New York Times September 18, 1939, p. 5
By The Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Sept. 17-Following is the text of a radio speech today by the Soviet Premier-Foreign Commissar, Vyacheslaff Molotoff, as distributed by Tass, the official Soviet News Agency:
Comrades, men and women citizens of our great country:
Events arising out of the Polish-German War has revealed the internal insolvency and obvious impotence of the Polish state.
Polish ruling circles have suffered bankruptcy.
All this has happened in the briefest space of time. A mere fortnight has passed and Poland already has lost all her industrial centers.
Warsaw as the capital of the Polish state no longer exists. No one knows the whereabouts of the Polish Government.
The population of Poland have been abandoned by their ill-starred leaders to their fate. The Polish state and its government have virtually ceased to exist. In view of this state of affairs, treaties concluded between the Soviet Union and Poland have ceased to operate. A situation has arisen in Poland which demands of the Soviet Government especial concern for the security of its State.
Poland has become a fertile field for any accidental and unexpected contingency that may create a menace to the Soviet Union.
Until the last moment the Soviet Government has remained neutral. But in view of the circumstances mentioned, it can no longer maintain a neutral attitude toward the situation that has arisen.
Nor can it be demanded of the Soviet Government that it remain indifferent to the fate of its blood brothers, the Ukrainians and Byelo-Russians [White Russians] inhabiting Poland, who even formerly were without rights and who now have been abandoned entirely to their fate.
The Soviet Government deems it its sacred duty to extend the hand of assistance to its brother Ukrainians and brother Byelo-Russians inhabiting Poland. In view of all the above, the government of the Soviet Union has this morning handed a note to the Polish Ambassador in Moscow announcing that the Soviet Government has instructed the higher command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the frontier and take under their protection the lives and property of the populations of the western Ukraine and western Byelo-Russia.
The Soviet Government also stated in this note that at the same time it intends to take every measure to deliver the Polish people from the disastrous war into which they have been plunged by their unwise leaders and give them an opportunity to live a life of peace.
I n the early part of September when a partial mobilization of Red Army reserves was undertaken in the Ukraine, Byelo-Russia and in four other military areas, the situation in Poland was not clear and this mobilization was undertaken as a precautionary measure.
Nobody could have expected that the Polish State would have revealed such impotence and such swift collapse as has now already taken place all over Poland.
But inasmuch as this collapse is a fact and Polish statesmen have revealed their utter bankruptcy and are incapable of changing the situation in Poland, our Red Army, having received large reinforcements as the result of the recent calling up of reserves, must perform with credit the honorable duty placed upon it.
The government expresses the firm conviction that our Workers and Peasants Red Army will this time too display its combative might, conscientiousness and discipline and that in the performance of its emancipatory task it will distinguish itself by new feats of heroism and glory.
Simultaneously the Soviet Government handed copies of its note to the Polish Ambassador and to all the governments with which the Soviet Union has diplomatic relations, at the same time declaring that the Soviet Union Will pursue a policy of neutrality toward all these countries. This determines our recent Steps in foreign policy.
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Notes Sent by SovietBy The Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Sept. 17-Following are the texts of the Soviet note to Poland and the notes to nations maintaining diplomatic relations with Russia, as made public by Tass, tits official Soviet News Agency:
Mr. Ambassador:
The Polish-German war has revealed the internal insolvency of the Polish State.
In ten days of hostilities Poland has lost all her industrial regions and cultural centers. Warsaw as the capital of Poland no longer exists. The Polish Government has fallen to pieces and shows no signs of life.
This means that the Polish State and its government have virtually ceased to exist.
Treaties concluded between the U.S.S.R. and Poland have thereby ceased to operate.
Abandoned to her fate and left without leadership, Poland has become a fertile field for any accidental and unexpected contingency which may create a menace to the U.S.S.R.
Hence, while it was neutral hitherto, the Soviet Government can no longer maintain a neutral attitude toward these facts. Nor can the Soviet Government re main indifferent when its blood brothers, Ukranians* and Byelo-Russians [White Russians] in Polish territory, having been abandoned to their fate, are left without protection.
In view of this state of affairs, the Soviet Government has instructed the higher command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the frontier and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Byelo-Russia.
At the same time the Soviet Government intends to take every measure to deliver the Polish people from the disastrous war into which they have been plunged by their unwise leaders and to give them an opportunity to live a life of peace.
I have the honor, etc.
MOLOTOFF,
Peoples' Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R.
The Note to Other PowersMr. Ambassador (or Minister):
I n transmitting to you the enclosed copy of a note of the Soviet Government of Sept. 17, 1939, to the Polish Ambassador in MOSCOW, I have the honor on instructions of my government to inform you that the U.S.S.R. will pursue a policy of neutrality in relations between the U.S.S.R. and your country.
I have the honor, etc.
MOLOTOFF,
Peoples' Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R.
The latter note was handed the diplomatic representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Finland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Greece, Belgium, Rumania, Lithuania, Norway, Hungary, the Mongolian Peoples' Republic and the Tuva People’s Republic.
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* so spelled in the New York Times text; should be “Ukrainians”.