozek, former president of the Association of Poles in Germany, at today’s session of the Polish National Council declared that he does not want his country “to be shamed by its treatment of the Jews.” He said that “the Poles are not an ungrateful people and will not repay the Jews for their loyalty the way the Germans did.”