The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1945. MOSCOW AND POLAND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 147, 23 June 1945, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1945. MOSCOW AND POLAND

IT would be. difficult to find a parallel to this week's happenings in Moscow. On the one hand a conference, sponsored by the Soviet, British and United States Governments, has been opened with the object of broadening the provisional Gpvernmeirt of Poland, which was set up by the Soviet. Under the Yalta agreement this conference was to be attended by representatives of the Provisional Government, of other Poles" iri Poland and of Poles abroad. In a narrow sense this purpose has been 'achieved; in spirit it has not The conference includes no representatives of the London Government, and the delegates from Poland are far ffdm being fully representative of Polish parties. They are such representatives of such left-wing parties as the Russians would accept. Simultaneously there has been held-the trial of sixteen Poles accused of subversive activities against the Red Army. These sixteen include party leaders, and representatives who, it was intended, should take part in the conference.- They were regarded by the British and American Governments" as men whose presence in the conference wag necessary if it was to achieve its purpose. Now, far from having any part in the reconstruction of the Polish State,- for which they fought against the Germans, the majority of them have been imprisoned." ;.' :': . ■ .

The background of these strange events goes deep into history, which can be-variously interpreted, but the immediate explanation of them is to be .found,in.-the determination of the Soviet Government, first, to repossess eastern Poland, and,~seeondly r to ensure that the Government of the'remainder of Poland is friendly to it, to the point of subservience. The first determination has been, and the second is now being, accomplished. From the point of view of those Poles whose aim is topreserve the territorial integrity and also the independence of Poland, this Soviet policy ia-indistmguishable from the German policy, to resist which they went to war,, and, after they were overwhelmed, continued their resistance by an; "underground" guerilla movement. They make no distinction even though/they must be aware that, but for the Red Army, they probably would hot, even.by now, have se,eri the last of the Germans..' No doubt there are inveterate Russia-haters among them, and the usual hotheads, but the Moscow propaganda—that the London Polish Government and all who „ it are "reactionaries'' and "Fascists"—runs so sharply athwart the facts that it will be accepted only by those obsessed by the notion'that "Russia is always right" The Polish resistance to the Germans was a patriotic resistance, extolled as such by the free world. Its quality; did not change because it was offered against the Russians. Whether it was in the circumstances a foolish opposition ;s hot a question to be judged at this distance wifliout knowledge of what happened in Poland when the Red-Army entered lit. | When one of the accused asked a question on this point the judge ruled that it need not be answered.

Yet —at least from their own point"of view—the Russians have made some concession to their Allies' sentiment on the whole Polish question. At long last an endeavour is being made to give effect to the Yalta agreement in so far as it concerns, the future.government of what remains of Poland; and the sentences passed on the. accused Poles were much lighter than had been expected. Though they have not accepted any representative tiie present London Government they have accepted, in M. Mikblajczyk, its former Prime Minister. But the .proceedings .retain an artificial character... Tjie place to form even a provisional. Government of Poland is not Moscow (or London, or Washington), but Warsaw. It is difficult, to hope" that any Government formed will in fact be free and independent while the Red Army remains in the country, as presumably it will for a long time, because—if for no other reason—it has to maintain communications .with"its forces occupying Germany. Only time, will prove , fact'as well as fornvihe Polish-people will have restored to them their rights and self-government" as promised them in the Charter? - : '-•"•'■""