On March 16 1998, in the Canadian Edition, TIME Newsmagazine mentioned the phrase "a Polish concentration camp". Obviously this statement is false. During the Second World War there were only German concentration camps, some of them in Poland, at the time occupied by Germany. This false statement provoked a deluge of letters of complaint addressed to Time Newsmagazine.
One of those letters, from Mr. M. Szczecinski of Toronto was published in the April 20, 1998 Time International Edition accompanied by an apology. Below are the letter from Time received by protesting letters senders, and some of the non published letters sent to Time Newsmagazine.

The following is the letter received from Time Newsmagazine to those whose letters were not published.

April 7, 1998

Our editors decided many years ago, that a writer's momentary need or desire for concision
notwithstanding, it was inappropriate and incorrect to refer to German Nazi concentration or death camps in occupied Poland by means of the shorthand "Polish camps." All the more true today, of course, when ever fewer readers are familiar with the historical realities of World War II.
We were, therefore, frankly surprised to learn that the phrase, as included in the March 16
Milestone about Alfons Goetzfried, had managed to survive unnoticed an editorial process that would, normally, have weeded it out with dispatch. Please be assured that the writer, well-versed in European history, sought only to arrive at brevity, and that we are all sorry if that effort may have resulted in copy open to inaccurate inferences. Senior editors both at home and in our international offices will be ensuring that this unfortunate mistake does not happen again.
We also wanted to let you know that a correction, along with a related letter, will appear in the April 20 International issues, where the item was published. While we were unable to include yours in the column as well, it certainly found an interested audience in our offices. Many thanks for helping to bring this matter to our attention, and best wishes.

Sincerely,
Winston Hunter

March 26, 1998

Gentlemen,

On p.17 of March 16 /1998 issue of your magazine (Canadian Edition) you stated while reporting the arrest of Alfons Goetzfriend, a suspected WWII Nazi criminal ,that he is accused of shepherding 70 000 people to their death at the "Polish concentration camps". Such statement is false. In the time of WWII Poland was occupied by Hitler Germany and did not exist as the independent country and of course did not exist "Polish concentration camps". The Germans established on the Polish territories German concentration camps. In the period of occupation of Poland Germans (not only members of Hitler Party -Nazis) killed the Jewish Polish citizens and also ca three millions Polish Christian citizens. I hope that ,according to the press law, you will correct this false statement .

Yours sincerely
Witold Kiezun Ph.D.
Full member of International Academy of Management
Montreal Que.

March 24, 1998

RE: Milestones, Arrested Alfons Goetzfried, March 16, 1998

There was never anything like a Polish concentration camp during World War 2. I'm a first generation Polish Canadian, and it's appalling for me to read something as untrue and twisted "a polish concentration camp" in this milestone.
Time should reprint this milestone clearly stating: ...in a German concentration... I think TIME owes the Polish people an apology.
Failing to see such clarification in print, I will cancel my subscription to TIME.

Stefan Ochman
Bamfield, BC, Canada
Director of Ocean Voice International
Editor of Sea Wind

March 22, 1998

Gentlemen,

On p.17 of March 16/1998 issue of your magazine (Canadian Edition) you stated while reporting the arrest of Alfons Goetzfried, a suspected WWII Nazi criminal, that he is accused of shepherding 70,000 people to their death at a Polish concentration camp. Such statement is inaccurate.
There were no Polish concentration camps, only the German ones established and run by the Nazis on the territories of the German occupied Poland.

Truly yours
Leszek Missala
Montreal, Quebec.

Sir:

In the 16-th of March edition of Time, page 17, there is a notice which informs that "Alfons Goetzfried, a former Gestapo foot soldier, (was arrested) for…shepherding some 70,000 people to their deaths at Polish concentration camp".
During World War II Poland was under German occupation, run by the Germans. There never existed a Polish authority, similar to, for instance, the Vichy government in France, which would have been able to run "Polish" concentration camps. On the territory of Poland occupied by them the Germans did, indeed, set up and run a number of concentration camps, such as Oswiecim, which were, in fact, camps of extermination. Referring to them as "Polish" may - and probably often does - lead to entirely erroneous conclusions.

J.W.Strzelecki
Westmount (Quebec)

March 16, 1998

Sir,

Your reader for many years I came to the conclusion that you are taking part in the persistent campaign of certain news media to exonerate Germans for the Holocaust. Such campaign dilutes German responsibility by attributing such crime to the nazi of different nationalities. It pretends even that there were Polish concentration camps instead camps in Poland occupied by Germany. Please take note that because of your last such allegation (March 16 - page 17) I will not renew my subscription.

Yours truly,
C.Ochman
Town of Mount Royal, Que.

March 13, 1998

Dear Editor,

Your note in the "Milestones" section concerning the arrest of Alfons Goetzfried (Canadian Edition/March 16,1998) is, delicately speaking, ambiguous if not negatively biased and contemptuous for Poland and the Polish people. The young people who do not remember the Second World War, are specially apt to believe this kind of misinformation.
Could you please clarify, once and for all, that there was no " Polish concentration camp" but a German nazi concentration camps built to exterminate the Poles and Polish Jews. There were many concentration camps in Germany as well as some on German occupied Polish soil. They were founded by German Nazis. During the war, Poland was under brutal German occupation, and Poles, as well as Jews, Gypsies and others were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.
It is very important, and never stressed enough, that educating our young is the best way we have to prevent horrors of World War II and the Holocaust from happening again. However, in order to achieve this we need to use precaution, to teach this accurately and without any ambiguities. Otherwise, these young people may remain misinformed about History and become bias for a lifetime.

Sincerely
Mr.Leszek SOLEK
St.-Lambert, Quebec

Sir,
To my great dismay, in your March 16 edition (Milestones) you refer to "Polish concentration camps". This is a totally false statement. There was no such thing as a Polish concentration camp. There were Nazi concentration camps, some of which were on Polish soil, occupied by the Germans. Poles, alongside Jews, Gypsies and other ethnic groups, suffered and were murdered in these camps. They were victims, not opressors.
This unfortunate wording does grave injustice to Poland and creates the impression, especially to young people who are not familiar with the history of World War II, that Poles were, indeed, the organizers of such camps.
I trust that you will publish this letter and a correction of the false statement and that no such words will ever appear again in your weekly.

Sincerely,
Witold K. Liliental, Ph.D.