January 29, 1940; PRIESTS TORTURED

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JANUARY 29, 1940:

 

 

 

 

By ELEANOR PACKARD

VATICAN CITY —(U.P.)— Beating, torture and murder of priests in Poland and a barbaric program of extermination, of Poles generally were charged against Germany in a report of Pope Pius XII released for publication today by Polish sources by authorization of August Cardinal fflond, primate of Poland.

The report detailed names, towns, and regions in relating  story of persecution of individuals, groups, and masses of Poles by the Gestapo, the German secret police. "

Presented to the pope Jan. 6 the report is divided into sections covering dioceses and archdioceses of Catholic Poland.

Allegations of cruelty, desecration and extermination centered in areas which Germany has annexed formally and intends to make Purely German-populated.

From these areas, it is charged, Poles are being deported, destitute, to other areas — called the "general government of Poland"—which have been stripped of foodstuffs, or are being sent into Germany, to concentration camps, forced labor gangs, or in the case of boys as young as 14 years to Nazi educational centers.

It charged priests have been ordered  to pray for Adolph Hitler and had to preach' in German, churches could remain open only for two hours a week, churches have been desecrated, church funds have been seized, priests and Poles generally have been deported, nuns were not spared.

 The War

Today

VATICAN CITY—

Details of Nazi cruelty to Catholic priests in captured Poland are chanced in a report from the primate of Poland.

BERLIN—

German officials keep mum on Polish charges.

WITH. THE FINNS—

Russian attack now appears –without hope of success but Finns keep battling-, say nothing yet of definite victory. Red bombers hit hospital.

LONDON —

German planes raid shipping- along- the coast. British assert they drove raiders off.

WASHINGTON —

Question of an embargo against Japan nears senate foreign relations committee, which meets Wednesday.

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In its first section, dealing with the arch-diocese of: Gniezno of the clergy, who live in terror and are threatened continually.. .' -

The Germans have- shot, the following priests . . ."

There follow the names of 10 priests. The name of one priest is given who was said to have been beaten to death- by soldiers with the butts of their- rifles; of another who died under "treatment"; of another killed by-a bomb.

"Dozens of priests are in prison where they are being humiliated, beaten and maltreated," continues the report. "A certain number of them have been deported to Germany and there is no news of them. Others have been, placed in concentration camps."

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Priests, who are arrested are forced to do hard labor if they cannot pay for their food and "lodging" in prison, it is charged.

The report continues: • "It is not rare to see priests among workmen in the country repairing roads and bridges, pulling coal cars . . . some priests have been confined in a pig sty at night, beaten barbarously and subjected to other tortures . . .