Witold Pilecki’s report titled “The Issue of the Young Generation of Poland”

Their opinions are unanimous: the objective of human efforts is to gain tangible goods which are necessary for a good living. _______ This survey speaks for itself. Its results are alarming, pointing to a great danger which threatens the Nation when its youth cannot understand or accept any of the concepts that do not concern their personal, everyday life. The Bolshevik propaganda aims at deepening that state of affairs pointing to “unprofitability” of being faithful to any ideology and of sacrifices and uncompromising fight for the Nation, and keeps referring to the Czechs as an example to follow. While the Polish masses still reject the idea of cooperating with the USSR, the Czech example /and many similar examples/ finds a great number of followers willing to think “realistically”. What are the possibilities of influencing the young people? First of all, this can be achieved through teachers and educators who – in order to maintain their high sense of responsibility for the Nation – need a voice supporting their hard work on preserving the spiritual health of the youth. They need – like the entire Nation for that matter – to rely on the strength and authority of the Government of the Republic of Poland and of General Anders. To have an idea of a second possibility to influence young people via legal youth organisations, let us consider a concrete example of the Poznań Region. The total number of students in Poznań amounts to about 12,000. There are two political organisations in this Region: the Union of Socialist Youth (about 100 members/; and the “Wici” Academic Circle /136 members/. Apart from these political unions, there is the Union of the Participants of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy (A.Z.U.W.W.D.) dominated by the People’s Army – AL (General Witold). Over 90% of the members come from the former Home Army – they are AK soldiers, often officers decorated and promoted in the AK who openly declare that they work in A.Z.U.W.W.D since this makes their living easier/provides access to scholarships, assistance in looking for a job, etc./ and guarantees them immunity from the UB. “Bratnie Pomoce” (Brotherly Aids) – under the communist supervision have a miserable reputation of “gambling dens” and they have no major influence on students’ life. The organisations with which cooperation has been established or will be established soon, and through which a significant number of young people can be influenced are: Akademicki Z.H.P., (Polish Academic Scouting Organisation); “Caristas Academica”; Academic P.C.K. (Academic Red Cross); Youth Sections of the Union of Former Political Prisoners. These unions, apart from “Caritas Academica”, operate all over Poland. These organisations should be approached not only with instructions on how to act but also with tangible financial and technical aid enabling them to act. Work with young people is subject to Article 8 of the Second Part of the Instruction of the Government of the Republic of Poland, which we received in June 1946. Therefore, we believe that it will be fully supported due to its importance /there are, e.g., possibilities of establishing two legal youth publications, influencing two large organisations, each of them requiring a one-off investment estimated at 300.000 zlotys/.