Polish Premier Meets With U.S., Soviet Officials

Poland’s Prime Minister Tadeucz Mazowiecki, on his first full day in office, met with U.S. and Soviet officials Friday, including Labor Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole, who said the Bush Administration would study new ways to aid the fledgling government.

The meetings with representatives from the superpowers underscored the international significance of the election of Mazowiecki, a close adviser to Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, who on Thursday became the first non-Communist leader in Eastern Europe in more than 40 years.

Dole, who was joined by her husband, Senate Republican leader Bob Dole of Kansas, said the United States is looking for new ways to help Poland, but she was cautious about offering new assistance.

“Obviously, we do have a budget deficit at home,” she said. “We will provide aid as we can, when we can, but there is already a very significant program under way.”

She was referring to the $115-million aid package Bush offered during a July visit. Solidarity leaders have been hoping for $10 billion from Western countries, including investments, credits and rescheduling of Poland’s $39-billion Western debt.

U.S. Team to Study Priorities

She said that Bush has offered help in a number of areas, including labor programs, and that she would soon send a team of experts to Poland to study what priorities such aid would take.

Bob Dole, who said that Mazowiecki asked for additional American financial aid during their meeting, announced that he would be carrying a message from the Polish leader back to President Bush.

“His words were, to characterize them, ‘He who helps early, helps twice,’ ” said the Kansas senator. “In other words, this is very important now to keep up the momentum and let the Polish people see some change.”

The Doles also met with President Wojciech Jaruzelski and delivered a letter from Bush congratulating the Polish president “on his wisdom and leadership in this difficult time” and on his cooperation in the process of forming the new Solidarity-led government. A similar letter was delivered to Mazowiecki.

“(Jaruzelski) underscored that they (he and Mazowiecki) have to work together. They have some very tough decisions to make,” Sen. Dole said. “I came away convinced his commitment is to helping the people in Poland.”

Mazowiecki, in addition to the meeting with the Doles, held talks with Soviet Ambassador Vladimir I. Brovikov, who conveyed the congratulations of Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov to the new prime minister.

Soviets ‘Satisfied’

“The meeting was very good,” he later told reporters, adding that Moscow was “satisfied” with the policy outlined in Mazowiecki’s speech to the Polish Sejm, the lower house of Parliament, during his confirmation in which he pledged to maintain bilateral relations and keep Poland in the Warsaw Pact.

Brovikov also said a trip to Moscow for the Solidarity prime minister would be a “natural step” because “there are many issues in our relationship that have to be examined.”

Mazowiecki also met U.S. Sens. Dennis DeConcini of Arizona and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey and U.S. Rep. Jim Moody of Wisconsin, all Democrats. The three represent the congressional committee that oversees compliance with the Helsinki accords on human rights.