WARSAW UPRISING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 15 August 1944, Page 2

WARSAW UPRISING

UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT POLISH PRIME MINISTER S TALKS IN MOSCOW Rugby, Aug. 13. The Polish Prime Minister, M. Mikolajczyk, has returned to London from Moscow. It is understood he will consult his Government on the result of his conversations with Marshal Stalin and the Polish leaders in Russia. Since his journey appears to have been attended by some measure of success, early amelioration of the relations between the two eastern Allies is fervently hoped for in London. M. Mikolajczyk will see Mr Eden tomorrow. It is regarded as specially unfortunate that at the very time of M. Mikolajzyk’s gallant venture the Polish underground movement in Warsaw began what may turn out to have been a premature rising against the Germans. It appears that the commander-in-chief of the Polish home army, General Bors, hearing Russian guns at the eastern outskirts, consulted the Polish Government in London on the advisability of ordering a general rising and was given leave to do so when he thought fit. He acted at once, since the moment appeared propitious. The Russians had been advancing swiftly and had taken the obstacle of the River Bug in their stride. CRACK PANZERS INTERVENE However, the German High Command, in view of the strategic and political importance of Warsaw, concentrated for its defence elite armoured divisions from other fronts, including Italy and Rumania. With these they struck back at the Russian spearheads, inflicting at least a check as they converged. It became necessary for the Russians to consolidate the ground won and build up adequate forces for the crossing of the Vistula and to clear the lower course of the Bug before they could hope to capture Warsaw. Till they can cross the Vistula somewhat nearer the capital it does not seem possible to hope for a frontal assault on the city. In these circumstances Allied air is being sent to the inhabitants of Warsaw by such means as are available. How effective such assistance can be is difficult to judge from London. TRAGIC SCENES IN CAPITAL “The revolt within Warsaw is dying out amid terrible and tragic scenes,” says the military correspondent of “The Times.” He add's that the Germans are exacting a fearful vengeance for their temporary setback. Dealing with the question of the responsibility for the premature uprising in Warsaw, the correspondent states that before August there were many signs that the Germans were about to withdraw from the Polish capital, and on that day when a Russian mobile column advanced to the outskirts of the suburb of Praga, the Germans immediately began to retreat across the Vistula and General Bors decided that his opportunity had come. The “Daily Mirror” in an editorial says: “The third battle of Warsaw is being fought without allies, without even the material aid that might well have been expected. The first battle was the refusal in September, 1939. to surrender to the Germans and the city’s heroic fight against what was then the world’s greatest military Power. The second battle, early this year, was in the ghetto, where the Jews fought a battle of extermination street by street and house by house. “The outside world has received the news of the third battle quite placidly. The men. women and children of Warsaw, who are facing most vicious reprisals, are rightly demanding, ‘Where are our allies?’ Where are our friends?’ Maybe they were ill-advised in their rising, but for five years they have felt the savage bitterness of German rule and they wanted to have their place in the triumphant march of the Allied forces.” « % General Bors’s communique from within Warsaw says: “We have suffered heavy casualties, and th e destruction in all quarters of the city is extensive.” The German news agency's commentator, Major von Hammer, said the Germans rounded up and wiped out a group of several thousand Polish patriots in Warsaw.