A diplomatic step forward for Washington and Warsaw?
The United States and Poland are moving toward restoring diplomatic relations to full ambassadorial level, according to an extremely well-placed Polish source.
According to this source, an agreement on the exchange can be expected very soon .
In the course of his long review of the US-Polish relationship with this correspondent, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski was cautious.
But everything he said suggested he would readily welcome such a step if it meant the US was seriously moving toward modification of its present positions vis-a-vis Poland .
Frequent contacts apparently have been pursued for some months by the State Department and the Polish Foreign Office via their embassies.
There have also been unofficial ''soundings'' between Warsaw and several West European states, obviously aimed at early return to more normal relations.
A certain expectancy here seemed reflected in the local press treatment Friday of a Polish parliamentary group's first visit to France since martial law.
Zycie Warszawy's Paris correspondent reported headlines like ''End of freeze'' (Le Monde) and ''Small steps on Paris-Warsaw line''(Le Matin) and quoted the French Socialist Party's parliamentary leader as saying relations ''must not be blocked by transitory events, however serious.''
General Jaruzelski had shortly before told the Monitor he was confident Poland would its ''due place'' in Europe. ''The present difficulties are transitional,'' he said. ''Poland is immortal.''
The general stressed that his administration views renewal of American trading tariff preferences (most-favored-nation status) and an open door for Poland's access to the International Monetary Fund as being essential prerequisites for a return to normal relations with the US.
The likely US choice for its ambassador to Warsaw could still be John D. Scanlon, a Polish-speaking career officer who served as political officer during a tour of duty here in the 1970s and earned the respect of many Poles.
Agreement for his nomination was requested shortly before martial law was imposed and is still pending.
