RUSSIA AND POLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 April 1943, Page 4

RUSSIA AND POLAND

INCREASING FRICTION

LONDON, April 20.

“The Polish Government's application to the Red Cross for an investigation into German allegations of Russian executions of Polish officers at Smolensk has caused considerable indignation,” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. “Moscow’s reaction regarding the Polish Government’s attitude to post-war Polish-Russian frontier problems has been growing for some time. The man in the street in Moscow keenly feels the whole matter, and considers the Polish Government’s attitude unreasonable and provocative. “The Russian Government has given repeated assurances about Poland's future territorial integrity and sovereignty over definitely- Polish territories. These questions, while primarily a matter lor the Russian and Polish Governments, unfortunately tend to create misunderstanding about British motives, because with the Polish Government in London people are inclined to believe the Polish Government’s viewpoint has some kind of British backing.” I’he Tass News Agency says: Moscow “Pravda’s” editorial criticising the Polish request for an inquiry, fully reflects the opinion of leading ;Soviet circles. The agency adds: “The tact is that an anti-Soviet campaign has been begun simultaneously by the '..Poles and the German press, and follows the same lines. This gives ground for a surmise that an anti-Soviet campaign is being conducted accordting to a pre-arranged agreement between German invaders and proHitlerite elements in General Sikorski’s Ministerial circles!' The statement from the Polish Government testifies to its being a fact that proHitlerite elements wield great in--fluence in the Polish Government, and are taking new steps to worsen relations between Poland and the Soviet. The International Red Cross in Geneva has announced: “We have received communications from the Polish Government in London and from the German Red Cross requesting an inquiry by the international commit•tee into the discovery of Polish officers’ bodies near Smolensk. The committee immediately took the question under consideration.”