Evening star., 1945-01-04

Russia. That Lowell Mellett.
Russia would grant recognition ts
the new provisional government wa.
assumed when its creation was an.
nounced.
As matter of fact, three Soviei
republics, members of the U. S
s. R., have been carrying on forma
relations with the Polish Commit
tee of National Liberation the
basis Of the new provisional gov.
ernment - for some time. Signed
agreements between this Gublin)
committee and the Soviet republics
OF Lithuania, Byelo- Russia and the
Ukraine providing for the repatria-
tion Of their respective nationals
have been in effect for some months
The committee also, some time ago
took over civil administration in
the Polish areas freed by the Rus
sian armies.
Reorganization of the State De-
partment resulted in criticism from
many Americans who consider
themselves liberals and from all
Americans who admit to being a
little left of liberal. The team named
by Mr.. Stettinius is on the whole un-
deniably conservative one.
Agree on One Thing.
One thing liberals are agreed on
is that the peoples of the liberated
countries, in the language of the
Atlantic Charter, should have the
right to choose their own form of
government and the new State De-
partment has asserted its adher-
ence to this principle.
On the other hand, there Is q
feeling among some American lib
erals that the plain people of Po-
land may not be truly represented
by the exiles in London. Therefore,
these liberals have been disposed to
say that Russia should be permitted
to work matters out with any effec-
tive Polish group on the ground II
1t cannot achieve agreement with
the group in London.
So the new State Department,
anxious no doubt to prove it really
is liberal, finds itself caught between
two schools of liberal thought.
But that is only the domestic and
perhaps least troublesome side OF
the problem. There remains Russia
to deal with. The war won't be won
unless harmonious cooperation with
Russia continues. Russia has carried
its share Of the Dad thus far. Some
have been dispo'od to believe that
its army on the Vistula has been
stalled there by Stalin's orders and
not by the Germans, but this ignores
the fact that the Germans have
been capable of stalling the advance
Of the American Army on the Rhine
1t ignores, also, or requires special
explanation for, the tremendous
fighting on the Russian southern
front. However, it may be that
Stain is utilizing the delay to con-
solidate a friendly regime behind his
armies as they tight farther toward
Berlin.
Poles Part Untold.
In the minds OF most Americans
the most important consideration Is
what the Polish people themselves
want. It may be that the majority
prefer the new provisional govern
ment. but that would be beyond
judging at this distance. The Llb-
lin Committee has been carrying
out q program Of land distribution,
at the expense of the big estates,
calculated to make itself popular
with the masses. And last summer
American correspondents described a
well-equipped Polish Army, number
ing 100000 men and women, operat-
ing with the Soviet forces. At that
time 1t was told that the Soviet
government was prepared to equip
and supply as many as a million
Poles. The correspondents related
that these Polish soldiers with
whom they talked seemed to accept
In good faith the assurances of the
Soviet government that they should
have any kind Of government they
desired - so long as 1t was not
unfriendly to Russia. Most Of them
said they wanted q democratic, not
a Communist government, although,
they did want the large landed
estates broken up for their benefit.
What part, If any, this Polish