REACTION TO BERIA'S FALL/DETERIORATED LIVING CONDITIONS/DOLLAR SPECULATIONS/REACTION TO BERLIN RIOTS/UB CHECKS/SPECIAL TOWN SECTIONS/RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500290206-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 8, 2013
• Sequence Number: 206
• Publication Date: December 16, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved
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COUNTRY
SUBJECT
Poland
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U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
WilliMMOMMONMomm
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPOR
11'
Reaction to Serials Fall/Deteriorated Living I
Conditions/DollarlSpeculations/Reaction to Berlin
1111113.1R1?1(2 Checi?3/
Special Town Sections/Religi
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OF ONE UNITED SSSSSS . WITNINTNEMEANINO OF TITLE IS, $ECTIONS 70S
AND 704. Or TNS U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TOWANISSION 011 SITE.
"To. Or ITS CO TTTTTT 10 00 RECEIPT Or All uNAuTN041[ED rEASON IS
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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1. "The following infermation concerns conditions and attithdesAn"tbe:Gdynia and
Gdanak area and dates through June 19y3:
Reaction to Berle's! Fall
2.ITErNniai?etno-particularly interested in what is happening in the =MIN,
because the general impression is that rogard..ipi of what happens there auld who-
ever is in power, the lot of POLAND remains as 4nMppy and tragic .aa over. One
sertainly weleomeditAIENKOV's disposal of BEh . One might even nope that
one day ZINJKOV or VASILEVSKI will purge MAIENKOIr.! But these are only super-
ficial changes which have no effect on the eve life of the Pole.. ris
ray ff ?k
is gone but the. UB '(secret police) does not wor less efficiently. They fixl-
fill their plane just as b.-fore and beat up and torture people just as before.
Think how many palaee revolutions there were in Tsarist RUSSIA, but that dld
not change for the better the lives of earlier Pelee. Freedom-loving Polegis
vcro cent to STP.rFai regerdIese of trhoemten t_e. throne.
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3. the overwhelming majority of Poles convinced that the Soviet
regime and system has not changed, nor will it c in the future. Of
course, it seems somewhat weakened in the transi ion pel.iod of power, but ib
would fall only if the Americans, and the Westeri world in general, would
strike a decisive blow at once. Nothing will be changed in the USSR and
hardly anything in the Satellite countries without serious blows from without.
All talk about the inner decomposition of the regime is nonsense
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t weesern powers are making a serious error if they persist in judging the
actions of the USSR and guessing at its motives ea if it were a country like
any other state of the world. That is not true.1
U.S. Officials Only
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This report is for the use within the USA of the Intelligence components
Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection
I 'ORR EV I 1
of the Departments or
the concurrence of the
and Dissemination, CIA.
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Deteriorated LIvIag Conditions
are the
prices in January
earlier. Actually
that they
earlier.
0 ? uant,itie
"What intereste the Poles much more than the changes in the KREMLIN,
teriorated living conditions in POIAND. :After the increase in
it seemed so if there was more food on sale in the ehops than
this was not true, but everybody had suddenly become no much poorer
no money to buy the same quantities of food they had consumed
"This circumstance was eXeloited by the autho 0
unnecessary Roods distributed to the shops. 50X1
the shops were half-empty again. For milk,
one
again.

rise
NORM
were
to
of the
had to queue up for three hours. Pato and sausage had become exceedingly short
At about the same time, tbe prices of bread were raised in a discreet manner.
ParticularlY great was the price ria7 in the cheapest kind of bread, the co-milled
belf ac price of bread, t Which rose from
half-black 'l. to 3.65 zl. per kg. This
VAS not announced in anyway, neither in the shops nor in the press. The higher
prices were simply demanded one day lieuid that was that.
"About mid-May 1953, a process startled in POLAND, which was called UNORMWANIZ
or "norealieing of norms". First, the number of groups into which the norms
divided (every group deoignating differentiated payment) was decreased from nine
seven. At the same time the wages for every labor unit in every groul:eere decreased
by sight to twelve groszy e in eertain cases by 20 groszy e 'which in turn
resulted in a wage cut of 7-20 zl. per month, depending on the previous weeps
worker and on how the norms are applied in every branch of activities. This wage
cut was bad, but would not have proved innuffc.rpalle. if at t110 Aft16 tiMP +Alp norms
themselves had not been raised again.
it 'Wasfamnlutelv imrrssible to earn even Approximately as much as before the reform.
thin new system would be applied in the whole of POLAND from 15 July.
they could not be applied onboard
ship where the sailors are exploited by 'social obligationa."
7. "The monthly income of a PLO (Polskie Linie Oceaniczne)boatewain in late :'Ipring
1953 wan:
Basic salary
Benefit for service years (5 per
basic palmy per every service
- in subject'o case
ent of
year)
Family benefit (30 zl. for the non-earning
wife plus benefit for three ebeileren)
Overtime, etc. about
Total
1,18o zl.
80 21.
250.50 zl.
140 zl.
1.76"0.35".""a0
The following deductions are made
from this sum:
Taxes 150 zl.
Membership fee of PIER (the Polish CP) 18 zl.
Trade union fee 15 zl.
Various 'voluntary' (i.e. compulsory) contributions
had to be made, to the rehabilitation of WARSAW,
to build 'children's houses,' etc. about ,17 zl.
Total about 200 zl.
"Beyond this sum he has a per diem foreign currency allowance, which in this case
was about $ 25. - monthly. Thio allowance is calculated in the following manner:
Per each day on sea: I
In the Baltic t$ 1.- $1.-
On the Levantine Line .
In South American Traffic. t.T;
On the china Line 1.48
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'Up to 1 January 1953 (when prices and wages were raised in Poland) he had earned:
Basic salary 8o7 zl; Family benefit 150 zl.; plus overtime, etc. so that his
total monthly income was 1200 zl. Beyond that he had the usual currency
allowance of $ 25.- The incomes vary slightly in each individual case, depending
on service years, etc.
3. Since 1953 the freedom of movement of the Soviet seamen in Polish harbors has been cur-
tailed. They are not allowed to go on land in small groups or two or tnree. There
must always be at least four to six men, as in Western harbors. Polish sailors in
Western harbors may now go on land in groups of two or three; it is extremely diffi-
cult to go ashore alone. Formerly the Soviets, as privileged guests in Poland, could
buy textiles, chocolates, tobacco, etc., from BAIT= at a par with the Polea.(BALTONA
is a special shop for acumen where they may buy scarce or otherwise unobtainable goods
by paying in dollars). Since the New Year of 1953, when prices rose steeply in POLAND,
the Soviets' right to buy thing's from BALDONA has been cut considerable. .
9. "It still pays for the Polish seamen to buy things from BALTONA. narti f one
considers the black market still existing in POLAND. iFOr.esSIOW,Lap. fOr woolen
suiting he nave at BALTON& $ 9-10; that suiting can be retio.La on tue olacx mar at
450-500 zl. or ten times dearer. For a coupon of highest
quality suiting sometimes up to 2,500 zl. is paid.
10. "Since the beginning of 1953, the quantities of textiles distributed among the shops in
POLAND have been severely cut. This is one means to lcompel customers to buy ready-made
clothing, even for babies and small children. The state profits are considerably larger
from ready-made clothes than from fabrics. A propaganda campaign to attain this end
started at about the same time. Ready-made clothes for children are very expensive. A
pair of trousers fur a four year old boy costs 55-60 zl. in a shop. At home they can
be sewn at the expenge of only 15-20 zl. A pair of children's cloth shoes, which can
be made of small remlants at home, cost p 30-40 zl. in the shops. However, people are
compelled to buy these expensive ready-made clothes as fabric goods have grown extremely
scarce. The material which can still be obtained easiest is men's suiting.
11. "A salesgirl at a food store earns only 500-600 zl. Monthly. A woman executive in food
cooperative stores earns about 650-900 zi.
12.
"Sc.a captains who have been dismissed for political reasons sometimes buy for the
remnants of their savings a horse and cart and earn their living as carters, working for
government or communal enterprises, the harbor administration or private persons.
"At present there exist two kinds of carters: the unorganized onee('private initiative')
and those organized in a sort of cooperative. The latter have a great privilege: they
get their transports according to plan from government and communal enterprises. The
private carters wait at street corners with their carts for cuatomers who are mostly
private citizens. Customers and carters can reach an agreement in accordance with the
'free market' taxes although there exists an official tariff. Those who employ the
cooperative carters, pay them according to the offiCial tariff which is rather high:
for the t? oal from ULICA JASNA Z KOLNA to ULICA SWIETCJABSKA
Dollar Speculat on
" On an early morning in the beginning of May 19931
a side street to ULICA SLASEA was blocked at both ends, at UhleA
SLASKA as well as its other end which leads to a forest. It was possible to enter the
street but not leave it. It was full of armed patrols from the militia, WOP and KBW.
Entrances to a number of houses in tne street vier ed. Nobody was allowed to leave
those houses. Suddenly there was a disturbance: a woman run towards ULICA SLASKA.
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a shot. The woman was followed. However, she jumped on a bus and vanished.
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"Then the patrols arrested four women, the wives of seamen living on that street. These
women have vanished without a.trace. They may have been sent to the camp between
CHOJNICE and FORDON. Several sailors, including the husbands of the arrested women
jumped off abroad after this incident. It was rumoured among sailors in GDYNIA that in
one of the searched flats $ 7000 were found. On the black market in POLAND a dollar now
costs from 70 to 100 zl. (the official rate of exchange is a little less than 5 zl.)
People still speculate with dollars occssionAlly, although the punishment can be up to
15 years of prison and sometimes death sentence.
Reaction to Berlin Riots
14." Everybody in POLAND had heard of the BERLIN riots L717 June 517; Wee tern radios had
excessively reported on the riots in their Polish broadcasts. Even the Polish regime
papers had written about the riots, although they, of course, condemned them severely
and attached the' imperialists who provoked the riots. Rumours about the riots were wide-
spread too, and the extent of disturbances was much exaggerated. People spoke of 20,000
killed (sic) in EAST BERLIN alone and said that the Soviets were compelled to use heavy
weapons - tanks, armoured care and cannon- before they could suppress the revolt.
Opinions varied on the causes of the riots. Some people said that the riots were cer-
tainly spontaneous and clear proof that the Germane had had enough of the Soviets.
Others said that the riots were really a Soviet provocation of gigantic dimensions which
had got out of hand.
15
16. " Although the riots were much commented upon between trusted friends, nobody had any
particular illusions about their conaequonceo for POLAND. Everybody was well aware
that POLAND.? situation is different. Of course, people were glad that things atexted
happening. They said that the Germans wanted to kick the Soviets eastwards. In the
beginning it was also said that what started in BERLIN could coon spread to POLAND.
But all the hopeo of this soon fell. The final consensus of the Poles on the BERLI1P
riots was: 'We cannot do anything without being prepared - we all remember what happened
in WARSAW in 1944. However, as soon as the Western powers start moviag in our direction
in a decided manner, we can do something and we will do it
17. " The people apparently most impressed by the revolt were the authorities, if one is
Judge from the precautions they took, probably fearing that the revolt might spread
into POLAND. For persons in GDYNIA this official precaution made itself felt most
through Intensified contrni nt stations.
to
/ Because of the radio, it was clear to everybody that these new
control measures were connected with the BERLIN riots.
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18. "One could also observe certain military precautions. On 22 June, from the train
between GDYNIA and GDANSK
Generally speaking, one had the in-
pression that in those days the military traffic, particularly the
motorcycles, wee more lively than usual, at least in the coastal area. Moreover,
there were a number of small tranerorts of heavy weapons, which was somewhat out of
ordinary.
the
UB Checke.
19. "People say that there are three kinds of UB (BEZPUMA) agents who do not mix much
among themselves in order to be better able to attend to their special duties:
a. The first are those secret agents who assist the uniformed militia (i.e., police)
during all arrests, house searching, etc. They are expert detectives.
b. The second are expert ehadcwero - they follow individual victims, try to catch them
at the moment they are committing an unlawful act-lathe arrest is not reserved
for agents of the first group from the 'start.
c. The third are those secret agents who visit public places, such as restaurants and
dance belle, etc. Their duty le to observe people there and try to ascertain
their thoughts and behavior, particularly those persons who have but recently
arrived in a place and are not yet classified. These agents collaborate often,
people say, with the so-called KW (KONTR-WYWIAD) agents, or counter-espionage
agents, although these latter are supposed to work independently as a rule.
20. "Public plalee are also frequented by agents of KORTRCIIA SKARBOWA who check on the
amounts people spend to ascertain if they pay 'correct' taxes. They are entitled
to control the documents of those presentalthough the guests may be government,
communal or even CP officials.
21. " There is an unwritten law in POLAND: if somebody has had something to do with UB
and is later asked by some government agency - be it UB, militia or something else -
where he has been, he is not sulnooaell to say that he has been in the hands of UB,
in prison or in a labor camp. Ne has to say that he has been at home. To speak the
truth in this case provokes the UB.
22. "The old 'bourgeois' principle, 'my home is my castle', is, of course, quite non-ex-
istent in People's POLAND. There are a number of ways the UB can check on the home
life of citizens. All of these methods are diligently used. In the past seven years
a system has developed in these matters. It works as follows:
a. During the daytime any flat may be entered to inspect if the water supply is
functioning properly or if there are too few inhabitants for the space available.
b. In the evenings before 10 p.m. flats are entered under the pretext of checking
whether the inhabitants are using electric flat-Irons or ranges. The use of
such electrical equipment is permitted only after 10 p.m., in order to save
electric current.
c. From 10 p.m. to about midnight the authorities can enter to check whether anybody
is using more powerful bulbs than 60 watt. That is .strictly forbidden.
23. "There are manifold reasons for these continuous visits:
a. The first is that the authorities hope to catch persons wanted by the UB and hiding
at friends' or relatives'.
b. Another reason is to disturb people so that they will not dare listen to foreign
broadcasts in Polish.
c. Most often is is troikas or coumissions consisting of three members who represent
themselves as coming from the electric power station or drains board, etc. As a
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rule they are. .accompanied by the blokawy (or superintendent of the house bloc) wno
is practically always a confidential agent of the CP. The whole system serves oLe
purpose: to keep the citizens'in fear and trembling' and thus obedient and well
-
disciplined. , This is also the purpose of the evening and night patrols in the streets.
Toe patrols enter flats when they see fit and a conceivable excuse offers itself.
24. "Nowadays it is in the order of the day that nobody can buy new furniture. As soon as
the UB happens to hear eomething about new furniture somewhere, they grow active. They
invade the flat in question under the pretext of looking for evidence of speculation
(for which a piece of some textile or a pair of ntockings - nylons - is considered suffi-
cient evidence): in order to ascertain if the new furniture is worth further measures.
It they like the furniture, they look for some 'adequate' reason in the doesier of the
owner and confiscate the flat together with the furniture. Needless to say, the UB have
secret files on everybody and in every secret file there are possible cauees.to evict
the subject, if the UB so desires.
25. " One of the most popular preteXts for these evictions is that the new modern furniture
is former German. property Which was taken in possession by tne present owner illegally
and must therefore be confiscated.
26, " In some cases. no such measures are needed: on ULICA NOWOGRODZKA in GDYNIA there lived
a medium official, a Pole working in some government office in GDYNIA. He lived in
nouSe No. 37 or 39. In spring 1953, this official was rash enough to order himself
some nice new furniture of good quality. The furniture factory delivered this furniture
to him by railway. Four weeks after the reception of this new furniture, he was trans
ferred to another town, about 100 km from the coast, together with his family, as it
was discovered that 'he had worked against the regime. Nobody understood what the
man had dune, although it seemed certain that his crime could not have been very ser;cus-
otherwise be would have been arrested in today's POLAND. Without any explanation the
man had to abandon his flat and new furniture, while his old furniture was cast onto the
street. However, the explanation cane sooner than enybody expected. A few days after
theI eviction there cane a rather thickset, strongly-built, paie bond officer with a
round face who Wore a red band in his cap (which means that he belonged either to the
infantry or to the UB) - probably a Soviet if one was to judge from his appearance.
He took over the flat with ts new furniture. This man had the rank of captain. I
met him frequently in the street. The evicted Pole had to fetch his old furniture from
the street within three days and transport it o his new place of residence at his
own expense.' Before the arrival of the new lodger his flat had been sealed by the UB.
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2F.,. "In every Polish town there are now special quarters where high government officials
and cP bosses live. In BOUle towns all those 'fine' houses lie together; in others
there are blooksof such bounce or quarters in several places in the town.
29. "In GDANSK such a quarter or DZIELNICA is to be found not far from WYBRZEZE
KASZUBSKIE (The Kaehubian QuaZ)TIFZE; close to a former anchorage for submarines
during the German occupation, and close to the former SCHIHAU Shipyard, at present
called HAZA REMONTICKA or Shipyard No. 1. All houeen in this quarter are three or
eix stories high. The windows on the basement and ground floor all have iron
gratings.
30. "In GDYNIA, at the corner of ULICA SWIETWANSKA and PLA C KABZUHSKI, not far from
the GDYNIA Central HOepital, there is a house of a somewhat stained cream color,
built before World War II. All buses passing the PLAC KASZUB8K1, must also pass
this building. Within the port eel this house there always stands a militiaman
in unifcammwith a machine-piertol(pepesza)% He permits those living in the house
to pass freely; everybody else'S documents are checked with great care. At times
when some congress or CP meeting takes place in GDYNIA, one seeS many new persons
passing the port of thin house 7 probably tgere are guest rooms in it. The
windows of the basement and the Ierlound floor all have iron gratings. In the
ground floor of the house there isl a Polish and a Ruaeian book-store. In this
house, on the first, second and third floors, live high bosses who are driven to
work in luxurious limousines.
Religious Attitudes
31. "The Poles revere the Catholic clergy for their decisive attitude towards Communism
and their active struggle againstit. As in generally known, the churches
are always full to capacity. Needless to say the authorities do not like this
Some love]. Cammuniate demonstrate against the Church. I
Attitude toward Soviets in Poland
32. "There exist practically no contacts between the Poles i and the Soviets living in
Poland. The latter made their purchases in special shops and eat well - while the
Poles are at least half-starving. The Soviets sell their surplus food to those who
are rich enough to nay the orices demanded.
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"Soviet women living in POLAND pretend to be great ladies although their very simple
origins - to express it mildly - are clearly discernible. The Poles consider them
comical and say that they pretend to be greater and finer ladies than the ladies-
in-waiting of Elizabeth II.
"As a rule, nobody looks at the Soviets. They are avoided in the streets like the
Plague. They live in separate quarters of towns and do not want to mix with the
'abprogomee'. They behave like Herrenvolk in front of the Poles.
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