AN ARMY IN EXILE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26081, 19 February 1946, Page 4

AN ARMY IN EXILE

The discovery by Russia of still another threat to future peace and order, this time the presence of a Polish Army in Italy, is a matter of more direct interest to that country than the general situation in either Indonesia or Greece in which the Soviet has ''previously beeii concerned. A full investigation of this affair may bring into question the relationship between the Polish Government and the U.S.S.R. and, possibly, the extent to which the presence of Russian troops in Poland influences that relationship. For this reason it is rather remarkable t.fiat Russia should have sought to raise the issue at all. On the other hand, the future of the exiled Polish forces in Great Britain, Italy, and the Middle East probably does constitute some unfinished business which is little to Russia’s taste. It is certainly a question which Great Britain, Italy, and possibly Jugoslavia, which is now alleged to be menaced, are desirous of having settled. These Polish forced consist of units which were formed outside Poland since the German and Russian occupations of 1940. Thousands of refugees fled the country at that time and laboriously made their way to Great Britain and the Middle East where, with Allied assistance, many of them were organised into valuable fighting formations. A majority of these men seem to have considered themselves as refugees alike from the Germans and from the Russians. As General Anders has now stated, they were fighting for a free Poland and they consider they have not yet got it. The Polish national and historical sense is traditionally strong;—it has been compared in some respects with that of the Irish. Poland has now been 'liberated from the Germans, and a Polish Government of National Unity has been formed. „ The reaction of the exiles to this step was illustrated by the appeal made at the time by the former Polish Government in London. It denounced the new body as being without legal or constitutional authority, and complained of “ the iron screen separating Poland from the rest of the world a screen imposed, it was stated, by the presence of Soviet troops and by the political police. In December, Mr Bevin, Foreign Minister, in a statement in the House of Commons respecting the exiled Polish forces, said that some 23,000 of the 67,000 in Great Britain and 14,000 out of the 110,000

in Italy and the Middle East had expressed the wish to return to their native land. Since that time a number of these men have been repatriated. A problem has been created by those who remain, and Mr Bevin has repeatedly made it clear that there was no intention of using compulsion upon them. Compulsion, indeed, must be considered unthinkable, but her forbearance has laid Great Britain open to a charge of sponsoring what the Russians have called “a fanatical gang of proFascist reactionaries.” In reply to the specific charge now laid by Mr Vyshinsky, it is reported that Great Britain will deny that there is any significant movement by Polish troops now held in Italy, The army is not concentrated in one area, but is scattered from Bari to Bologna, and the men are engaged on reconstruction works and other duties of an occupation force. The opportunity of obtaining advice from the Security Council will, it is stated, be welcomed by Great Britain. The problem is such that international consultation would seem advisable so that this latest Russian move may yet be productive of unexpected good. So far, the only constructive suggestion that has been made is one that a policy of mass emigrations should be adopted. When such a step was advocated some months ago it was reported that Australia would be prepared to accept a large number of these Stateless soldiers.