Figure 1.--Here New York Catholic school children seeing food stuffs being loaded for shipment to r Polish children during 1947. The press caption read, "Christmas Cheer for Polish children: Boys and girls of Sacred Heart Parochial School, New York, look on and cheer as the first shipment of 700,000 ponds of foods anbd stuffs donated by Catholic children in the current nation-wide drive by the War Relief -- National Catholic Welfare Conference -- is loaded on the Gdynia America Line motorship 'Batory' today (Dec. 9). The food, whivh consists of canned milk, soups, vegetables, meat and dry grioceries, is consigned to Adam Cardinal Sapieha, Archbishop of Cracow to be distributed to all underbourished childrenregardkless of race or creed. The 'Batory' sails tomorrow (Dec. 10) and will reach Gdunia in anple time for Christmas."

The United States was unable provide food aid to the Poles during World War I. Most of Poland was part of the Tsarist Empire and an active war zone (1914-15). The United States was able to feed Belgium, but getting food to Wastern Europe and the Balkans. Both the Germans and British made such effiorts difficult. After the War the United States launched a major effort to feed war ravaged Poland and other areas in Eastern Eurooe abnd the Balkans. The food situation was desperate, but was not an intential German effort to launch a genocide. World War II was very different, the Germans were intent on genocide and not just Jews. The German Generalplan Ost was designed to kill other peoples and the Slavs were a priority target. And this included the Poles. A major part of the killing was to be through starvation, planned out by the German Hunger Plan. The United States in response to pleas from the Polish Government-in-exile initiated a food relief efforts to Poland soon after Hitler and Stalin launched World war II by invading Poland. This was done by establishing the Commissiom for Polish Relief. Some of this food got through to the ghettoes that the NAZis began establishing. But the Germans opposed any of the food going to Jews. This program ended completely ionce once Hitler declared war on America (December 1941). By this time the NAZI killing phase of Hollocaust had already begun, prinsrly in the Soviet Union (1941) and then Polsnd (1942). Futher America food aid could not reach Poland until after the War and the defeat of the NAZIs. We doi not have much information, but we believe that most of it was through United Nations agenvcy and Catholic Charities. At the time, most of the food desttibuted by both groups camme from America. This was necessary because Stalin's impsition of a Communjist police state complicated U.S. Government aid.

World War I

The United States was unable provide food aid to the Poles during World War I. Most of Poland was part of the Tsarist Empire and an active war zone (1914-15). The United States was able to feed Belgium, but getting food to Wastern Europe and the Balkans. Both the Germans and British made such effiorts difficult. After the War the United States launched a major effort to feed war ravaged Poland and other areas in Eastern Eurooe and the Balkans. The food situation was desperate, but was not an intential German effort to launch a genocide.

World War II: Germans Genocidal Food Policies

World War II was very different than World War I, the Germans were intent on genocide and did not just target Jews. The German Generalplan Ost was designed to kill other peoples and the Slavs were a priority target. And this included the Poles. A major part of the killing was go be through starvation, planned out by the German Hunger Plan. The Germans did not allocate Jews suffiucent food ti bsustain life. And the Poles were allocated rations only slightly above Jews.

Commission for Polish Relief

The United States in response to pleas from the Polish Government-in-exile initiated a food relief efforts to Poland soon after Hitler and Stalin launched World war II by invading Poland. This was done by establishing the Commissiom for Polish Relief. Some of this food got through to the ghettoes that the NAZis began establishing. But the Germans opposed any of the food going to Jews. This program ended completely ionce once Hitler declared war on America (December 1941). By this time the NAZI killing phase of Hollocaust had already begun, prinsrly in the Soviet Union (1941) and then Polsnd (1942). Futher America food aid could not reach Poland until after the War and the defeat of the NAZIs.

Post-War Poland

After the War, American food and relief supplies could begin to reach Poland. We do not have much information, but we believe that most of it was through United Nations agenvcy and Catholic Charities. At the time, most of the food desttibuted by both groups camme from America. This was necessary because Stalin's impsition of a Communjist police state complicated U.S. Government aid.

Created: 11:49 PM 8/11/2018
Last updated: 11:49 PM 8/11/2018