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POLISH MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

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POLISH

FORTNIGHTLY REYIEW

No. 93

London, Thursday, June 1, 1944

No. 93

CONTENTS

POLA ND'S PLACE IN KUROPE.

DISCUSSIOMS IN Parliament.

HOUSB OF COMMONS...............1

The Prime Minister—Mr. Ivor Thomas— Mr. Petherick—Major Vyvyan Adams—Me. McGoyern—Mr. Wedderburn—Mr. Raikes—

Mr. Rhys Davies—Mr. Mander—Mr. Martin —Major Lloyd—Sir John Wardlaw-Milkje.

House of Lords ...............

Viscount Samuel—Lord Noel-Buxton—Lord Yansittart—Lord Barnby—The Secretary of State for Dominion Afkairs (Viscount Cranborne) (Lord Cecil)—Lord Winstep.— The Earl of Eirkrnhead—The Earl of Perth.

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POLAND’S PLACE IN EUROPE

Discussions in Parliament

HOUSE OF COMMONS

The Prime Minister (Mr. Churchill)

For a long time past thc Foreign Secretary and 1 have laboured with all our strength to try to bring about a resumption of relations between the Soviet Government and the Polish Govemment which we recognize. \Inter-ntption.l Which we have alwaya rceognized sińce the days of General Sikorski. We were conseious of the difti-culty of our task and some may say we should have been wiser not to attempt it. Weil, we cannot accept that vicw. We are the Ally of both countries. We went to war bccause Germany madę an unprovoked attack upon our Ally, Poland. We liave signed a 20-year treaty with our Ally, the Soviet Union, and this Treaty is the founda-lion of our policy. Polish forces are fighting with our armies and have recently distinguished themselves remarkably well. Polish forces under Russian guidance are also fighting with the Soviet army against the eom-mon enemy.

Our effort to bring about a renewal of relations between the Polish Government and Russia in London lms not succeeded. We deeply regret. that fact, and we must take care to say nothing that would make agreement morę diflicult in the futurę. I must repeat that the essen-tial part of any arrangernent is regulation of the Polish oastem frontier, and that, in return for any withdrawal madę by Poland in that quarter. she should reeeive other territories at the expense of Germany, which will give her an ample seaboard and a good. adeąuate and reason-able homeland in which the Polish nation may safely dwcll. We must trust that when we all engage in the struggle with the common foe, when nothing can surpas3 the bravery of our Polish Allies in Italy and daily on the

sea, and in the air, and in the heroic resistance of the underground movement to thc Gernmns. I have seen here men who came a few days ago out of Poland, who told me about it.. and who are in relation with, and under the orders of, the present Polish Govemment in London. They are most anaious that. this underground movemcnt should not clash with the advancing Russian Anny, but should help It, and orders have been sent by the Polish Government in London that the underground movement is to help the Russian Armies in as many ways as pos-sible. There are many ways possible in which guerillas can be successful, and we must trust that statesmanship will yet find some way through.

I have the impression — and it is no morę than an impression—that tliings are not so bad as they may appear on the surface between Russia and Poland. I need not say that we—and I think I may ccrtainly add, the United States—would welcome any arrangernent between Russia and Poland. however it was brought about, wliether directly between the Powera concemed. or with the help of His Majesty’s Govemment, or any other Government. Thero is no question of pride on our part, only of sincere good will to both, and eamest and anxious aspirations to a solution of problems fraught with grave consequences to Europę and the harmony of the Grand Alliance. In the meantime, our relations. both with the Polish and the Soviet Government.s, remain regułated by the public statements which have been madę and repeated from timo to time from this bench during the present war. There I leavc this qucstion, and I trust that if it is dealt with in Debate those who deal with it will always consider what we want, namely, the United action of all PoleB, with all Russians, against all Germans.