POLAND AND RUSSIA
Sin,—To those with any sense of justice, the Prime Minister's speech has come as a terrible shock. This indeed is supporting Power Politics, which we are fighting this war to abolish. Our policy seems to be to up- hold one of the Big Three in committing a crime, and proclaiming to the world that it is right and just. What can the Poles be thinking of our pledge to stand by them? They could well say, "Tout est perdu sauf l'honneur," but" Tout est gagne sauf l'honneur " would apply better to us British. Why should Poland do all the conceding, all the giving up, and Russia all the taking for no reason except that Russia demands it? Will her position of security against future aggression be improved by taking 51 per cent. of Polish territory and 37 per cent, of its population? Are we going to demand territory frcrn the countries we are liberating
for reasons of security? No, but it seems, it is right and just for Russia to do it. One daily paper in its leader of Saturday, 16th Dec., shows great solicitude for to million Germans whom it is suggested should be transferred from East Prussia to their Fatherland. It conjures up visions of misery, despair, starvation, &c., in this giant migration of these millions of men, women and children. It does not, however, show any concern for the millions of Poles who will be uprooted from their homes in Eastern Poland, nor for the millions who were deported in cattle trucks to Siberia, and whom no one can get at to help.
It is a disgrace to coerce the Polish Government into making this tragic decision. Not one word of doubt was cast by our Prime Minister on Russia's behaviohr leading to this cruel impasse, which has been created by Russia from the very beginning. The Poles have behaved with honour and dignity throughout the whole period, demanding nothing but to have their country restored to them ; and we were the people who went to war for their just cause.—Yours sincerely, 0. ANTROBUS. The Grange, Hutton Mount, Shenfield, Essex.
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