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THE EAGLE OF THE EAST
From the ashes of World War 11, Poland has risen to become
the world's tenth largest industrial power.
Here is the story behind one nation 's indomitable spirit.
Lasr year.
fii'O
Plain Trurh edirors
visired the narions of Easrern Eu–
rope on a tour SfJOilsored by rhe
Nalional Press Club of Washing–
lon.
D.C. Here is the conclusion
of 1heir three-parr stor}l.
O
ut of the corner of my eye
1
co uld see that we we re
bcing wa tchcd. Dex ter and [
were
~itti ng
in the lobby of War–
saw's beautiful new Swedi h-built
Forum Hotel. We wcre checki ng
out ou r camera gear and chatting
somewha t nervous ly. as we waited
for our tardy
Orbis
gu ide and driver
to appear to takc us to Oswiecim -
The
PLAIN TRUTH July 1976
by
Gene H. Hogberg
Photos by Dexter H. Faulkner
AuschwitL - si tc of th c notorious
World War 11 concentra tion camp.
(See page 36.)
Finally our obscrvcr wa lked over
and wi th a plcasant smi lc said , "1
co uld tell from the way you were
ta lkin g tha t you're Amcricans.
Where are you fellows from? l'm
from Detroit, myself. but l'm retired
and
1
live hcre now."
Living the Good Lite
Our new acquai ntance told us how
he - along with more than
6.000
other Po li s h- Amc r icans - had
reemigra tcd to the "old country' ' to
live out his remaining ycars in com–
parative comfort and case.
Thanks to an extra favorable ex-
changc ratc -
60
Polish Lloty to the
dollar instcad or 33 - a meager
American Social Sccurity check of
$ 150
a rnonth translate in to a stan–
da rd of livin g comparable
lO
top–
pa id Polish doctors and engineers.
Ou r re tiree from Detroit assured
us that there werc only two princi–
pa l restrictions on reemigrat ion.
Process ing app lications usual ly
takes well over a year - and every
year ovcr age
60
or
65
is precious.
Also. an apa rtment in Warsaw or
elsewhere must be purchased ahead
of time for cash - usua lly cos ting
a round
$4.000
to
$6.000.
(By con–
trast. Potes in Warsaw and other
ci ties often have to wai t up to eight
yea rs to move into a ncw apa rtment.
31