Evening star., 1944-12-15


and in the west.
The hopes / thought 1t necessary
to express in October have failed.
When Mr.. former Premier) Miko-
lajczyk left Moscow my hope was
that he would return within week
or SO with the authority of the
Polish government in London to
agree about the Polish frontier on
the basis Of the Curzon line and
its prolongation to the southwark.
+ have several times drawn
up Mr.. Mikolajczyk's attention to
the dangers of delay. Had he been
able to return with the assent
of his colleagues I believe that the
difficulties inherent in the forma-
ton of Polish government in har-
mony with the Lublin Committee
might well have been overcome.
In that case he would be at this
moment at the head of q Polish
government on Polish soil recog-
nized by all the United Nations and
awaiting the advance of the Russian
armies moving further into Poland
as the country was delivered from
the Germans. > - have the great
est respect for Mr.. Mikola jczyk and
his able colleagues whom we met,
Mr.. Romer and Mr.. GrabSki.
I am sure that they are more
qualified to fill the place of the late
Gen. Sikorski than any other of the
Polish leaders. After endless discus
sions. into some of which We were
drawn on Mr.. Mikola jczyk's return
from Moscow, the Poles utterly failed
to obtain agreement. In conse-
ouence, on November 81, Mr.. Miko-
lajczyk and Mr.. Romer and the
other Polish ministers resigned from
the Polish government. which has
been almost entirely reconstructed in
form which in some respects ]
certainly am not able to ap-
plaud :" ...
Ordeal Has Been Severe.
Mr.. Mikola jczyk's ordeal has been
a most severe and painful one, torn
between love of his country and the
intense desire to reach settlement
with her mighty neighbor which
was most abhorrent to many Of his
fellow countrymen, and confronted
with the obstinate and inf1exible
resistance Of his London colleagues
=. In these circumstances, Mr..
Mikolajczyk decided to resign.
Almost q month has passed since
then and now I imagine the pres
poets of reconciliation between the
Polish government and the Lublin
Committee with the Soviet govern
ment behind them have definitely
receded, though they might perhaps
advance again were Mr.. Miko-
lajczyk able to speak with authority
for the Polish nation ..
AS the Germans are ex-
PEELED from large new tracts of
Poland the authority of the Lublin
Committee and the area it admin
listers will grow and its contacts
with the Soviet government will be-
come more intimate and strong.
I do not know what misfortuneS
will attend such developments. The
absence of an agreement may well
be grievous for Poland, and the re-
and misunderstanding
between the advancing Russian
armies and the Polish underground
may take forms which
will be most painful to all who have
the permanent well being Of Poland
and the relationship between Poland
and Russia at heart.
We still recognize the Po-t
lish government as the government
of Poland, as we have done since
they reached our shores in the early
part of this war. This, of course,
has been continued up to the pres
ent by all the rest of the United Ma
tions except Russia only, which is
the power most concerned and the
power whose armies will be the first
to enter the heart Of Poland.
Poland Would Gain.
I cannot accept the view
that the arrangements proposed
about frontiers are not solid and
satisfactory or that they would not
give to Poland that abiding hope I
spoke about in February. If Poland
gives Lwow and the surrounding
area on the south known as the
Curzon Line; If Poland makes this
concession and these lands are
joined to the Ukraine, Poland will
gain in the north all of East Prussia
south and west Of Konigsberg, in
cluding Danzig ..
Instead of the threatened and
artificial corridor built up so la
boriously after the last war, Poland
would stretch broadly across the
Baltic along front of 200 miles.
The Poles are free so far as Russia
and Great Britain are concerned to
extend their territories at the ex-
pense of Germany to the west.