POLAND’S LIBERATION

Grey River Argus, 7 January 1944, Page 5

POLAND’S LIBERATION

RUSSIAN ENTRY ■ Uncertainty Evident ABOUT SOVIET'S ATTITUDE. [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.] LONDON, Jan. 5. The Polish Government, in London, has issued a statement, following on the reports that Soviet forces have crossed the Polish border and entered Polish’ territory. The Polish Government says: It is a proof of a 1 breaking down of. German resistance. It fills the Polish nation with hone that the hour of liberation is drawing near. In support of this expectation, the statement recalls that Poland was the first to take up the German challenge, has fought against the invaders over four years, inside and outside Poland, has not produced a single Quisling, or accepthed any form of compromise or collaboration with the aggressor. The Polish Government has instructed the underground movement in Poland not to oppose the entry of the Red Army, into Poland. Britain and the United States are believed to have urgently counselled the Poles to issue emphatic instructions to the Polish underground movement to aid the Red Army. Prominent Poles in London, however, have pointed out that Russia’s entry into Poland and the powerful Polish underground movements could best be harmonised if official diplomatic relations between Poland and Russia were restored. Diplomatic relations between the Soviet and Poland had been broken off for nearly a year. British efforts to heal the breach met with no success.

The Foies claim that there can be no change in the territory west of the frontier that was fixed in 1920, after the last war, unless Poland consented to a change. Poland will not consent to yield territory. The Russians maintain that the frontier drawn bv the Treaty of 1920 was unjust, and wa's imposed by force on the Soviet Republic. The Polish Cabinet held a threehour meeting yesterday, without reaching an agreement on the form of a statement. The Polish Government is expected to issue a public statement shortly calling on all Poles to rise up tor a final settlement with the enemy. According to the London correspondent of the New York newspaper PM., the Polish Government has drafted a manifesto requesting the establishment of a sovereign Polish Government in sectors of Poland as and when liberated. The “Dailv Herald” states: The British Government’s view is that tne Russian-Polish border should be settled after Hie war bv i'riendlv ne-p-otiation. and if necessary with the help of the Allies. The Poles attitude can be guaged from Hie comment of the Polish Daily, the official Government paper, when the Russians were ten miles from the line. “The space of ten miles lies between the United Nations camp and the most serious political moral crisis of the whole war.” RUSSIAN EMBASSY STATEMENT. LIBERATION FROM “POLISH USURPERS.” [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec. 8.50.) LONDON, Jan. 5. ■ The Russian Embassy at Washington. according to the British United Press, has issued a bulletin stating: “The Red Army liberated workers in Western Byelo-Russia (White Russia) and Western Ukraine from the yoke of Polish usurpers. People m Byelo-Russia themselves decided on the form of their State. The Supreme Soviet acceded to their request, and accepted them into the U.S.S.R. lhe Red Army is now again liberating Bvelo-Russia. The time is near when a free Soviet Bvelo-Russia will again shine as a jewel in the brilliant cluster of Republics of the U.S.S.R,

PRO-SOVIET POLES. STATEMENTS IN MOSCOW. [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.] (Rec. 12.10.) LONDON, Jan 6. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says: “Wolna Polska,” organ of the Union of Polish Patriots in Russia, published an important statement. It outlines a nrogramme for the future of Poland. Its main points are: (1) the extension of Poland’s strategic borders westward, as protection against the Prussians; (2) Western Ukraine and Byelo-Russia are part of the Soviet "Union; (3) A parliamentary democratic regime must be set up; (4) all reactionary elements must be wiped out. and the land must be distributed to the peasants; (5) ail Poles must unite, regardless of political creeds, with the exception ot reactionary emigre elements abroad. The paper adds: “The time has come for the Polish Government, ir. London to come down to earth, and give way to a new political line-up, as the ' Yugoslav Government has done. Initiative for the changing of Poland’s position in the world, and also in Poland itself, must be in the hands of Poles themselves. The socalled London Government is incapable of showing initiative, and wise action. It condemned itself to polltical suicide, and carried out its sentence itself.”

Soviet’s Plans

DR. BENES' DISCLOSURE,

LONDON, Jan. 5

Dr. Benes, Czech President at an informal gathering of Czechs at Cairo said: Russia and Czechoslovakia will have a common frontier after the war. Dr. Benes gave this first concrete indication of Russia s post-war plans. The Czechs to whom he spoke believe that it means that Russia intends to regain and keep Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, which Russia occupied after Rumania’s frontiers were re-drawn in 1940. , J Dr. Benes said that M. Stalin had agreed that all Germans should be expelled from Sudetenland. He added: “Now I have seen with ray own eyes the tremendous results the S'oviet forces are achieving, I am sure the war will end in 1944.” The Czechoslovak Press Bureau in London says: The Cairo report, which was cabled by the British United Press correspondent, imputes to Dr. Benes’ statements which he could not have made at a gathering of the Czech colony in Cairo/’ The Bureau categorically denies that Dr. Benes issued a statement to the effect that Czechoslovak and Russia would have common frontiers or that he said that M. Stalin had agreed that all Germans should be expelled from the Sudetenland. The Bureau also categorically denies the inference that Russia intends t 0 regain and keep Bessarabia and North Bukovina. 1 The British United Press referring to the Bureau’s denials of Dr, Benes’ statement, says: “The Czech spokesman in London admitted he had hot seen a conv of Dr. Benes’ statement, and that the denial is based on the fact that this isn’t the sort of thing Dr. Benes would say.’’