Evening star., 1943-12-27
Roosevelt Considers
MEDIATOR 5 Role in
Soviet-PoIish Clash
BY BLAIR BOLLES,


President Roosevelt has de-
cided to study the possibility of
his mediating the dispute be-
tween Russia and Poland in or
der to establish diplomatic rela-
tions before the Russian armies
cross into the Polish territories
as they existed when the war be-
gan on September /, 1899.
Premier Stanley Mikolajcyzk of
the Polish government-in-exi is
expected to leave London for Wash
ington early in 1914 to consult with
Mr. Roosevelt and possibly Anthony
Biddle, American Ambassador to the
Polish government, who came here
to report.
The primary interest of the
American Government is to put the
Soviet and Polish governments back
on speaking terms without inn
mediate reference to the terri
torial problem. Moscow suspended"
rather than broke off relations with
the Poles on April 26 after Polish
government request for investigation
of German report that 10000 Poles
had been executed near Smolensk
by Russians"
l941 Treaty Will Be Base.
Efforts at reconciliation have been
made since the Moscow conference
of October, but they have recorded
small progress. The British govern
ment has been keeping the Poles
thoroughly informed of develop
ments in the advancing intimacy of
cooperation between Russia and
the other major allies.
Some consideration has been given
to seeking reconciliation on the
basis of the Polish Soviet mutual
assistance pact of July 81, l94l,
which the Soviet government has
not abandoned in spite of the sus-
pension of relations. The pact was
negotiated by Prime Minister ST.
korski, who was killed in an air.
plane accident last July, after the
suspension of relations.
Tadeusz Romer, Polish Foreign
Minister, had a three-hour CONVEX
sation with Anthony Eden, British
Foreign Secretary, after the Teheran
conference among President Roose-
welt, Prime Minister Churchill and
Premier Stain. Romer, with the
Polish Ambassador to Great Britain,
subsequently dined with Eden and |
William Strang, British Foreign |
Office Russian expert. who is the
British member of the EuroDean |
commission.
This commissions task is to ex-
plore European territorial and po-
litical reconstruction problems. 1t
was created by the Moscow con-
ference.
The July 81 pact which might
bring the Poles and Soviets back on
speaking terms also has been an in
strument for keeping them apart
It's article l declares null and voil
the 1899 Molotov- -Ribbentrop line.
which won for Russia large seq
ment of eastern Poland.
Territory Complications.
The Poles took this to mean that
the prewar boundary was recognized i
in Moscow, but the Russian journals
have maintained that a post-parti-l !
ton In that part of Poland resulted !
in vote to adhere to the Soviet |
Union and that therefore the re-
gion is an integral part of Russia.
There is some disposition in off,
eial circles here to advocate grant
ing Russia some of eastern Poland
but to support the Polish view that
LWow. in Polish Ukraine, is his
torically and ethnologically Polish
city that Poland ought to keep Po-
land is almost certain to make terri
torial gains in the north and west
by the addition from Germany of
East Prussia-which would eliminate
the corridor problem-and of rich
Silesla.
The Russians are reported to be
demanding the dismissal of Gen.
Kazimierz SosnoWski, commander in
chief of Polish exile armies, on the
ground that he is anti Russian.
The continued disagreement be-
tween Russia and Poland compli- |
Gates the prospects of an invasion
of the Balkans, because large
number of Allied troops in the Mid
ole East are Polish soldiers, under |
the command of Gen. Wladyslaw
Anders. Russian journals have criti-
cized Gen. Anders since the suspen-
sion Of relations.