BAGDAD PACT

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28183, 23 January 1957, Page 11

BAGDAD PACT

Boost Seen For Britain LONDON, January 21. “This is the first boost to Britain's position in the Middle East since the Suez affair,” says the Ankara correspondent of the *Daily Telegraph,” commenting on the meeting of the Prime Ministers of the four Moslem members of the Bagdad Pact. They are believed to have agreed to invite Britain to resume her full role in the pact and to be ready to urge again on the United States that the pact is the best Middle East bulwark against communism. “It is also the first check to the current American theory, as explained by Mr Dulles to Congress, that the pact is no longer an asset in combating communism because it is involved with ‘relics of British colonialism.’” the correspondent continued. It is expected that a revision of the American attitude will be urged on President Eisenhower and Mr Dulles by the Crown Prince of Iraq (Emir Abdullah) when he visits Washington this week. An Ankara message says that Turkey, Iraq, Persia, and Pakistan, the four Moslem members of the Bagdad Pact, have agreed in secret session to call a full meeting of the pact group, of which Britain is the fifth member, within two months.

The meeting, at Karachi, will examine the current situation in the Middle East and discuss measures to solve the major problems facing the (our countries and threatening the peace and security of the region, the source added.

The “Daily Mail” said that the Poles had voted the Gomulka regime back to power to avoid the worst excesses of Communist rule.

“Mr Gomulka has been doing as pretty a piece of tightrope walking as we have seen for many a long day. “So, in fact, have the Polish people.

“We hope they have their reward in the measure of freedom for which they have voted . . . one false step and (Soviet) tanks would be in the streets of Warsaw,” the newspaper said. All Poland’s leaders were returned to power with a vote of confidence that any foreign politician would envy, said a message from Warsaw. The plan of Mr Gomulka to make Poland “more democratic” received mass support. Almost Total Vote Although the final figures for polling were not yet available, it war clear that there was an almost total vote for more freedom foi the people, and sovereignty for the country in its relations with Russia.

Mr Gomulka, who has known disgrace and imprisonment at the hands of the ruling United

Workers’ (Communist) Party, which put him back in power as First Secretary, received 99.4 per cent, of the votes in his constituency.

Elected with him were all the members of the Politburo, according to provisional figures issued by the official Polish Press Agency. Among them are the President of the Council of State, Mr Alekander Zaw’adzki, the Prime Minister. Mr Josef Cwyrankiewicz, the Foreign Minister, Mr Adam Rapacki, and the recently appointed Minister of Agriculture, Mr Edward Ochab. Defence Chief

The Minister of National Defence (General Varin Spycalski) also shared in the overwhelming vote.

He succeeded the Polish-born Russian general. Marshal Constantin Rokossovsky, after he had been dropped from the Politburo.