MARTYRED POLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 41, 18 January 1944, Page 4

MARTYRED POLAND

ONCE more the long-suffering Polish race because of their inborn love of freedom are facing the crossroads of national policy. To-day as the victorious Russian legions sweep across her borders driving out the hated German oppies-* sors, Poland again raises her voice for independence, for national security and for the right of her people to govern themselves in the manner that they themselves shall determine. In the midst of the vast struggle which is now in its fifth year the major problem of the united nations has been to promote harmony between the Poland and the Soviet. The relations between the two countries have been traditionally strained over the centuries, and the sudden invasion of the Soviet forces in 1939 when Poland was fighting desperately for her very life cannot be dismissed lightly from the Polish mind, even in the light of subsequent events. The situation has not been improved over the war years, when, doubtless due to clever German propaganda the mass graves of 30,000 Polish officers was reported in the heart of a frontier forest, where the fitful fighting between the Polish forces had first broken out as Stalin's men marched in. Bitter words were issued by the nominal Polish Government sitting in London at the news and Russia was indicted as the perpetrator of the. callous deed. The Soviet's emphatic denials were apparently of some avail for as the Red Army rolled onward the Polish representatives issued instructions to its underground army of freedom to sho{w no opposition to the new invaders who came as genuine liberators. Thus the leagues which separated the Soviet armies from the old Polish frontier accumulated without a native hand being lifted against them., despite the bitter memories of four years ago. But with the prospect of freedom now in sight, the natural question of Poland's future antonomy has been raised and emphasised by the exiled Government, which has had the chagrin of being told by Soviet Russia, that its claims to negotiate either frontier, or state integrity will not be recognised. Hence the delicate situation calling for the utmost diplomacy and tact. Here, a downtrodden and oppressed people, lion-hearted and lion-souled who have never given in, who have never owned defeat, who have carried on the fight from an underground organisation which is the admiration of the world —this people demand recognition, freedom and independence, and to this end have called in the Allied champions of democracy Great Britain and the U.S.A. to 'adjudicate uf>on their claims. What lies beyond the Soviet attitude is a little hard of understanding but like most situations which arise nationally., there are always two sides to each question and these two sides will probably be unfolded for the edification of the world at large as the Nazi invaders of our first ally in the present war, are gradually eliminated fronj the traditional land of the proud and indomitable Poles.