Evening star., 1944-10-04
Warsaw Surrenders Auuin


lated capital have bowed to the su-
perior might of German arms in
this war. And there is also a tend
ency to forget that Russian policy
has figured prominently in both
surrenders.
Warsaw capitulated for the first
time on September 20, 1889, almost
exactly five years ago. The besieged
city had held out for twenty heroic
days, and the last word to reach the
outside world from it's valiant de-
tenders was the radio message: eve
will never give in while one of us
Is alive" That truly reflected the
spirit of the Polish Patriots of 1899
and the same thing could be said
with as much, if not more, justice
of the Polish Patriots who gave up
the ghost yesterday after sixty three
days of savage fighting.
For the sake of the record, and
for a better understanding of the
tragic implications of Poland's po-
Sition in this war, it is instructive
to recall Russia's relation to the
first as well as the second sur
render.
On September %, 1899, on the eve
of Warsaw's first capitulation, Ger
many and Russia signed an accord
in Moscow for the partitioning of
Poland. That buffer country, it was
said, had "disintegrated," and the
representative of Hitler and Stain
had agreed to divide Poland between
themselves. But that was not all.
Germany and Russia jointly called
on England and France to end the
state of war, declaring that if this
were not done "the fact would be es-
tablished that England and France
are responsible for a continuation
Of the war;" in which event the
governments of Germany and the
U. S. S. R. will consult each other
as to necessary measures" Poland
of course, had been gobbled up and
her fate was not to be a subject OF
the peace discussion.
In london and Paris this state
ment was regarded as only a thinly
veiled threat of joint military action
by Germany and Russia If the
western powers refused to sue for
peace. But the British and the
French-and the world may be
thankful for it-decided to- stand
their ground. Within a little less
than two more years the pendulum
had swung back, and Hitler was in
vading Russia. The Red Army, no
longer potential menace, had be-
come an ally, and the Soviets were
embarked on the most significant
campaigns of this or any other war
Finally, at the end of last July,
the beaten Germans had stumbled
back to the Vistula, and the thunder
of the Russian guns could be plainly
heard in Warsaw. The Polish Pa
triots, still a formidable force de-
spite five years of terrible oppres-
sion, came out of hiding and seized
Warsaw from the Germans.
From that point on the CHASTITY
story becomes confused. The Poles
say that they struck in response to
appeals from the Moscow radio.
This is denied by the Russians.
Questioned specifically on this point
in the House of Commons in early
September, British Foreign Secre-
tary Anthony Eden refused to give
any answer But the undeniable
fact is that the Patriots, for the
most part, were left to fight alone.
For weeks, the Russians, although
close at hand, made no attempt
to supply them by air. The Allied
Mediterranean Air Force, flying a
round trip of 1,750 miles, brought
in some equipment. But they were
not able to use Russian bases, and
their efforts were costly and i'm
effectual. In recent weeks Russian
planes flew some supplies to the
Poles, but that effort, if it could
ever have been successful, came too
late.
This was the background of the
second surrender of Warsaw, and
as Polish resistance collapses once
again, Russia's intentions toward
Poland remain shrouded in doubt.
The Soviets make no secret of their
territorial demands, and the British
are supporting them in this. The
real question, however, is whether
Russia will tolerate anything that
may be called truly independent
Poland. Has the pattern of her
intentions changed in five years, or
have the Polish sacrifices of 1914
been as futile as those of 1899?
That is the fateful question which
confronts the Allied world today
and upon the answer to which Sc
much of our hope for the future
depends.
4