The Polish Deadlock
The problem of Poland is becoming more intractable than ever. Emboldened by the succession of mistakes made by the Polish Government in London, the Lublin Committee of National Libera- tion has decided, on a motion passed by the so-called National Council, that it is henceforth to be the " Provisional Government of Poland." This assumption of a title means nothing unless it either rests upon. a mandate from the people of Poland, or is recog- nised by the Allies. It certainly rests upon no popular mandate, and the only power which the Committee exercises in liberated Poland is that devolved upon it by the Soviet authorities. Its claims are not recognised by the Western Powers, and the Russian Government, happily, has not yet committed itself. But Poland's representatives in Britain have played into the hands of this usurping body by leaving nothing undone to antagonise Russia and make the support of Britain and America more difficult. In throwing over their former Prime Minister, Mr Mikolajczyk, they have parted with the one man who could have bridged the gulf between the Polish Government and Russia, and might have reached an under- standing with Lublin ; they have rendered his reconciling mission to Moscow abortive. His successor has taken up an intransigent position which has made it difficult for the Western Allies to help the Polish Government, and was certain to increase Russia's hostility. The best that we can hope for at the moment is that Russia will hold her hand and refrain from recognising the Lublin Com- mittee until Marshal Stalin, Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt have met and discussed the whole matter. If the emigre Poles have any eye to their own interests they will hasten to secure a Government in which members of all the leading parties can be included. The present Government seems bent on suicide.
