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THE SARMATIAN REVIEW Vol THE SARMATIAN REVIEW Vol. XIX, No. 3 September 1999 Making a difference Jerzy Giedroyc and Kultura Jerzy Giedroyc, the founder of Institut Littéraire in Paris and editor of its flagship periodical Kultura. This Polish-language monthly and the publishing house which sponsors it exerted an indelible influence on twentieth-century Polish culture and politics. Photo courtesy of Institut Littéraire. 638 THE SARMATIAN REVIEW September 1999 The Sarmatian Review (ISSN 1059- failed to persuade. 5872) is a triannual publication of the Polish In- From the Editor As Giedroyc learned from bitter experi- stitute of Houston. The journal deals with Polish, In this issue, we are pleased to offer to ence, only those things get done which the Central, and Eastern European affairs, and their our readers the first-ever translation into editor is able to accomplish him/herself. implications for the United States. We specialize in the translation of documents. English of the Jerzy Giedroyc-Melchior Then and now, most people of note have Subscription price is $15.00 per year for individu- Waƒkowicz correspondence. We are pub- their own agendas and they take unkindly als, $21.00 for institutions and libraries ($21.00 lishing only excerpts, but they are reveal- to those who wish to use them instead of for individuals, $27.00 for libraries overseas, air ing. Giedroyc is arguably the most sig- cooperating with them for a mutual benefit. mail). The views expressed by authors of articles do not necessarily represent those of the Editors nificant Polish intellectual “mover and In his early years, Jerzy Giedroyc tried many or of the Polish Institute. Articles are subject to shaker” of the last fifty years, and the times—unsuccessfully—to enlist others in editing. Unsolicited manuscripts and other mate- monthly Kultura which he has edited for his plans. Waƒkowicz was one of those he rials are not returned unless accompanied by a self- half a century initiated two generations tried to enlist. His amusing rejoinders to addressed and stamped envelope. Please submit your contribution on a Macintosh disk together of Poles into the ideas and attitudes which Giedroyc’s pleas showed him at his best. with a printout. Letters to the Editor can be e-mailed became the distinguishing marks of Pol- Waƒkowicz possessed a “Sarmatian” abil- to <[email protected]>, with an accompanying ish intellectual circles. For better or ity to chat and to tell stories, an ability which printout sent by snail mail. Articles, letters, and worse, Giedroyc has been a defining made his books into bestsellers in Poland. subscription checks should be sent to voice of the left-leaning Polish intelligen- The Sarmatian Review, P.O. Box 79119, Giedroyc was wrong in suggesting that Houston, Texas 77279-9119. tsia. Furthermore, his integrity, patriotism American Polonia would approve of The Sarmatian Review retains the copyright for all and resourcefulness are a model and a People’s Poland because of that country’s materials included in print and online issues. Cop- legend. While the letters do not literally ostensible promotion of workers and ies for personal or educational use are permitted tell us “how Kultura was born,” they ad- peasants. American Polonia remained by section 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. umbrate the path any editor has to take Permission to redistribute, republish, or use SR staunchly anticommunist, much more so materials in advertising or promotion must be sub- to make his/her periodical flourish. than many a Polish intellectual who paid mitted in writing to the Editor. The letters have been ably prepared for for a comfortable living with his/her in- Editor: Ewa M.Thompson (Rice University). publication by Aleksandra Ziółkowska- tegrity, e.g., Ksawery Pruszyƒski. Editorial Advisory Committee: Janusz A. Boehm. They display Giedroyc as a per- Ihnatowicz (University of Saint Thomas), Marek We would be remiss not to mention Kimmel (Rice University), Alex Kurczaba (Uni- fect editor, willing to invest time and ef- Professor Andrzej Walicki who contrib- versity of Illinois), Witold J. Lukaszewski (Sam fort in helping his writers advance (e.g., uted a review to this issue. Walicki points Houston State University), Michael J. Mikos (Uni- his attempts to find English and French out that Andrzej de Lazari’s trilingual versity of Wisconsin), James R. Thompson (Rice publishers for Waƒkowicz). It is to University), Andrzej WaÊko (Jagiellonian Univer- work, Ideas in Russia, is grounded in an sity). Giedroyc’s everlasting credit that he essentialist approach to reality, the ap- Web Pages: Charles Bearden (Rice University) made it possible for Czeslaw Milosz and proach which has been part and parcel of Web Address: <http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia>. Witold Gombrowicz to shine. Some- Polish culture for centuries. Professor Sarmatian Review Council: Marla K. Burns (Burns times, the otherwise good periodicals on & Associates), Boguslaw Godlewski (Diagnostic Walicki’s own position is anti-essential- Clinic of Houston), Iga J. Henderson, Danuta Z. East Central Europe do poorly in this ist, and he rightly warns us against the Hutchins (Buena Vista University), Joseph A. country because their editors wish to use excesses of essentialism. He is also right Jachimczyk (J.A. Jachimczyk Forensic Center of Har- them as springboards for their own ca- to point out that Polish scholarship on ris County, Texas), Leonard M. Krazynski (Krazynski reers, rather than vehicles for other & Associates), Waclaw Mucha (Rice University), Russia is substantial and often first-rate. Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm. people’s thoughts. Giedroyc did not want To make it available to the English-speak- In this issue: to make a career of Kultura and that, para- ing world is a challenge which the Ameri- SR INDEX........................................639 doxically, is precisely why he made a cans of Polish descent should welcome. Jerzy Giedroyc-Melchior Waƒkowicz career of it. The law of unintended con- Also in this issue, Marek Chodakiewicz Correspondence, edited by Aleksandra sequences. sensibly argues that the United States’ Ziółkowska-Boehm...........................641 Another aspect of the letters is talking engagement in Europe is in Poland’s best BOOKS and Periodicals Received.....650 at cross-purposes which frequently oc- interest. The American presence in Eu- Andrzej Walicki on Ideas in Russia ed- curs between émigré intellectuals and rope keeps that continent at peace. Fi- ited by Andrzej de Lazari (review)....652 Americans of Central and Eastern Euro- nally, Professors Hunter and Ryan re- Marek Chodakiewicz, Poland and the pean descent. Polish intellectuals do not mind us of the dramatic difference be- Future of NATO....................................655 understand that American Polonia owes tween the uses made by Poland and Richard J. Hunter, Jr., and Leo V. Ryan, its allegiance to America first, and that Russia of freedom. While Russia con- C.S.V., Prospects for the Polish Economy, they cannot be expected to behave as do tinues to wither even though billions 1999-2000................................................659 the Polish political émigrés. It is up to of dollars flow to it from the US Trea- Sally Boss, Afterthoughts on Wisława the latter to convince the former that cer- sury (allegedly to prevent the spread of Szymborska.................................................662 tain actions need to be undertaken, but a nuclear weapons, but perhaps special LETTERS...........................................663 failure to persuade cannot be blamed on interests play a role too), Poland re- ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NOTES663 those who were not persuaded; rather, it ceives no handouts yet it manages to About the Authors...............................663 should be laid at the feet of those who grow. ∆ September 1999 THE SARMATIAN REVIEW 639 Sarmatian Review Index Demography United Nations projections of population decrease in Central and Eastern Europe over the next 50 years: Belarus - down from 10.3 million to 8.3 million, or minus 19.4 percent. Bulgaria - from 8.3 to 5.7 million people, or minus 31.3 percent. Croatia - from 4.5 to 3.7 million, or minus 20 percent. Czech Republic - down from 10.3 million to 7.8 million, or minus 24.3 percent. Estonia - down from 1.4 to 900,000, or minus 35.7 percent. Latvia - down from 2.4 to 1.6 million people, or minus 33.3 percent. Lithuania - from 3.7 to 3 million, or minus 18.9 percent. Poland - from 38.7 to 36.3 million people, or minus 6.2 percent. Romania - down from 22.5 million to 16.4 million, or minus 27.1 percent. Russia - down from 147.4 million people to 121.3 million, or minus 17.7 percent (Note: see below for 1999 data). Slovakia - down from 5.4 million to 4.8 million, or minus 11.1 percent. Ukraine - down from 50.9 million to 39.3 million, or minus 22.8 percent. Source: Robert Lyle, “World: Populations Shrinking In Eastern Europe, Russia,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 12 March 1999. Estimated population of the Russian Federation as of 1 January 1999: 146.3 million. Population decreases in 1997 and 1998, respectively: minus 755,900 and minus 705,100 persons. Average monthly wages in 1997 and 1998, respectively: $204 and $73. Source: Statisticheskoe Obozrenie: Ezhekvartal’nyi Zhurnal, No. 1/28 (1999). Estimated decrease in the population of the Russian Federation between January-May 1999: minus 346,700 persons. Source: Russian statistics agency, as reported by Paul Goble in “Democracy and Development,” RFE/RL, 2 August 1999. Estimated percentage decrease in the population of Poland in 1998 (as compared to 1997): minus 0.04 percent. Source: The World Factbook 1998 (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook). Population of Kazakhstan in 1989 and 1999, respectively: 16.4 million and 15.6 million. Source: “Central Asia: the shrinking hordes,” The Economist, 3 April 1999. Estimated number of detainees and prison inmates in Russian prisons who die each year due to physical abuse, overcrowding, inferior sanitary conditions, disease and lack of medical care: between 10,000 and 20,000 (estimate provided by independent human rights groups).
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