ORDER TO POLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25428, 8 January 1944, Page 5

ORDER TO POLES

“STRIKE AGAINST GERMANS” * ATTITUDE TO RUSSIANS (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. Broadcasting to Poland last night, the Prime Minister, M. Mikolajcyzk, told the Polish underground movement to strike with renewed force against the Germans and avoid friction with the Russians. “We would have preferred to meet the Soviet troops not simply as allies of our allies fighting against a common foe, but as our own allies as well.” The Times diplomatic correspondent says M. Mikola) czyk, “ who staunchly upheld Polish rights, was silent on the question of specific frontiers. Although the difficulties remain enormous, and the problems are of many kinds, danger signals come from Germany as a corrective against any belief that there is much time left for debating.”

Neutral correspondents report German hopes of Russian and Polisn clashes, and the ruthless Governor of Poland, Herr Frank, offered in a public proclamation the “ proper place to Poland in the future family of European nations. ' Wolna Polska, the organ of the Union of Polish Patriots in Russia, has published an important statement outlining a programme for the future of Poland, reports the Moscow correspondent 01 the British United Press. The main points are: First, the extension of Poland’s strategic oorders to the west as protection against the Prussians: secondly, the Western Ukraine and Bvelo-Russia are to be part of the Soviet Union; thirdly, a parliamentary democratic regime must be set up; fourthly, all reactionary elements must be wiped out and land must be distributed to the peasants; fifthly, all Poles must unite, regardless of political creeds, with the exception of the reactionary emigre elements abroad. The paper adds that the time has come for the Polish Government in London to come down to earth and give way to a new political line-up. as the Jugoslav Government has done. The initiative for changing Poland’s position in the world and for effecting changes in Poland itself must be in the hands of Poles themselves. The so-called London Government is incapable of showing initiative and wise action. It has condemned itself to political suicide and has carried out the sentence itself. . . Efforts are being made by the British and American Governments to produce an understanding between the Polish Government and Russia, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Mail. H« adds: “Although it is not possible so far to make much headway, hope is constantly expressed in British circles that greater progress will be made in the near future. The Polish problem is regarded as a test case in matters relating to the settlement of Europe after hostilities end. There is certainly no desire on the part of the British Government that the Polish Government should be forced to accept any settlement. British Ministers are anxious that the frontier question should be settled by friendly negotiations, and to this end they are prepared to give all their assistance.” British reaction is that the only helpful feature of the Polish Government’s statement is that it does not close the door on the possibility of a negotiated settlement with Russia. The worst aspect is a virtual direction to the Polish underground authorities not to co-operate with the Russians unless or until there is a resumption of Polish-Soviet relations.