POLES IGNORE ALLIED NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5304, 17 January 1947, Page 5

POLES IGNORE ALLIED NOTES

1 (Press Assn.—

SOVIETS REPUDIATE UNITED STATES OFFER TO INTERVENE

V ' ■Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

LONDON, Jan. 16. Russia has rejected the Uiiit ad States request to join in representations to Poland cn the free conduct of the . elections on Monday. M. Melotov said the Note was based on information obtained from M. Mikolajczyk, leader of the Peasant Party.

The Associated Press correspondent in Warsaw says the Polish Govemment's reply to the British and American Notes on the conduct of the elections says in effect that Poland will run the electic-ns as it sees fit, whether Britain and America like it or not. It eontends that the Government is fulfilling all the obligations incurred at Potsdam and adds that the questioxi of the election of representatives to Parliament is one exclusively for the Polish people. The Polish President, Mr. Bierut, stated that the allegations in British and American Notes were general, were not backed by documents and were unfounded, says Reuter's correspondent.

Commenting on Mr. Mikolajczyk's allegations that his Peasant Party was being prevented from sending representatives to the electoral commissions, Mr. Bierut .said the elector* al law did nct exclude any democratic party from a place on the commissions. Iie added that Polish relations with the Western States could best be improved by further development of trade and eultural relatfons on. which a start had already been made. Third Protest Note Dispatched LONDONj Jan. 16. Britain has presented a third Note to Poland strongly protasting against the manner in which the election eampaign is being conaucted and giving a detailed reply j to F"oland's Note replying to the J second British Note. The latest ! Note was sent after consultation j with the British Ambassador, Sir j Victor Cavendish-Bentinck. It states that Britain does not • claim any right to intervene in rnat- ( ters purdly of Polish domestic eon- - eern, but the essential fact is that the ! Polish elections are the subjecfc of | international agreements and are of ! more than domestic coneern. The ' fact that all permitted parties are | not represented oji all the electoral ; commissions at all levels appears to :

j bc* a serious gap in the electoral machinery which may open the wAjr ij_* violation of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements. Arrests Cause Coneern The Polish- Government presuiW-ab-y would not maintain that the elections were free and unfettered if some parties were denied equal facililies or were subject to arrests and dbcriminations, says the Note. Britain, and nc- doubt tlie world ! generally, will judge eleetions accordj ing to the manner in which they are i ac tually conducted, but reports Teaching- the British Government of widespread arrests and discrimination are causing grave coneern. Moscow radio broadcast M. Molotov's reply to the Note from the Arjerican Ambassador, General - Bcdell-Smitli, complaining that the ! Polish Government h.ad violated the I Taita and Potsdam agreements.^ The S'o'/let Government declared that j Iha United States Government had I been guided by information supplied j by Mr. Mikolajczyk, leacler of the . | Peasant Party, and had ignored the I "i (u-rcrist activity of some members | o.' Mr. Mikolajczyk's party, which j was conducted with the aim of prejv nting the normal course of the : cl ction eampaign." The Soviet Note said the Polish j ^Government would n6t have I carried out its obligation to the ; people if it had failed to tdke r.ieasures against criminal elements - j in the interest of free, democratic l elections. Former Government j Dritain, as required by the Potsj dam agreement, withdrew recognition from the former Polish Govern- ! jpont in Londopi immediately it re- | cognised the Polish Government of National Unity, the Note continues. Tlie former Government members who were permitted to remain in Fngland have been treated as private p*rsons and will be allowed to rem$in in Sritain so long as they rcspect British law. It is totally incorreet, however, to say that any of s ihem are employed as advisers to the Biitish- Government.