The best answer to Mr. Tugut

The Polish Telegraphic Agency reports the words spoken by Mr. Painlevé, to whom Sejm member Tugut sent a "spostowanie" (a correction) in response to the French appeal about the "white terror" in Poland.

Mr. Painlevé said that he would be very glad if the reports given in the appeal turned out to be false or exaggerated.

That would be the "best answer" on Mr. Tugut's part… And so, if he, Painlevé, receives such an answer, that all these reports are false, and, what is more, proofs of this as well, then both he and others will hasten to admit that the protest was unjustified…

And Tugut is now trying very hard to gather the proofs he needs. The Sejm commission investigating abuses has already visited several Polish prisons: Mokotów in Warsaw, the one in Białystok and others. Besides Tugut, as chairman, the chief inspector for prison affairs also travelled with this commission. And, curiously, a considerable part of the prisoners, as the commission stated in its record, did not complain, so it seems, about the regime. Tugut is ready to rejoice… for the prison cells too had a decent appearance during the inspection, the prisoners were not dressed all that badly, and the food, it was likewise confirmed, was more or less tolerable: there was, they say, little of it, but it was not altogether bad. And finally, there were few complaints of beatings either, for even if there were beatings during the forced feeding of those who had gone on hunger strike because of the impossible conditions of the prison regime, that was, so it seems, only in '23, and not now.

Mr. Tugut, it seems, has spent little time in the army or in prison, for otherwise he would know perfectly well that for the time of an inspection everything is tidied up and takes on a presentable look: the sick and emaciated are sent out to work, the food is cooked tastier, fresher clothing is issued in advance, and so on.

But one has to be a very practical inspector, and at the same time a man who approaches the matter sincerely, and only then will the results of the inspection, and therefore the proofs, be considerably more truthful.