Gunter Grass Poem

In attempting to describe the theme of Grass’ 1959 Novel, “The Tin Drum,” a misrepresentation of Poland’s history was offered.  The Downstate N.Y. Division of the Polish American Congress issued the following statement to the New York Times:
 
Dear Editor:
 
Writing about the outrage Gunter Grass’ poem ignited in Israel, reporters Bronner and Kulish described the novel, “The Tin Drum” Grass wrote in 1959 as an “exploration of the rise of Nazism in Germany and Poland.”

Polish Americans are justified in expressing their outrage that Poland, the first victim of Nazism, should now be portrayed as co-responsible with Germany for Nazism.
 
Shortly after Hitler came to power in 1933, Poland’s Marshal Pilsudski proposed that the French join him in a preventive war against Germany and eliminate Nazism at its inception. Paris turned down the idea.
 
Germany later tried to persuade the Poles to join the Axis and side with the Nazis against the Soviet Union.  The Poles would not.
 
At the time other European nations were appeasing Hitler, the Poles stood firm and became the “First To Fight” the Nazis in World War II.
 
Rise of Nazism in Poland?  Hardly.
 
Frank Milewski, Pres.
Polish American Congress
Downstate N.Y. Division
pacdny@verizon.net
(516) 352-7125