But 1 was amazed to hear a Polish wr.iter speaking recently over the wireless and praising the present freedom of -speech in Poland. It was explained to me that the gagging of the Press was necessary because of our foreign policy. It seems to me that the contrary is true. This gagging of the Press, this way of conducting elections, throws only discredit upon us and is the reason why more and more often the world speaks about Poland as it speaks about Spain. We-at least I-have nothing toehide from the world and I do not know what the world could possibly be trying to "spy out" in our country. America is far away,- and we have only had friendly ge·stures from her. During the first World War President Wilson supported our aini, which was independence; later the Hoover Committee helped us as UNRRA is doing now. In Britain it is our comrades who are in power, with whom we have been linked for years by common Socialist ideals. And we shall never forget that, had it not been for Britain's resistance, Hitlerism would have destroyed us in the meantime. Finally, with regard to the Soviets I say that, despite past and present irritations, thoughtlessly provoked by the one or the other side, we wish to live with them in the greatest and in real friendship. We wish to do so not because of any common Slavonic tribal origin, but because of our "raison d'Etat " and our conviction that there can exist no Government in Poland today which would not wish to live and co-operate with the Soviets as closely as possible. I speak with difficulty 1 and therefore, before I utter a word, I consider it and weigh it seriously. I already said once in Moscow, during the Kremlin banquet, in the presence of Mr. Stalin, that I sincerely wished for friendship with the Soviet Union. · · But this friendship is not being helped by those who wish to achieve it by means of fettering our nation and imposing on it institutions and government which it does not want. I must say with regret that this friendship is not being helped by statements to the effect that Polish reaction, both legal and 1 Zulawski is a sick man. He is 67. 54 Biblioteca Gino Bianco
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