Evening star., 1943-05-09
Po!ish-Soviet Impusse

Po!ish-Sovlet lmpusse
During the past four days Polish
Soviet relations have passed through
two sharply contrasting phases as
rapid as they are disappointing.
Last Wednesday the basis for an
amicable adjustment of the differ
ences between Moscow and the Polish
government-in-ex exile seemed to have
been laid by Premier Joseph Stains
open letter to Ralph Parker, Moscow
correspondent of the New York
Times. Using the same method en-
ployed on two previous occasions
through the representative of the
Associated Press, Stain gave what
seemed to be gratifying answers to
two key queries put to him by Mr.
Parker. Asked whether the Soviet
government desires to see strong
and independent Poland after the
war, Stain answered, "Unquestion-
ably it does" And to a second query
as to the basis of Polish Soviet rela-
tions, Stalin's reply was: Upon the
fundament Of solid good neighborly
relations or, should the Polish peo-
pie so desire, upon the fundament
of an alliance providing for mutual
assistance against the Germans as
the chief enemies of the Soviet
Union and Poland"
Stains statement generally was
hailed by the press and public in
America and Britain as a first step
toward healing the diplomatic rift
between the two governments which
had broken the formal unity of the
United Nations and threatened to
produce unfortunate consequences.
However, the attitude of the Polish
government-in-e exile was one of eau
tious optimism. General Sikorski,
its official head, re-emphasized Po-
lands desire for friendly relations
with Soviet Russia and for a defen-
sive alliance against Germany. But
he went on to say: "It is difficult
for me not to be reserved even in
the face of such favorable declara-
ton as that of Premier Stain at the
very moment when the Polish AM
bassador is leaving Russia and
masses of the Polish population in
the U. S. S. R. are left with
out the assistance and care of their
government"
General Sikorski's reserve" seems
to have been justified by what hap
pened only two days later, when
Audrey Vishinsky, Vice Foreign Com
missar, launched serious accusations
against the Polish government-in-
exile and their official representa-
tives in the Soviet Union, charging
the latter with hostile acts and even
espionage. Those first accusations
have now been amplifed in a lengthy
documented statement given out by
Vishinsky to the Moscow representa-
tiveS of the American and British
press. These charges have been
fatty denied by Count Edward Ras-
cynski, Polish Foreign Minister, in a
statement containing detailed facts
and figures from the Polish stand
point.
This seems to leave the two gov
ernmentS at complete impasse. It
is difficult to see how such explicit
charges and countercharges can be
reconciled. We are thus confronted
with the unpleasant prospect that
the diplomatic breach between Mos
COW and the Polish government-in-
exile will continue as wide as ever.
The chief hope is that the strenuous
efforts of American and British di-
plomacy known to be at work behind
the scenes will somehow effect a
compromise. Joseph E. Davies is
about to leave on a second mission
to Moscow, bearing personal letter
from President Roosevelt to Premier
Stain which is undoubtedly of high
significance. Ambassador Litvinov
soon will be back in the Soviet capi-
tai to explain the American attitude
to his superiors. Also, some time
next week, Eduard Benes, head of
the Czechoslovak governmental in
exile, will reach Washington to do his
diplomatic bit. We may be justified
in hoping that all this activity will
bear fruit. Yet the problem of
Polish-Soviet relations is deep
seated and of long standing. 1t will
mt WELD eaSilv to a rennine solution