THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Monday, January 8, 1945. THE POLISH TANGLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25737, 8 January 1945, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Monday, January 8, 1945. THE POLISH TANGLE

The problem of political and territorial adjustment in Poland, defiant of solution as it has been because of the long estrangement between Moscow and the Government in London, has been complicated, perhaps disastrously, by the action of the Lublin Committee in assuming the status of a provisional government. It would be absurd to suppose that this grave step was taken without full Russian approval, regardless of the attempt that has been made to make it appear as representing the will of the people in liberated Polish territory. Indeed, since the Committee of National Liberation first appeared under Russian sponsorship, it is a reasonable assumption that Russian policy is largely reflected in this deliberate setting aside of the legal Government of Poland, established in London and recognised by both Britain and the United States. The implications of this development are seriously disturbing for both Britain and America. Early in November, when Mr Churchill was asked in the House of Commons whether the British Government would join Russia and the United States in guarantefeing Poland’s sovereignty and independence, he replied that he believed the Russian Government would give such a guarantee and that his Majesty's Government would certainly conform to and itself join in it. The joint nature of the proposed undertaking was promptly noted in the British press, but it was as' promptly pointed out that more immediately relevant was the fact that antecedent to any guarantee was the question whether Poland was to be genuinely independent and sovereign. If the Lublin Committee is enabled, with Russian backing, to constitute itself the de facto Government of Poland, while the Government in London continues to be recognised de jure by both Britain and America, disagreement disturbing to the accord that exists between the three great Allies is obviously threatened. The Polish Government has consistently taken the view that the Russian proposals for frontier demarcation, based on the Curzon Line, would be inimical to Polish interests and unacceptable to the Polish people as a whole. There is reason to believe, however, that at Teheran both Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt accepted the Curzon Line as Poland’s eastern frontier. Later Mr Churchill, while expressing sympathy with the Russian viewpoint, added that he thought the whole question of fron,tier adjustment should be postponed until after the war. So far there has been no indication that Marshal Stalin is willing to make anything in the nature of a concession to the strong views held by the Arciszewski Government in London. Indeed, the Russian attitude appears to have hardened since the failure of the mission of the former Prime Minister, M. Mikolajczyk, to Moscow last year. The British and United States Governments, as a consequence of Russian intransigence and the provocative activities of the Lublin Committee, find themselves in a position of peculiar embarrassment. They have failed to bring about a reconciliation between the London Government and Moscow, on the basis of the frontier settlement sought by Russia, yet they must maintain their support for, and recognition of, the London group against Lublin. Russia, on the other hand, has not delayed in announcing her recognition of the so-called Provisional Government, and it is not outside the bounds of possibility that Moscow and Lublin may reach, between them," a territorial and political understanding which may vastly affect Poland’s future status and relations in Europe. It is certainly to be desired that an early meeting.of the Big Three will permit of a full and frank .re-examination of the Polish issue, on which, the Economist has declared, all hopes of a peaceful and stable settlement in Europe ultimately turn.