A POLISH PROTEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 252, 24 October 1934, Page 13

A POLISH PROTEST.

ATTACKS IN FRENCH PRESS. NO LONGER A "YES MAN." WARSAW, September 20. Attacks against Poland published in the French Press have become so virulent that the Polish Government decided to make an unofficial reply. Like other foreign representations in Paris, the Polish Embassy pays large amounts each year to French newspapers for favourable publicity, but according to reports arriving in Warsaw the Soviet Embassy has unlimited funds for this purpose, and three Paris newspapers 011 the Soviet pay roll have been publishing daily attacks against Poland since she withheld her assent to the LitvinovBarthou project of an eastern Locarno pact'. Colonel Tpnatoy Matuszewsld, editor-in-chief of the official Government|newspaper, "Gazeta Polska," has for the first time made public Poland's reasons for not joining this pact. Matuszewski says Poland is 110 longer the "yes man" for France, and, while she wants to maintain friendly relations, still she will continue her independent foreign policy.

The colonel also gave France a broad hint that Poland would like to see some cash from her rich ally. He reminded France that the French Government had seen fit to help financially Austria, Hungary and Czeclio-Slovakia, but that Poland has never vet received any substantial financial assistance from Paris. France, he continued, lias even been more liberal financially with Germany than with Poland. Poland, he said, is paying her war debt to France promptly and in return France cute imports from Poland.

The colonel also reveals that during his visit to Warsaw M. Barthou made somo promises about trade concessions, which never materialised.

When France accuses Poland of plotting with Germany she is insulting Poland, concluded the colonel, who declared Poland's non-aggression pact with Germany did more to secure peace in north-eastern Europe than the authors of the eastern Locarno idea.