5.4.1 “His administrative protection was invaluable to us.”

—Zygmunt Lubicz-Zaleski, headmaster. Memoirs 1939-1945. From Grotowice to Buchenwald, 2002, based on Pamietnik 1939-1945. Od Grotowic do Buchenwaldu, 1998.
19 September 1940. I ‘ve been in Vichy since yesterday morning. I went straight to the Ministry of Education where an unpleasant surprise awaited me. Châtelet has been relieved of his duties as Director of Secondary Education. Rector Terrachet is replacing him. The change itself will have no impact. They are both men of great value. Except that Terrachet is not due to arrive for another eight days! I explained the Polish high school situation to Mr Bruhat, the Inspector General. I had a good impression of him. I could not reach the Secretary General, Jacques Chevalier, but Bruhat promised to do his best to resolve the matter of the Polish high school and the possibility for our young people attending French high schools. We exchanged a few thoughts on defeat and… hope. We tend to speak in innuendo, but understand each other perfectly. Rosset, the Director of Higher Education, does not use innuendo at all! “The war is not over!” he exclaimed with restrained anger. Rosset clearly supports us and is genuinely in favour of young Poles being able to enrol in French high schools. He is obviously not certain of the decision in the higher circles (because of foreign pressure).
My visit the Director General of Technical Education, Mr Luc, was truly moving. We shook hands on arrival and embraced on departure… As for allowing our young people to enter French high schools, Luc was categorical: “Yes, of course, yes”. He proposes to address the issue officially: the Minister of Education, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the government, an official decision, etc. When I explained to him that in the current circumstances this procedure could lead to a refusal, he immediately agreed and took full responsibility within the scope of his powers. I am sorry I do not remember the name of the head of Department of Secondary Schools: I did not accept any material help from him, but his administrative protection was invaluable to us.



