The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-18
TODAY and TOMORROW
By WALTER LIPPMANN

There is no doubt that the Presi-
dents hand has been greatly
strengthened by Senator Vanden-
berg's speech. ut we must not
imagine that this will in itself en-
able him to achieve a constructive
solution of the Polish problem. That
will require, at the outset, willing
ness among our people to examine
the issues with an open mind, and
to support constructive solution.
At the present time most of the
public comment on the Polish
question takes line which pre-
cludes any solution. This is the
insistence that the cession of the
territory east of the Curzon line is
a violation of the Atlantic Charter
unless the Polish government in
London voluntarily agrees to cede
it. AS long as this is the prevailing
American view no voluntary agree
ment is possible.
For the Soviet Union will not
renounce it's claim. 1t will insist
that this disputed and FREEDOM
inantly Russian territory was lost
by Russia about twenty years ago
as a result of a war of aggression
conducted by Marshal Pilsudski,
that it was recovered by Russia
before the Atlantic Charter was
proclaimed, that it was part of
Russia when the Soviet Union was
invited to subscribe to the Atlantic
Charter on Jan. /, 1912, and that.
therefore, to call this claim a vio-
lation of the charter is to interpret
the charter retroactively. On the
other hand no Polish statesman
can make an agreement ceding
this territory without subjecting
himself to the charge of betraying
his country by being willing to give
away what so many Americans
hold that the Atlantic Charter
says that he should not and need
nor give away.
The official American position
has been that, in the absence of 4
voluntary agreement between the
Polish government in London and
the Kremlin, the issue should, as
Secretary Stettinius has put it, 'be
left in allegiance until the termina-
ton of hostilities" What is to hap
settled then? No one has ever ven
pen then? How is the issue to be
tured to indicate how it is to be
settled. For it would be just as diff
ficult then to geta voluntary agree
ment as it has been during the
war. And there are few who are
optimistic enough to think that
the issue could be settled by pleb-
iscite in which the great majority
of the eligible voters would be al
most illiterate peasants who have
never participated in government
or become used to the business of
their will at the ballot
box.
1t is, therefore, clear that leav-
ing the question in allegiance will
not produce constructive solution
which conforms with the spirit Of |
the Atlantic Charter.
What then will do this? The real
answer to the riddle has been pro-
vided by the most eminent OF liv-
ng Polish statesmen-none other
han Mr.. Mikolajczyk. until re-
Gently the Prime Minister OF the
Polish government and still the
eader of the largest and most i'm
oortant of the Polish political
parties, the Polish Peasant party.
What he has to say on the ques-
ion is of the highest significance,
and must be listened to with deep
attention not only in Moscow and
ublin and in London, but also in
Writing on Jan. in his paper
'Jutro Polski, he says, person
lily, I belong to the people who
ldvocate a settlement of Polish
soviet relations now and not after
he war; Naturally he would not
ecognize as a true settlement an
greement reached between Mos
ow and the unrepresentative and {
puppet government in
.ub1in. But he also knows that
here will be no voluntary agree
nent by the present Polish govern
nent in London. For as its Prime 7
Iinister he made the attempt, and n
yas compelled to resign. il
What then does Mr.. Mikolajczyk n
mink should be done? Thi. is what O
e thinks: the 'three powers have il
OF only to take decisions but also
, assume responsibility. First of
II, it must be agreed and decided
yhether the frontier question is to K
e solved now or after the war. If d
here is no agreement on this mat il
er among the great powers, then a
o Pole signing frontier changes F