Bonn Awaits Polish Note

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32178, 23 December 1969, Page 15

Bonn Awaits Polish Note

tN.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BONN, Dec. 22. The West German Chancellor (Mr Willy Brandt) —still considering his next move after cautijusly courting East Germany today will switch his East European peace offensive to Poland. Informed sources in Warsaw reported over the weekend that the Polish Prime Minister (Mr Jozef Cyrankiewicz) will probably outline prospects of political talks with Bonn during a major Parliamentary speech today. This is expected to be fol-

lowed later in the day with the forwarding of a diplomatic note to the Bonn Government, possibly suggesting a date to. start talks. The Polish problems facing Mr Brandt’s Social Democrat and Liberal Coalition seem less hazardous on the surface than those raised in East Germany's offer —made public yesterday—to open negotiations on establishing full diplomatic relations with Bonn. The main stumbling block in overtures to Warsaw will probably be Poland’s demand for a solid guarantee of Its western frontier—the OderNeisse Line. But the West German Government might sidestep this by offering territorial safeguards in a non-aggresston

I pact. This would indicate ■ that Bonn accepted the OderNeisse frontier pending the - sealing of its validity ir. international law as part of an : all German peace treaty. Trade factors—including i talks between the two couni tries involving hundreds of ■ millions of marks in long- : term German credits—might ■ also help boost the chances • of a favourable outcome. Succeas on the Polish front : and at non-aggression negoI nations in Moscow might alI low Mr Brandt to deal with i the uncompromising message ■ to Bonn last week from the East German Communist . Leader (Mr Walter Uli bricht).

Mr Ulbricht proposed negotiations next month to establish full' diplomatic relations with West Germany—coupled with a draft treaty for equal relations under international law. exchange of envoys and agreement on the inviolability of existing frontiers. He made particular reference to the heavily-guarded EastWest German border and the Oder-Neisse frontier.

The big question being asked is does Mr Ulbricht make the assumption of diplomatic relations in an all-or-nothing demand, or will he

ultimately settle for something less? The one ray of hope in his! six-paragraph letter is that it I did not demand full West Ger-! man acceptance of the treaty as a precondition for negotiations.

Now it is up to the West Germans to make the next move. The Federal President (Mr Gustav Heinemann) left the door open for future negotiations in his reply delivered to East Berlin on Saturday. The Government spokesman (Mr Conrad Ahlers) said: “As was to be expected, this treaty contains the renewed maximum demands of East Berlin. However the Government is examining whether there are possibilities for talks.”