U.S. stages TV show for Poland

Press, 22 January 1982, Page 6

U.S. stages TV show for Poland

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Reagan and at least six European leaders will take part in a “Solidarity Day" television show in support of the Polish people to be beamed around the world on January 31, the United States Government has said.

It said that the West German Chancellor (Mr Helmut Schmidt) and the British Prime Minister (Mrs Margaret Thatcher) would be among those appearing in the hour-long broadcast to be carried by satellite to a potential audience of more than 300 million people. As well as messages by Western leaders, the television programme will show rallies in 11 American cities and a number of West European cities organised by unions and Polish emigres to protest against the military crack-down in Poland.

The programme will also include Frank Sinatra singing a song in Polish and appearances by Kirk Douglas and Charlton Heston.

President Reagan issued a proclamation yesterday declaring January 30 “Solidarity Day" in the United States. He said the cause of human rights had been set back 30 years in Poland by the military Government's "brutal" wave of repression. The United States Government's International Communication Agency is arranging the televised show.

In Paris. Western countries and Japan yesterday wound up a two-day meeting aimed at concerting controls on export of potentially strategic goods and high technology to the .Communist countries.

The rneeting. at which the United States had made clear it planned to press its allies for more stringent restrictions in their trade dealings with the Soviet bloc, was held behind closed doors and no immediate statement was issued.

All the members of N.A.T.0.. except Iceland, together with Japan attended.