PLAIN DECLARATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1943, Page 3

PLAIN DECLARATION

STRONG AND INDEPENDENT POLAND DESIRED BY SOVIET UNION. STALIN’S WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION. (Bv Teleeranh —Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, May 5. In a letter to the Moscow correspondent of “The Times” dealing with Russian-Polish relations, M. Stalin said: “Unquestionably the Soviet Union desires to see a strong and independent Poland after Hitler’s Germany is defeated. I believe that the postwar relations between Poland and Russia should be based on a basis of solid good-neighbourly relations and mutual respect, or, if the Polish peoples so, desire, upon an alliance providing for mutual assistance against the Germans as the chief enemies of Russia and Poland.” The correspondent comments, “ ‘Strong and independent Poland’ are words in which there cannot be ambiguity, and it should be possible on this reaffirmation to rebuild a bridge between Russia and Poland. It is safe to assume that Russia’s attitude to her allies’ post-war plans for Europe will depend mainly on the measure of agreement that is reached before hostilities close about the eastern European zone between Russia and Germany. Russia does not want confusion and enfeeblement in these vital areas during the years which she must spend on the arduous task of reconstructing her own liberated regions of the west.”

QUICK RESPONSE

MADE BY GENERAL SIKORSKI. DESIRE FOR ALLIANCE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, May 6. Much interest has been caused in London by M. Stalin’s statement regarding Soviet-Polish relations. There has been no official comment in London, but General Sikorski said today the Polish nation certainly wished to continue friendly relations with Russia and to base them on an alliance against the implacable age-long enemy of both countries. His Government was ready to arrive at a positive answer to any Soviet initiative which coincided with the interests of the Polish Republic, as defined in the Soviet-Polish declaration of December, 1941.