PARTITION OF POLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1939, Page 7

PARTITION OF POLAND

GERMAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT PEACE PROPOSAL EXPECTED [by cable —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] (Recd. September 19, 10.10 a.m.) BERLIN, September 18. With the High Command claiming the complete collapse of the Polish front, and the German and Soviet troops about 50 miles apart, the German Press to-day published an inspired statement, disclosing a six-point German-Russian agreement for the partition of Poland. The Governments agreed as follows: (1) The Polish State, from the moment of its creation after the World War, lacked natural conditions of Statehood. (2) The Polish State collapsed through its own incompetence. (3) Germany and Russia must reorganise the various nationalities in Poland, by “creating corporate bodies of Europe.’’ (4) The task of Germany and Russia is to establish a complete new settlement in their spheres of influence, assuring peace and order. (5) British and French claims, that they should assist Poland, have been proved groundless, and their alliances with Poland no longer exist. (6) Britain and France are now confronted with the question, “What is their objective in fighting Germany?’’ Well-informed sources here believe that Germany will shortly propose peace with Britain and France, on the basis of a fait accompli in Poland. French diplomatic observers believe that Herr Hitler is likely to a “peace ultimatum to France and Britain soon, now that he has reached an agreement with the Soviet, for the dismemberment of Poland.”

BUFFER STATE PREDICTED. (Recd. September 19, 10.30 a.m.) MOSCOW, September 18. The Government newspaper “Izvestia,” publised a map, on which “a line of exit” for German troops is drawn, from a point on the East Prussian frontier through Brest Litovsk and Lemberg to a point near the Western Roumanian boundary. It is believed that a buffer State, presumably Central Poland, and possibly including Warsaw, is envisaged. It appears that, in any event, the common GermanRussian boundary will be East Prussia. The Berlin radio says that Russia and Germany are merely aiming to re-establish peace in Poland. “The action of the Russian and German troops is not connected with any aims contrary to the spirit of the RussianGerman non-aggression pact.” NEW BOUNDARIES INDICATED. (Recd. September 19, 11 a.m.) LONDON, September 18. The British United Press Moscow correspondent states that the “Izvestia” map clearly indicates the proposed new Polish boundaries, under the ambiguous caption, “Exit Line of German Troops.” The line extends from a point on the far eastern frontier through Bialystock, Brest Litovsk and Lemberg to the Carpathians, near the junction of the Roumanian and Ruthe’nian frontiers. The implication is that the Soviet troops are expected to take all Western White Russia and the Western Ukraine, leaving the Germans a free hand in the remainder of Poland.

DISTRUST OF NAZIS. REASON FOR RUSSIAN MOVE LONDON, September 18. The Moscow correspondent of the “New York Tinies” says it was not necessary for Russia to swell her army bj r 1,500.000 reservists merely to seize the Polish Ukraine. The belief that Germany was uncomfortably surprised by Russian mobilisation does not square with the theory that everything was arranged during Herr von Ribbentrop’s visit to Moscow. Russia felt free to move only, after the conclusion of the armistice with Japan. The move was inspired by complete distrust of Germany and fear of complications should the Nazis reach the Soviet border. It was felt sooner the Polish tragedy was ended, the sooner the Nazis would be transferred to the West and cease to menace the Soviet. The invasion has not succeeded in shaking the feeling that the two cardinal factors are unchanged, the desire to avoid participation in a major conflict, and the fear and distrust of Germany.

RUSSIANS WELCOMED. MOSCOW, September 18. The radio reports that the Russian troops are being deliriously welcomed by the populations in White Russia and the Ukraine. Civilians are greeting the soldiers with flowers. Political Commissars had' begun organising meetings, in order to tell the people what a wonderful life the Soviet citizens enjpy. The troops everywhere are hailed as liberators by the povertystricken people. VILNA OCCUPIED. PARIS, September 18. A radio from Riga states that the Russians have occupied Vilna. Two columns are advancing on Pinsk.

TROOPS IN CONTACT. BERLIN, September 18. The German and Soviet troops met, at Brest Litovsk. The official radio announced that the Russian and German troops who met at Brest Litovsk exchanged diplomatic courtesies, and began negotiations in order to define the respective zones of occupation. Meanwhile, the Helsinki correspondent of the London “Times” reports the almost unimpeded advance of the Russian troops into White Russia. Russian bombers destroyed the Polish border station at Sniatyn.

“TO ESTABLISH PEACE.” MOSCOW, September 18. A German-Soviet communique states: “In order to forestall unfounded rumours, the Russian and German Governments declare that the actions of their troops are not contrary to the interests of Germany nad Russia, nor contradicting the spirit or the letter of the Russo-German non-aggression pact. On the contrary, their task is to establish peace in Poland, and to assist its population to reconstitute their normal existence.”

CHARGE AGAINST SOVIET LONDON, September 18. Britain has officially charged the Soviet with attacking her own ally, Poland, and has proclaimed her determination to fulfil the British obligations to Poland, “and to prosecute the war with all her energy,” until her objects are achieved. An official wireless message stated: The following statement was authorised for issue in London, to-night, regarding Soviet action in Poland: — “Britain has considered the situation created by the attack upon Poland, ordered by the Soviet. This attack, made upon Britain’s ally at a moment when she was prostrate in the face of overwhelming forces sent against her by Germany, cannot in Britain’s view be justified by the arguments put forward by the Soviet. The full implication of these events is not yet apparent, but Brtiain takes the opportunity of stating nothing that has occurred can make any difference to Britain’s determination, with the full support of the country, to fulfil her obligations to Poland, and to prosecute the war with all her energy, until her object is achieved.” BREACH NOT EXPECTED LONDON, September 18. Well-informed circles state that there will not be a rupture of Britain’s diplomatic relations with Russia, much less a declaration of war, since it is thought that Russia believed she was serving her own vital interests, by the invasion of Poland.

STRONG POLISH PROTEST. (Reed. September 19, 11.20 a.m.) KUTY, September 18. A Polish Government communique approved the Moscow Ambassador’s action in declining to accept, the Russian note. The Polish Government strongly protests against Russia’s unilateral breaking of the Polish-Russian non-aggression pact, also the invasion of Poland, when the whole' nation is lighting with all its might against the German aggressor. The Soviet’s reasons are parried by the statement that the Polish Government is carrying out its duties normally. The Polish army is still struggling. Russia alone can be blamed if she complains of lack of co.ntact with the Polish Government. The Russian Ambassador left Poland, while the entire Diplomatic Corps maintained contact.

ACT OF AGGRESSION WASHINGTON. September 18. The Polish Ambassador, M. Potocki, has informed the State Department that the Soviet has committed a flagrant act of aggression against Poland. SOVIET RECOGNISES SLOVAKIA PARIS, September 18. The Prague wireless station states that the- Soviet has recognised Slovakia, and will exchange diplomatic representatives. REACTION IN SPAIN MADRID, September 18. Following on the news of the Russian invasion of Poland, the newspapers of Spain express sympathy with the Allies’ cause, as the Soviet invasion of Poland has created the worst possible impression in all parts of Spain. OFFICIAL NAZI COMMENT BERLIN, September IS. Official Nazi sources, while declaring that they are not aware of any concrete proposals to Britain, to end the European war, say that the “question naturally arises, if the Western Powers are ready to recognise the situation, in view of the disappearance of Poland.”

ON ROUMANIAN BORDER CERNAUTI, September 18. It is reported that the Soviet troops hold the Roumanian border towns of Zaleszczyki and Sniatyn, and are closing in on Kuty. ASSURANCE TO ROUMANIA. BUCHAREST. September 17. It is officially stated that Russia has given an assurance that she will respect Roumanian neutrality and territory. Roumania is heavily reinforcing the frontier where the Russians and Germans are expected to meet. One hundred and thirty-two Polish war planes have landed, overcrowding the airport, and resulting in three planes landing on top of each other. All were destroyed.

OIL CENTRE CAPTURED. BERLIN, September 18. The German armies resumed the attack on Warsaw, and captured Drohobycz, the centre of Polish oil production. . ' MISSION FULFILLED. BERLIN, September IS. The German Army has occupied the line from Lemberg to Brest Litovsk, thus the greater part of Poland is occupied. A communique states: Our air force has practically fulfilled its mission, and is now prepared for other tasks. COMMUNIST AMBITIONS LONDON, September 18. The Moscow radio, referring to the invasion of Poland, said: “The road will be open for a world-wide triumph for the Communist creed, the spread of which was arrested by Pilsudski at the gates of Warsaw in 1920, and by the Polish Fascist State in subsequent years.” The radio added: “Relations between the Soviet and Japan are far from being satisfactorily settled, as Japan has insisted on settling alone the China incident, in which the Soviet is vitally interested. “Russia will continue to support China’s struggle for the preservation of her independence.”