The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, January 8, 1944. THE SOVIET AND POLAND.

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, January 8, 1944. THE SOVIET AND POLAND.

The Germans may now be on the eve of evacuating a great part of their forces from Russia. They have certainly hung on in both the extreme north and south, and are even reckoned in the c:j«e of the Dnieper Bend to have possibly done so too long to make an evacuation successfully. The Russian forces of General Vatutin, throughout a growing arc westward of Kiev, have advanced steadily day by day until they not only threaten Rumania, but already have crossed the border of Poland. It has been suggested that the enemy has perhaps deliberately given ’(way in the centre so that a Russian entry into Poland should create dissention among the Allies, by disclosing in actual practice + be attitude of the Soviet towards the several States bordering its territory, and particularly towards that of Eastern Poland. It may be recalled that before the last war Poland had been for many decades divided up amongst the Germans, Russians and Austrians. When Poland was in process of recovering her own sovereignty, consequent on the defeat of Gerbany, Soviet forces advanced almost into Warsaw, being repelled only at the eleventh hour by the Poles at the gates of the capital. Since then it appears to have been.the Soviet’s view that the Polish border actually delimited forced the Russians out of territory which they claimed as their’s. Earlier in the present war, under the treaty which the Soviet made with Hitler, the Russians had occupied the eastern half of Poland, but when Hitler later turned against the Soviet the Germans occupied the whole i country. Once again, however, the Russians have re-entered Eastern Poland, and the Poles are apprehensive, in view of the history of the matter, that the Russians may have the intention of remaining. Poland, however, remains as she has been from the day Germany began her decimation, the real test of this war. It was for her integrity Britain pledged her entry into the war, and it is a natural conclusion that Britain will wish to restore to •Poland her integrity. It might be said that the immediate question is not Poland’s wishes or Russia’s wishes in this particular matter, but the continuance of the war generally to a victorious issue. The Polish Government on its part is acting in the light of that view, urging the Polish people to intensify action against the Germans, and in that connection to co-operate with the Rusj sians. But in the light of events since the Soviet severed diplomatic relations with the Poles about a year ago, there is reason to assume that the Russians, in terms of their latest statements, intend moving the frontier westward, suggesting at the same time that the Allies should do the same thing for the Poles with their western frontier. Moreover, an accomplished fact in Poland’s case might be regarded by the Soviet as a precedent for similar frontier changes m the case of other border countries. No doubt the Soviet, meantime is able to tell the Poles half a loaf or three-quarters is better than no 'bread, and that it is precisely the Red Army which has made a definite start to shunt the Germans from the territory of the Poles. The Soviet is, indeed, in the position to dictate, although the enemy is preparing to make a fresh cockpit of Poland by establishing there a new defence line. Sight, of course, cannot be lost of the fact that, apart from military considerations, there also are political ones, and Soviet spokesmen arc repeating the contention that in Poland the economic system and the tenure of land have been at variance with the principles of the Soviet system. This, no doubt, is an argument directed rather to the eastern margin, rather than other areas, where it is claimed that the population would prefer the Soviet, system. Poland, whoso historic role has been, even under subjection, that of an eastern outpost of the distinctively European scheme of things, is to-day as much as even in isolation, whereas the Czechs have taken time by the forelock and Gome to an agreement with the SovietPoland has offered to do the same thing jinder the same conditions, but the difference is that no Czech territory is disputed by the Soviet, and it is manifestly this fact which stands meantime in the way of clearing up the difficulty. As in most wars, how>ever, the victorious side in the course of operations designs its t’erms, and hence the importance of''■the reaching at the earliest moAient of an agreement as between the Soviet and Poland. Demands on other territory are being invade on behalf of countries associiiltcd with the Allies in the sanie/vay as Poland, such as Grceck and Yugoslavia, but Poland’s\is the only territory of any

United Nation which is the subject of dispute or demand .on the part of another of the United Nations. Russia’s major part in the war, as well as her potential of actual military power in tVe future render her attitude largely a decisive factor. For this reason it may be hoped that Britain and America will be able in due time to induce the two Governments to come to art amicable agreement.