the same status after German. Similarly, the two nationalities have the same rights and no special distinctions are made. Another thing is that even though the Ukrainians dominate in the administration and institutions, today their reign has ended. The militia has been dissolved, while the mayor, municipal council’s department heads, and economic directors were dismissed. The new Galicia district governor appoints Germans – the mayor, starosta [district executive officer], superintendent of schools, and economic, financial, sanitation, housing, food supply directors, etc. There is no obligation at all to speak Ukrainian. Disconcerted and determined, the Ukrainians are behaving exactly as they did during the Bolshevik occupation. After a month these poor souls reminded themselves for the second time of their being fluent in Polish. Consequently, the Polish language returns in the inhabitants’ conversations. All protest attempts came to nothing, as the Poles and Jews knew how to handle such Ukrainians: they spoke German to them in institutions and because those illiterates did not understand a word they willingly or not quickly switched to the Polish language.
[31] The Poles have sighed with relief. It might even be that they pin too much hope on the establishment of the District, its incorporation into the General Government, the establishment of a Polish newspaper, and the equal status of the languages. They failed to rise to the situation, as the very fact of deeming the incorporation into the General Government as positive is below the dignity of the Polish national cause. But the Schadenfreude felt towards the Ukrainians is to blame for that. Furthermore, many voices among the Polish middle class, which is tired of the war, oppressed by Bolshevism, and scared of the Ukrainians, speak rather boldly and cynically about a possibility of a friendly German–Polish cooperation. They are even already naming the future Polish vice-mayors of Lvov, members of the City Council – Poles of German origin, Polonised Germans, or Germanised Poles. But those Poles’ hopes also came to nothing, for no further concessions towards the Poles were made. Poles are still not allowed to hold higher positions in the administration. The Germans surround themselves predominantly with Ukrainians, while Poles are currently receiving lower positions. Even so, lower positions in more and more trade-industrial institutions are held by Poles, while Ukrainians receive supervisory positions right below the Germans, being deputies, trusted snoopers, secretaries, factotums, etc. Of course, whenever necessary the function of interpreters is performed by … Jews … The general
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