RUSSIA & POLAND

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1943, Page 6

RUSSIA & POLAND

CZECH ATTITUDE. LONDON, May 18. The Czechoslovakian Government has temporarily suspended the negotions with the Polish Government aimed at forming a confederation between the two States.

The Czech Minister of State GJr. Jubert Ripka). for the first time revealing the suspension, declared that Czechoslovakia had a vital interest in close collaboration with the Soviet Union and the Western Powers and he hoped that the controversial proI blems between Folan., and Russia would be solved at the earliest oppor- ' tunity. The Czechoslovakian GovernI ment believed it was vital for the small nations of central and southeast Europe to collaborate very closely with Russia, Britain and the United States, and also with resurrected France, if they wanted guaranteed independence and security and economic and social prosperity. He added that Czechoslovakia had emphasised at the very beginning of the negotiations that confederation was feasibly only if both States had equally cordial relations with Russia. The Czech Government . reached its decision without outside interference, an r , the tension between Poland and Russia was not the only reason for suspension of the negotiations. Czechoslovakia and Poland continued to disagree about Hungary. An additional difference was Poland’s annexation of Eschen at the time of the Munich Agreement, an action which the Polish Government in London had taken steps to perpetuate. to the painful surprise of the Czechoslovakian Government.