George Matulaitis Journal

227 March 17 The Seminarian Alexander Hanusewicz was here today to serve Mass. At first he was reluctant to admit openly that he was a Belorussian, but later he got up enough courage to do so. He is from Alsenai, where he taught the children catechism there for several years. It is extremely dif- ficult to teach the children anything in Polish, since they are used to speaking Belorussian. So there we are. And the dean of Asmena had told me that this was a completely Polish parish. March 18 The seminarian Butrimowicz, a Belorussian aware of his national identity, came to serve Mass. He has been working with Belorussian youth groups. Everyone in his family is a nationally conscious Belorussian. I questioned him about the lectures he attends and whether he can understand what the professors are saying. A certain young man who called himself Fromm came to see me. He claimed to have participated in the Lutoslawski case in Russia; afterwards he worked for the Bolsheviks under an assumed name. However, the Bolsheviks began to watch him and spy on him, so he had to flee. Now he is still in hiding. He requested assistance and also asked me to point out the whereabouts of the Polish Committee. 1 This man appeared to be a spy or an intelligence agent. I told him that I could not help him very much, since I did not have anything myself. “You can stop in at the office, and Father Steckiewicz will give you something so you would not die of starvation,” I said. “As for the Polish Committee, I cannot point it out to you because, as far as I know, there is no such thing. When the Bolsheviks took over, the more prominent Poles fled the country and went into hiding.” 1 Probably the underground Polish Military Organization— Polska Organizacja Wojskowa or the POW.