POLISH RUSSIAN RELATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 November 1934, Page 8

POLISH RUSSIAN RELATIONS

PEACE AGREEMENTS. One of the most important and at the same time least known phenomena of Eastern European political life is the peace consolidation achieved in recent years among the nations of Cen-tral-Eastern Europe. The development of relations between Poland and Soviet Russia was a deciding factor in this group of countries. Their advent on the road of neighbourly constructive co-operation has consequently given the conditions existing in that part of Europe their present peaceful and pacific character (writes “Student” in the “Sydney Morning Herald”). It was still during the World War, on August 29, 1918, that the Bolshevik Government issued a decree abolishing all annexation treaties concluded by Tzarist-Russia. By this decree Soviet Russia nullified the force of the treaties of 1772, 1793, and 1795, which were instrumental in the partitions of the former Kingdom of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The decree should have facilitated good, peaceful relations between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Poland, reborn on November 11, 1918, but the war which at that time broke out between Poland and Russia, was not ended until March 18, 1921, when the Peace Treaty of Riga was signed. That treaty established the boundaries of future friendly relations between the two countries. Among the other provisions it cbntaiped the following resolution: ARTICLE V. Both Contracting Parties guarantee to each mutually full recognition of their sovereignity and restraint from any interference in the internal affairs of the other ...” The few years which followed the Treaty of Riga were rather marked by distrust in the Polish-Soviet relations. This distrust can readily be understood when one considers the historically well-founded dislike of Poles towards Russia, the mutual recollections of a recent war, as well as totally different social and economic structure of the two countries.

NON-AGGRESSION TALKS. However, in 1.925, at the instance of the Soviets, there began conversations with Poland regarding a Pact of NonAggression. These conversations did not render for a long time any positive results due to a condition set forth by Poland that the Soviet Government should propose Non-Aggres-sion Pacts to all its western neighbours (the Baltic States and Ru-

mania). On August 27, 1928, Poland as well as Soviet Russia, signed the Briand-Kellogg Pact. In order to expedite enforcement of this Pact between Poland and Soviet Russia, Maxim Litvinoff, the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, proposed ito Poland the Signing of a special protocol. This document, known as the Litvinoff Protocol, was signed in Moscow on February 9, 1929, and on the recommendation of Poland, included also Rumania, Esthonia, Latvia, and Finland. Th,e negotiations regarding the Pol-ish-Soviet Pacts of Non-Aggression, carried on for several years at irregular intervals, were terminated by the initialing of the Pact of Moscow on January 26, 1932, by the Commissar for Foreign Affairs, M. Litvinoff, and the former Polish Minister in Moscow, Mr Stanislaw Patek (present Polish Ambassador in Washington). In iccordance with Polish tendencies towards simultaneous pacification of conditions in all of Central-Eastern Europe, there were signed during JanuaryVlay, 1932, separate Pacts of Non-Ag-jression between Rumania and Finand, Latvia and Esthonia. Due to

the question of Bessarabia, negotiations regarding a Pact of Non-Aggres-sion between Rumania and Soviet Russia did not at that time give any positive results. The Polish-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression was signed on July 26, 1932; subsequently, both countries concluded a Conciliation Convention signed on November 23, 1932. The Pact and the Convention were simultaneously ratified by both countries on November 26, 1932. On July 3, 1933, Soviet Russia, Poland, Rumania, and the Baltic States signed in London the Convention defining the Aggressor, thus giving further. evidence of their true desire of upholding peace in that part of Europe.

MINISTER REVISITS MOSCOW On February 13, 1934, Colonel Joseph Back, Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, revisited Moscow, where he remained for two days. In his speech, delivered on February 14, Minister Beck said: — “The pacific tendencies in which Poland and Soviet Russia are consistently engaged are the best proof of the efforts of both countries towards the stabilisation of conditions and the pacification of that part of Europe. Moreover they are an important factor in universal peace, so necessary for the normal development of international relations.” In a joint official communique, issued on the occasion of the termination of Ministei' Beck’s visit to Moscow, both Governments declared that “they are prepared to co-operate in the preservation and strengthening of universal peace, laying special stress in this co-operation on the maintenance of peaceful and normal relations in the eastern part of Europe in which they are immediately concerned.” The impressive development of political relations between Poland and Soviet Russia were further strengthened by the signature in Moscow on. May 5, 1934, of the Protocol Pronlonging the Pact of Non-Aggression for ten years, that is, up to December 31, 1945. The reciprocal visits of Polish and Soviet aviators, the visit of the Polish fleet in Leningrad, the iiltense artistic and cultural exchange as well as

the increased trade, are further elements which in the past months favourably influenced Polish-Soviet relations. Recently the status of the Polish Minister in Russia and of the Soviet Minister in Poland have been raised to the full status of Ambassador. Finally, there can be noted the genuine satisfaction from the results and development of Polish-Soviet pa-

cific co-operation in the words uttered by the Polish Minister- for Foreign Affairs, Colonel Beck, on the occasion of a recent visit in the Baltic States (July, 1934). Minister Beck stated as follows: — “In viewing the course of events during the- past years we can ascertain that it actually was in our part of Europe that the most positive results were attained. It is important for me to stress this fact. On many occa-

sions it was this part of Europe which was considered the most dangerous. Undoubtedly, there also exist difficulties here, but upon examining the chronicles of political events, we must state, that stabilisation is evident here and that there is progress in our relations. In practically every couple of months we can note here evidence of creative work tending to the stabilisation of European peace. I am positive that Poland, Soviet Russia Esthonia, Finland, and other countries have the right to demand from other nations the recognition of the task accomplished by us, since it was in Eastern Europe that the most positive accomplishments were attained.”