POLISH ELECTION RESULTS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25091, 24 January 1947, Page 7

POLISH ELECTION RESULTS

“STRUGGLE FOR POWER ENDED” MAJORITY LARGER THAN WAS EXPECTED (Special Correspondent N.Z PA..) LONDON, January 22. The special correspondent in Warsaw of the “Manchester Guardian,” commenting upon the results of the Polish elections, says that there is no doubt that the Government’s overwhelming majority has ended two years of tragic struggle for power. The Government’s majority was even larger than was expected and, judged by eastern standards, the election did not differ essentially from previous elections in Poland. This time, the police regrettably played a larger part than they did in prewar days, but the authorities contend that this extra police surveillance was justified because of the activities of terrorists and the lowered sense of morality in the country generally. There is no doubt that a very large majority of people in the industrial areas supported the Government, chiefly because of the benefits which the nationalisation of industries has brought them. The result of the election confirms that this policy has come to stay. Moreover, many smaller peasant holders also supported the Government because of the benefit to them of recent agricultural reforms. The Peasant Party leader (Mr Mikolajczyk) fought a courageous battle. If Mr Mikolajczyk protests against the elections he will have to do so within seven days of the an-

nouncement of the official results, which will be made on January 31. He has already seen both the American and British Ambassadors, and it is understood that he is contemplating an appeal to the Big Four. In London, the British Foreign Office is studying the report of the British Ambassador (Mr Victor Cavendish-Bentinck), but reports that Britain may refuse to recognise the new Government are discounted. A decision has still to be made whether or not Britain will agree to return to Poland the £4.000.000 worth of Polish reserve gold which was lodged in Britain for safe keeping during the war. It was agreed last June that Britain should retain £3.000,000 of the £7,000.000 originally lodged as a settlement of war debts, but the British Government subsequently indicated that it would not agree to return the balance until it was satisfied that a freely elected Government had been established in Poland in conformity with the Yalta and Potsdam declarations.