The United States Government has noted a hardening pattern of discrimination by the Polish Government against American Jews seeking visas since the Six-Day War last June, it was disclosed today by Rep. Edward J. Derwinski, Illinois Republican. Rep. Derwinski, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, elicited this information from the Executive Department of the Government. It was attributed by Rep. Derwinski to “authoritative sources.”
The Congressman said that Communist Poland indicated a tendency to discriminate against American Jews applying for visas shortly after the war. A number of instances of discrimination are known to Washington authorities, but the situation became much more acute during recent weeks when the Warsaw Government unleashed a thinly-veiled anti-Jewish campaign designed to discredit freedom demonstrations by students.
Rep. Derwinski revealed that there was definite knowledge here of an intensification of bias in the issuance of visas during recent weeks, experienced not only by Jews but also by non-Jews, especially those of Polish origin, he said. He indicated that the Polish authorities, in their fear and insecurity arising from current unrest, were attempting, to some extent, to “seal off” Poland from American visitors.
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