Montana labor news., 1945-06-28
THE WASHINGTON
SCENE
By TRAVIS K. HEDRICK
Background on the
Polish Crisis

Background on the
Polish Crisis
WASHINGTON.-FP)- Twice in two
years a leader Of the Polish government
in-eNle has come within inches of a
peaceful agreement with Russia only to
have fate or politics intervene and
worsen the situation.
The first instance was in July Of l943,
when Gen. Wladslaw Sikorski flew TO
Iran and reported as premier of the
London government that he had made
Polish bid for understanding with the
Soviet Union. Flying back to London as
the world awaited confirmation Of the
plan, he died with his chief aids in a
mysterious plane crash near Gibraltar.
At that point he was succeeded by
Stanislaw Mikolaiczyk, head Of the pow
erfm Peasant Part, who continued a
relatively moderate course. In June of
1914, Alikolajczyk came to Washington
to see President Roosevelt. He returned
to London well pleased and with an esti-
mated y million dollars Of U, S. funds
to help the underground Poland. Mix
olajczyk is one of the democratic Poles
invited to the current Moscow confer
ence)
In that summer Mr.. oscar Lange OF
the University of Chicago journeyed to
Moscow with a Polish priest He saw
Premier Stain and reported that the
Russians were eager to resume relations
with the London Poles and that Russia
did not want to interfere in internal
affairs of Poland.
After the Red army took Lublin, July
%. the National Committee of LIBERIA
ton was formed inside Poland, and
early the next month Mikolajczyk con-
ferred with Stain and reported that
tentative agreement with the Lublin
Poles had been reached. He returned
to London to submit his report and
after months of attempts to get the
London Poles to agree, resigned on Nov.
"a because he wanted further negotia-
tions while the stand-pat land-holders
insisted on more stalling
Replacing the Peasant Party leaders
was Thomas Arciszerski, a Socialist who
formed a cabinet without the Peasant
Party being represented. Aikolajczyk
had pulled his followers out because of
the attitude of the reactionary group.
The reactionary Poles were now in
full control and lost no opportunity to
make the most of their hatred of the
USSR.
IN the U. s., the London Poles set up
a hly-financed and well-publicized
lobby for their cause. Originally known
as KNAPP, it soon became the Polish
American Congress, Inc. with another
outlet in the Polish Ministry Of mfor-
nation in New York. Although the pub
lie face of the Polish-American Con-
gress consists of Charles Rozmarek Of
Chicago and Frank Januszewsh, pub
Usher Of the Detroit Dziennik Polski, the
fact is that its guiding genius is one
Ignacy Matuszewsh.
Matuszewski, from 1929, financed
the Polish fascist weekly, Jetro Polski
and after the war started, he fled to
Rumania and offered his services to Gen
Sikorsd. Sikorsd, embarrassed, ordered
him to remain in Europe in minor
post but Matuszewski refused and got
a visa to the U. S.
Arriving here, Niatuszewsh vigorously
attacked the London government Of ST.
korsh and later that of Mikolaiczyk. He
continued these attacks until Mikolajczyk
resigned in disgust over the anti-Soviet
attitude Of his fellow Poles in the cabi-
net. When the cabinet was reformed
on an entirely tory basis Matuszewsh
supported it Fundamentally and so did
the Polish group here that echoed its
stand.
The Polish American Congress claims
to represent million U. S. Poles but
KNAPP never had over 1900 and the
1910 census shows only 2,9O5859 Poles
in families where Polish is spoken
families of the first or second genera
ton. That 6 million claim won't hold
water. Despite this, however the Polish
American Congress carries a lot Of
weight in the U. S. press and in Con-
gress. On May 8, 1915, a total Of 8S
members of the House spoke on Polish
Constitution day And the largest part
Of the anti-Soviet business in Congress
is voiced on the part Of Poland. Most
Of the prominent weepers for the poor
London Poles are the U. S. isolationists