FUTURE OF POLAND NEW ZEALANDERS IN TRIESTE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24571, 21 May 1945, Page 5

FUTURE OF POLAND

NEW ZEALANDERS IN TRIESTE

Statement By

Stalin

COMMENTS ON ARRESTS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 10. •Mr Stalin, in a letter to the Moscow correspondent of “The Times,” in reply to a request for a statement on the arrest of the 16 Polish . leaders, said the arrests were in no way connected with the question of the reconstruction of the Polish Provisional Government, but were carried out under a law analogous to the British Defence of the Realm Act. Mr Stalin, according to the Moscow radio, said the Polish question would only be solved by agreement among the Allies, “if in the reconstruction of the Polish Provisional Government, the latter is recognised as the basic core of the future Polish Government of National Unity, similar to the case of Jugoslavia. Reconstruction can be settled only on the basis of the Crimean resolutions. There can be no deviation. “The arrest of 16 Poles in Poland, headed by the notorious diversionist Okulicki, was carried out by Russian military authorities in conformity with the agreement between the Polish Provisional Government and the Russian Military Command. It is not true that the arrested Poles were invited for the purpose of negotiating with the Russian authorities who did not and will'not conduct negotiations with the breakers of the law relating to the safety of the rear of the Red Army." Mr Stalin added that' the reconstituted Government must be one which would pursue a policy of friendship towards Russia. He said the question of the reconstruction of the Government must be resolved together with 'Poles “who at present have tibs with the Polish people, and not without them.” Statement by General Bor Before the battle of Warsaw the Russians arrested every liaison officer he sent to contact them, said General Bor, addressing a press conference. “It was always my, desire to show our goodwill and make a Polish-Rus-sian understanding possible by a joint struggle against the common enemy," he said. “It is a terrible tragedy for our nation that this aim has so far not been achieved, and. in spite of the victory over Germany. Poland has not recovered either her independence or her freedom.” Questioned about Russian reports that Polish soldiers were responsible for the death of Russian officers and men, General Bor replied: "The orders I issued were clear and unequivocal: ‘Fight the Germans and collaborate with the Russians.’ I believe my soldiers obeyed that order.” General Bor said that the Russians dissolved the Polish Home Army after the occupation. “Collaboration with the Russians In the field was quite satisfactory, but as soon as the fighting ceased the Russians arrested the local commanders,” he said. “It is particularly sad and tragic for me to know that thousands of mv former soldiers are now filling Russian prisons and concentration camps.”

Occupation of City With Jugoslavs (Official War Correspondent tod N.Z.E.F.) TRIESTE, May 18. While conversations are taking place on a high level about the question whether the Allies or Jugoslavs should occupy Trieste, the situation in the city itself remains to all appearances the same as it has been for the last week or more. New Zealanders, with American and British infantry under their command, are occupying the city, together with Marshal Broz’s partisans. There are no clearly marked lines or demarcation between the forces of Marshal Broz and the Allies, with the result that at times minor incidents have occurred among the troops of the two forces. By outlook, temperament, and background, the Jugoslavs are very different from the Allied troops, but in spite of this any differences that have arisen have been settled amicably. An atmosphere of tension, inevitable in the circumstances which existed during the earlier stages of the occupation, has now relaxed, on the surface at least, and although many of the inhabitants anxiously await the outcome, there has been to some extent a resumption of the normal life of the city. More shops are now' opening, trams and rail services are operating, and there are more people m the streets. Every day, the waterfront is thronged with bathers. For all that, however, there is little Indication that the Jugoslavs intend to wait until the peace conference for a settlement of their claims in this area. As far as the Isonzo river, more than 20 miles from Trieste, and in places west of it, they have occupied almost every village, and in many places they have erased the names of towns and replaced them with the Jugoslav version. Observers here see in Trieste and the surrounding country a test case which may have an important bearing on the other territorial problems which will arise in Europe.