POLISH COMMUNISTS' REACTION - April 28, 1943
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In response to the Polish Government's request (Apr. 20, 1943)
that the Katyn murder site be examined by the International Red Cross, the Soviets
severed relations with Poland (Apr. 25, 1943). |
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THE VOICE OF FREE POLAND On April 25 relations were severed between the Soviet Government and the Emigre-Government of General Sikorski. Whom does this emigre-government represent? The Polish people? By no means. The Polish people has neither elected, nor appointed, nor conferred powers on this government. The present Polish Government took over the functions of the remnants of the Rydz-Smigly Government, which fled from Poland after Poland's defeat in 1939. From the very outset this government was opposed to the struggle of the Poles who fell under Hitler's yoke against their enslavers. In spite of that, the Polish people has fought and continues to fight, and has proved, by deeds, that it has nothing in common with the fatal suicidal policy of waiting and inaction championed by the Polish Government. But possibly General Sikorski's Government represented the Poles who found themselves outside Poland? No, the Poles outside Poland did strive, and are striving, to fight Poland's mortal foe - Hitlerite Germany. The Polish Government tries to get the credit for the heroism of Polish soldiers, airmen and sailors who took part in the Norwegian and African campaigns, in the air battle of Britain, in air-raids on Germany and in naval raids. LEADERS REFUSED TO FIGHT With the help of the Allies, it built up an army. But in what spirit did it rear this army, what tasks did it set before this army? It is no secret to anyone that the leadership of this army was profoundly reactionary. It tried to foster anti-democratic pro-fascist sentiments. It conducted intense propaganda in its army against its Soviet Ally, on whose territory it functioned. The command of this army refused to march to the front, refused to take part in struggle and took its troops out of the U.S.S.R. The Poles have one desire - to liberate Poland, to wrest their bleeding country from the Hitlerite talons. The Poles understand that this is possible only in firm and honest alliance with the democratic powers fighting against Hitler. ATTACKS ON AN ALLY But what did the Polish Government do to strengthen this alliance? Incessantly, from the very first day of its existence, this government permitted not only unofficial, but even official Polish journals, to indulge in the most infamous attacks on this very ally who shouldered the brunt of the struggle against Hitler. Impermissible articles appeared incessantly in the Polish press published in Britain and certain newspapers of the Polish army, and - as if that was not enough - even in the organ of the Polish Embassy in Kuibyshev! SNIPING AT BRITAIN AND AMERICA The pseudo "illegal" radio station "Swit", ceaselessly poured insults on the country which helped to organize and arm the Polish Army. Members of the self-appointed "National Council" ("Rada Narodowa") waged a ceaseless campaign of slander. They waged it against the Soviet Union, but it was accompanied at the same time by jabs at Britain and America, at public figures and representatives of those countries. Even the patient British press, the press of the hospitable country which in the days of war gave refuge to the Poles and surrounded them with care, repeatedly had to raise its voice in an effort to check the irresponsible pranks of Polish politicians who tried to drive a wedge into the unity of the participants of the Anglo-Soviet-American Fighting Alliance. We have never lulled ourselves by the hope that the openly pro-Hitlerite acts of the Matuszewskis and Doboszynskis would meet with a rebuff on the part of General Sikorski's Government. True, the Polish emigre circles in London repeatedly staged a farcical "drawing of a demarcation line", but Matuszewski, for instance, who comes out most vehemently against Sikorski, was at the same time a frequent and welcome guest at the information bureau of the official Polish representation in America. Doboszynski kept publishing his supposedly "illegal" news-sheet until the British took matters in their hands, and so on and so forth. HARMING THE GOOD MIND OF THE POLISH PEOPLE From the very outset we plainly saw through these people. We knew that they differ only outwardly from those who brought disaster upon Poland in 1939; that essentially they are bound with these people by thousands of ideological, personal and traditional ties. We knew these people when still in Poland. Later we watched their activities, intrigues and machinations abroad. We saw how they reduced the Polish Army in the Soviet Union to inaction. We saw quite enough of their representatives systematically and brazenly robbing Poles in the Soviet Union of American, British and Soviet money, food and things given to them as aid. We saw quite enough of their stupid arrogance and haughtiness which harmed us at every step. They harmed the sympathies which the polish people evoked by its heroic conduct in 1939, by its struggle of almost four years' duration. PRESENT GOVERNMENT DOES NOT REPRESENT PEOPLE The present Polish Government was elected neither by the people nor by representatives of the people. it does not represent the people's will, endeavours or aspirations. The Polish Government was neither able nor willing to lead the people in the struggle against Hitlerism. It was neither able nor willing to attend honestly to the fate of the Poles scattered all over the world. It was neither able nor willing to strengthen Poland by remaining loyally in the fighting ranks of the democracies. It persistently travelled its course until at last, during the latest events, it finally revealed its true face. LINK WITH BERLIN In our patriotic journal Wolna Polska, we have been repeating for two months already that the Emigre Government keeps sliding to a pro-Hitlerite position, that hidden threads, binding certain Polish elements in London and New York with Berlin, become more and more apparent. We pointed to the distinct fascist intonation not only in utterances of Matuszewski and Mackiewicz, but also in the Polish Government's official journals. We pointed to the undoubted connections between the "Swit" radio station and Goebbels' agency. We pointed to the propaganda within General Anders' Army. A PLANNED CAMPAIGN Now the situation is perfectly clear. On both sides of the ocean these people have launched a planned campaign against the Soviet Union. This commenced at the time of the temporary spring lull in the operations at the front, i.e., on the eve of decisive battle, in the period when the Hitlerites are frantically preparing "total mobilisation" in all occupied countries, and in Poland in the first place. One fine day, we learn that the Polish Bishop Gawlina comes out in America with the nonsensical, slanderous accusation, alleging that 400,000 Polish children perished in the Soviet Union, and that 600,000 Polish children are engaged in heavy labour on collective farms. Gawlina's statement failed to cause any significant reaction. It was too obviously fabricated, it too greatly contradicted all real figures of the total number of Poles residing in the U.S.S.R., too greatly contradicted facts which could be easily ascertained. The first shot misfired. The second shot was prepared more thoroughly. It was announced to the world that thousands of Polish officers were brutally murdered in the Soviet Union. The graves were found, witnesses, documents, names of the killed were found and - names are nothing - according to the reports of the Hitlerite vassals' agencies, even culprits were found, "Bolshevist Jewish Commissars", who patiently remained for two years in the German-occupied district of the Smolensk region, and just waited until the time when at last it occurs to the Gestapo to arrest them. It would seem that every Pole ought to turn with disdain from this fresh German masquerade, from this abominable spectacle of the Hitlerite hangmen pulling their victims out of graves and shedding crocodile tears over them. But no! The Polish Government deemed it apposite to take part at once in this abominable farce. It dared to join quite unequivocally in Hitler's campaign, to support and fan it and try to lend it an air of verisimilitude. FASCIST ACTIVITY We do not know when and where - history will reveal that later - we do not know who - history will later brand him - drew up together with the Hitlerites the plan of this campaign of anti-Soviet slander and co-ordinated the action. But we do know who went into the attack together with the Hitlerites. It was obvious even prior to this that Hitlerite elements were active in the Polish Government. Now we see that they have taken the upper hand and have determined the tenor and direction of the acts of that government. We are averse to one thing only - that the past and present doings of the Polish Government should cast a shadow on the Polish people, on Poles, and therefore we note once more: the Polish Government never represented Poland but only a group of emigres. It never had anything in common with occupied Poland which, contrary to propaganda and instructions of that government, contrary to its calls to fight against the guerillas, did and does heroically fight the enemy. BARGAINING FOR SOVIET TERRITORIES The Polish Government made bargaining for frontiers its main task, but it bargains not for Polish lands occupied by the Germans, not for territories captured previously by the Germans on the Baltic Sea and in the west, but for the lands of Soviet Byelorussia, the Soviet Ukraine and Soviet Lithuania, lands populated by our brothers with whom the Polish people want to live in peace. The Polish Government forced into silence and strangled all progressive and truly democratic and truly patriotic elements in emigration. It forced into inaction the army ready for struggle, whose soldiers wanted to fight and in which all Poles placed such great hopes. It always strove to undermine Poles who trusted in our natural ally - the Soviet Union. Every Pole understands that this alliance is a matter of life and death for Poland, the more so now when it is here on this front that the destinies of Europe, the destinies of Poland are at stake. And, lastly, by its contact and collusion with the Hitlerites, the Polish Government finally compromised itself in the eyes of all those who regard the Hitlerites as mortal enemies, which is what they are to every honest Pole. It is obvious that the present Polish Government which departs from the interests, will and aspirations of the people was sliding down the slope which was bound to bring it to ultimate bankruptcy. It was precisely for this reason that we Poles in the U.S.S.R. demanded that we be given an opportunity to take part in the war, arms in hand. When General Anders took his army away to the vicinity of Bagdad, we demanded that Polish troops be formed on the territory of the U.S.S.R. which would not stay for months in tents but would go to the front to fight the enemy shoulder to shoulder with the Red Army. We trust that the Soviet Government will accord us Poles residing in the Soviet Union the opportunity to fight for our homeland arms in hand, shoulder to shoulder with the Soviet citizens of all nationalities, that it will accord us the opportunity to win the right to return to our homeland in the course of fighting the hateful enemy. We know that the friendship of the Polish and Soviet peoples, cemented with blood in the joint struggle, is unshakeable. We know that this friendship will grow and strengthen despite all provocational machinations of our enemies.
Last modified July 18, 2010 7:43 AM |
