Evening star., 1945-08-10

ready been agreed upon at the
Crimea Conference. They OBJ
viously were binding upon us at
Berlin.
BY the time Of the Berlin Con-
ference, the Polish Provisional
Government of National Unity
had already been formed; and 1t
had been recognized by all of us.
The new Polish government had
agreed to hold free and unfet-
tered elections as soon as possible,
.on the basis of universal suffrage
and the secret ballot.
In accordance with the Crimea
agreement, we did seek the opin-
ion of the Polish Provisional Gov
ernment of National Unity with
respect to its western and north
ern boundaries.
They agreed, as did we all,
that the final determination of
the borders could not be accom-
plished at Berlin, but must await
the peace settlement. However,
a considerable portion of what
was the Russian zone of occupa-
tion in Germany was turned over
to Poland at the Berlin Confer
ence for administrative purposes
until the final determination of
the peace settlement.
Nearly every international
agreement has in it the element
of compromise. The agreement
on Poland is no exception. No one
nation can expect to get every
thing that it wants. 1t is ques-
tion of give and take-of being
willing to meet your neighbor
half way.
In this instance there is much
to justify the action taken. An
agreement on some line-even
provisionally--Was necessary to
enable the new Poland to organ
ize itself, and to permit the
speedier withdrawal of the armed
forces which had liberated her
from the Germans. In the area
east of the Curzon line there are
over 100000 Poles who are to
be returned to Poland. They
need room to settle. The new
area in the west was formerly
populated by Germans. But most
of them have already left in the
face of the invading Soviet Army.
We were informed that there are
only about a million and half
left.
The territory the Poles are to
administer will enable Poland
better to support its population.
1t will provide short and more
easily defensible frontier between
Poland and Germany. Settled by
Poles, it will provide a more
homogeneous nation.
Allows Earliest Return
OF Poles to Homeland.
The three powers also agreed
to help bring about the earliest
possible return to Poland of all
Poles who wish to return, includ-
ing soldiers, with the assurance
that they would have all the
rights of other Polish citizens.
The action taken at Berlin will
help carry out the basic policy
of the United Nations toward
Poland-to create a strong, inde-
pendent and prosperous nation
with a government to be selected
by the people themselves.
1t was agreed to recommend
that in the peace settlement
portion of East Prussia should
be turned over to Russia. That.
too, was agreed upon at Yalta.
1t will provide the Soviet Union,
which did so much to bring about
victory in Europe, with an ice
free port at the expense of Ger
many.
At Yalta It was agreed, you
will recall, that the three govern
ments would assume a common
responsibility in helping to re-
establish in the liberated and
satellite nations of Europe gov
ernments broadly representative
of democratic elements in the
population, That responsibility
still stands. We all recognize it
as a joint responsibility of the
three governments.
1t was reaffirmed in the Berlin
declarations on Romania, Bull
garia and Hungary. These ma
tions are not to be spheres of in
f1uence of any one power They
now are governed by Allied Con-
troll Commissions composed Of
representatives of the three gov
ernments which met at Yalta
and Berlin. These control COM
missions, it is true, have not been
functioning completely to our
satisfaction; but improved pro-
cedures were agreed upon at Ber-
lin. Until these states are re-
established as members of the in
ternational family, they are the
joint concern of all of us.
Allied Press to Enjoy
Full Freedom to Report.
The American delegation was
much disturbed over the inability
of the representatives. of a free
press to get information out of
the former satellite nations. The
three governments agreed at Ber-
lin that the Allied press would
enjoy full freedom from now on
to report to the world upon all
developments in Romania. Bull
garia, Hungary and Finland. The
same agreement was reaffirmed
also as to Poland.
One of the persistent causes
for wars in Europe in the last
two centuries has been the selfish
control of the waterways of
Europe. I mean the Danube. the
Black Sea Straits, the Rhine, the
Kiel Canal and all the inland
waterways of Europe which bor-
der on two or more states.
The United States proposed at
Berlin that there be free and un-
restricted navigation of these in
land waterways. We think this
is important to the future peace
and security Of the world. We
proposed that regulations for
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