Evening star., 1947-01-19
Ex-Envoy Here Sees
Polish Vote Today
As Final SeIIout
By Sisrid Arne
Associofed Press Stoff Writer

By Sigrid Arne
Assoeiated Press s,aff Writer
Poland's wartime Ambassador to
Washington, Jan Ciechanowski
views today,s elections in his home
country as the final step in the
sell-out of Poland as the price raid
for Big Three unity"
In an interview, he said he re-
peatedly told President Roosevelt
and State Department officials that
concessions to Prime Minister Stain
of Russia on the postwar status of
Poland would open the door to
Communist domination of Europe
with Poland only the test case"
THE first step in the sell-out," ="
he said, was the Anglo-American
agreement at the Yalta conference
in 1945 to Stalin's demand for East
ern Poland up to the Ribbentrop-
Molotov line, conveniently called the
'Curzon Line"
Mr.. Ciechanowski said he thinks
that agreement was made originally
at Teheran in December, 1943, and
kept secret from the Polish exile
government in London. He said
the Poles learned of it officially only
in October, 1944--that Russian For
eign Minister Molotov let it slip at
a Moscow meeting of British, Polish
and Russian le;s iers.
Churchill Supported Stain.
At that meeting, Mr.. Ciechanowski
recalled, Stain insisted on Russian
possession of Eastern Poland. He
was supported by British Prime Min
lister Churchill. The Polish premier
at that time, Stanislaw Mikolajczyk,
argued vehemently against it until
Mr.. Molotov dramatically announced
that President Roosevelt had agreed.
w. Averell Hartman, then United
States ambassador to Moscow, was
present. Mr.. Ciechanowski said, but
made no denial. Later Mr.. Miko-
1ajczyk cabled Mr.. Roosevelt for
confirmation. He said he received
q reply which made no direct an
swer but stated the United States
would agree to any solution of the
border difficulties agreed on.
II later learned" Mr.. Ciechanow-
ski added, that Churchill made the
original proposal to cut Poland back
to the Ribbentrop- -Molotov line, pro-
posing that Poland be compensated
by territory taken from Germany"
He learned too, he said.. that the
original Teheran agreement was
kept secret for several months on
Mr.. Roosevelt's request. He recalled
that 1914 was presidential election
year and that White House circles
showed anxiety over the American
Polish vote.
Mr.. CiechanowsN has detailed
records of his AZ years struggle in
Washington against the sacrifice of
Poland and Europe's other small
nations to the type Of power deals
which he says Russia was demand
ing.
principles Sacrificed"
He has written book Defeat in
Victory" based on the records,
which will be published Thursday.
1t details, he says, "the way in which
fundamental democratic principles
were sacrificed for opportunist rea-
sons"
Mr.. Ciechanowski described the
immediate prospect for Poland as
gloomy" and said he expects to-
days elections to ratify the Com
munist domination of Poland, a
Country where IS per cent OF the
people are Communist.
Mr.. Ciechanowski credited Stains
diplomatic victories to s'lack of un-
derstanding of Russian methods
and to lack of unified policy be-
tween London and Washington
which prevented Anglo-American
diplomacy from taking a flrmer
stand"
First" he said, Churchill urged
the Allies to step softly with the
Russians for fear Stain would sign
a separate peace with Hitler. That
policy was peddled in Washington
by the British.
Later, President Roosevelt urged
Russian appeasement in the belief
that, If he coulo talk personally to
Stain, he would. be able to win the
Russian dictator over to his views
S Attempts to See Stain.
Mr.. Ciechanowski said Mr.. Roose-
velt told him of five attempts to
meet Stain before they finally held
the Teheran conference.
In the summer of 1912, he said,
"we were informed that the British
were preparing to concede Russlas
right to Eastern Poland"
Il Immediately sought to see
President Roosevelt" he related.
my deepest admiration went out to
the President as he Immediately saw
the long line of consequences that
would follow any such move.
He sent a message to Churchill
stating firmly that if the British
agreed to Russian territorial gains
at the expense of Poland he would
'disassociate the United States from
the agreement.
LAS result of the firm American
stand, when the British-Soviet pact
was announced it contained no men
ton of territorial changes. Unfor-
tunately, war needs, and the ma
neuvering for a unified peace, ap-
parently changed Roosevelts stand
later"