POLES AND RED ARMY

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24226, 6 April 1944, Page 5

POLES AND RED ARMY

RUSSIAN ATTITUDE TO GUERRILLAS POLISH GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON. April 4. ‘ “Polish underground forces from 14 localities, including Rowno and Luck, have already revealed themselves to the forces of the Soviet Union as cobelligerents, in accordance with orders from the Polish Government in London,” says the Polish Telegraph Agency. “With the consent of the underground organisations, the Polish Government, in spite of the difficulties preventing agreement with the Soviet Government, ordered the Polish underground forces to offer their collaboration to the Soviet Army. These Poles were instructed to inform the Russians that in accordance with international law they expected that the Soviet Army would enable the Polish authorities, during military operations in Poland, to assure the social and economic welfare of the population. “Messages from Poland confirm that the Russians are everywhere receiving assistance and are praising the fighting spirit and leadership of the Polish underground troops. Soviet co-opera-tion with the Polish underground army has generally been satisfactory, but reports from one or two localities are causing anxiety and require elucidation. The Polish Government has communicated these facts to Britain and America and has requested their assistance to prevent incidents which may hinder the further emergence of the Polish underground forces and render impossible concerted military operations against the Germans.”

Other reports, however, indicate that a Polish-Soviet crisis is developing over future co-operation between the Red Army and the Polish Resistance Army. Poles in London say the Russians now in the former Polish territory taken over by the Russians in 1940 are incorporating Polish guerrillas into the 'Polish-Soviet Army commanded by General Berling. The Poles claim that this is leading to systematic disintegration of the Polish underground forces. The Polish Government in London has sent a Note to the British and American Governments, asking them to intervene with Russia and to ascertain whether this is a settled Russian policy or whether some Russian authorities have acted on their own initiative.

The Poles in the meantime have modified the instruction sent to the PoUsh underground forces on collafibration with the Russians. Wider powers of discretion have been given to local commanders in deciding when to come into the open to establish contact with the Russian armies and authorities. Poles in London say that when Polish guerrillas have come into the open the results have been disappointing. Local Polish commanders and non-commissioned officers are soon separated from their units, and the rank and file are transferred to General Berling's army. BALTIC FRONT MORE REPORTS OF RUSSIAN ATTACK (Rec. 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 5. Moscow is still silent about the reported new Russian assault near Pskov, on the Baltic front, but the Berlin radio last night said the Russians had succeeded in widening the breach. The Official German News Agency's commentator (von Hammer) talked significantly of the Germans in the Pskov area facing Russian superiority of 20 to one. The Paris radio, quoting a Berlin report, says that the Russians brought up five fresh divisions and launched an attack between Pskov and Ostrov, but were repelled. The Berlin radio says that the Russians are trying to cross the marshes about the headwaters of the Styr riyer, south of Pinsk and south-east of Brest Litovsk. FINNISH PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS ARMISTICE DISCUSSION POSTPONED (Rec. 8 0.m.) LONDON, April 4. "The Finnish Parliament adjourned until April 12 for Easter without debating or being officially informed of the result of Paasikivi's explorations in Moscow, but the salient facts were given to the party groups before they dispersed," says the Stockholm correspondent of "The Times." "The postponement ci the armistice question came as a last-minute surprise. German pressure behind the scenes has been very strong in the lust few days. The Finnish Parliament, in spite of the threats and promises that may be made, has not abandoned hope of maintaining its, precarious contact with. Moscow. I