Evening star., 1946-12-22
Poles CURLY Reject
British Expression Of
Anxiety on Election
BY the Assoeiotsd Press


WARSAW, Dec. 20 (Delayed)
The Polish government today
handed the British ambassador
a note curtly rejecting his coun-
try's expression of anxiety over
the January 10 general elections
and countercharging that Brit
ain had violated her obligations
to Poland assumed at Yalta and
Potsdan.
The United States Government
has made a similar expression to
the Polish government, and For
eign Ministry spokesman said a re-
ply was under preparation"
Replying to the British request
for assurance of free and unfettered
elections, the Polish government
said it was not within the province
of Britain to remind Poland of her
obligations or to attempt to impose
British opinions or directives" as
to how the elections should be held.
Further Debate" Ruled Out.
The reply said Poland could not
accept the British note as compat-
ible with Poland's sovereignty and
declared there were no reasons for
further debates" on the subject of
elections since Poland was fulfilling
her obligations with the balloting
to be held January 10.
(Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, leader
of the Polish Peasant Party
which is In opposition to the
pro-Soviet government bloc, re-
ported Saturday night that his
followers had succeeded in run
ming a blockade" of election
commission offices to present the
party's list of candidates in all
50 of Poland's election districts.
(He said the blockade was by
members of the government par
ties, the militia and security
police.
(Mr Mikolajcz reiterated his
charges that Polish Peasant
Party members were being sub
jected to arrest and estimated
that approximately 80 percent OF
its candidates had been jailed.
His charges have been denied by
government spokesmen, who said
only supporters of antigovern-
ment underground bands have
been arrested)
Charge Third War Plotted.
In making the accusation that
Britain had failed to fulfill obliga-
tions to Poland, the reply to the
British note said that among other
things the British had failed to
liouidate remnants of the former
Polish government in London, were
continuing to tolerate that regime
with support Of British funds. and
had failed to halt the London Poles
from plotting a Third World War" :"
The note charged that Britain had
failed to turn over Polish Army
forces but had formed resettlement
corps which had made Polish SOL
diers the object of international
barter"
Additional charges were that
Britain had failed to protect proper
ties of the Polish government and
had permitted the London Poles to
obtain deposits and archives, had
failed to return Polish gold vitally
needed for reconstruction, had failed
to return Polish warships, had per-
mitted the London Poles to inter-
fere with Polish repatriations, and
had failed to accept agreed quotas
on Germans expelled from Poland
destined for the British occupation
zone of Germany.
Beyond doubt, the note added,
''the essentials of Yalta and Potsdam
were not filled by Britain" either In
letter or spirit.
Pledges Church Cancellation.
President Boleslaw Beirut told a
delegation of Catholic writers the
government would continue its
efforts to improve relations between
the church and state.
The newspaper Rzeczpospolita
quoted the president as saying he
would like to see greater participa-
ton of Catholics in political life
and hoped permanent understand
ing soon would be evolved between
church and state.
Relations between the government
and the clergy recently became more
strained after an official declaration
that Catholic pulpits were being
used in behalf of Mr.. Mikola jczyk in
the forthcoming elections.