POLAND & RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1944, Page 5

POLAND & RUSSIA

CLEAR UNDERSTANDING NEEDED / FRONTIER & OTHER ISSUES. LONDON WRITER’S VIEW. Discussing Poland and Russia in relation to the Czech-Soviet Pact, the diplomatic correspondent of the Lon-' don “Times,” in an article published last month, said: — “Plans to erect a barrier against any fresh German drive eastward after’ the war offers many clear benefits to reconstructed Poland, on one consideration. Everything is in abeyance until relations between Russia and Poland are restored. As Russian armies approach Poland and the western allies prepare for a grand assault on the German power from their own side, the need for a clearer understanding on this problem becomes more acute. In other words there is a growing feeling that the long-range controversy should give more place to statements of policy made, perhaps, at first through private channels. There are many in Britain and other Allied countries who, whilst recognising the force of U.S.S.R. ethnographic claims point out that the eight months’ separation since the Russo-Polish relations were broken off have underlined two facts. Every consideration advises friendship of Poland with her powerful neighbour. On the other hand the friendship of a contented Poland is in Russian interest. These two facts should supply the basis of co-operation. Those who press advice upon the Polish Government here are the first to recognise the Polish difficulties in this matter. Poles are supported by assurances from both Britain and Russia that Poland should be restored to independence and strength. That is the all-important guarantee. But whilst the Soviet Union insists on public recognition of the ethnographic changes in the East, the Western Allies have not publicly departed from their longheld view that it is too early to discuss any frontier changes at all, including those in the West, which might be beneficial and compensatory for Poland. A lasting settlement can obviously be reached only by an objective inquiry and a quiet approach. The long estrangement is tragic in its setting of this combined war for freedom. Hardly a day passes without bringing the Russian armies further along the road to victory, which Poland awaits. And hardly a day passes without a German announcement that more Poles have been shot, or imprisoned, for. sabotage against railways on which the German armies in Russia depend. Thus, in spite of all else, military co-operation against the enemy goes forward. Only, lately Himmler had to visit Poland to organise further terrorism against the Polish resistance. In particular he arranged with the German army commanders in Poland for a more efficient watch on railways. Army commanders, complained that S.S. guards were not finding real saboteurs. The S.S. burned villages and according to their own published proclamations shot villagers by the dozen or by the hundred. But sabotage goes on. Under the new ar- j rangement half of the railway security | organisation has been taken, from Himmler's forces and given to the Wehrmacht. This is only one phase of the costly undying struggle, matched by Russian partisans against the same enemy further east.”