Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-12-20

which held not merely Dant2ig and
koenigsberg, but also Libau and Riga.
But Lithuania without a hinterland,
would he equally handicapped, would
be merely an insignificant state, de-
pendent upon Germany for it's exis-
tence, since il would alike bar Poland
and what was left of Russia from the
open sea.
Polish Independence l%nsincere.
Recall that Poland was partdioned at
the suggestion and under the direction
of Frederick the Great originally, and
that Prussia was a partner in each Of
the TWO succeeding partitions. Recall
that today Germany-tlat is, Prussia
holds 1000, 900 Poles in slavery of a sort
far more intolerable than that of the
people Of Alsace-Lorraine, and ii is
possible to understand how much OF
sincerity there is in the new German
plea for the Polish people-of Russian
Poland.
There was once an American poll
tician who defined the attitude of his
class TO the public by the aphorism,
Give the people the laws which they
want, but make them unconstitutional"
German policy now proposes to be
stow certain blessings upon the Polish
people of Russia, but to bestow them
in such shape that they will no bene-
fit the Poles and will lead to the ulti-
mate ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF Germany. She
10 Sni w ASoN Ah>h " w.
Der of small states, incapable of in
dependent existence because they have
not the necessary organs. and, having
created them. to swallow them, one by
one, as one eats an artichoke, leaf by
leaf. This is what she is doing in Bel
GUM, where she is seeking to set the
Fleming against the Walloon, with the
foreknowledge that il such a division
be achieved there can be no Belgium
and she will ultimately be able. as the
champion of the Fleming or the Wal
loon, as the case may be, to annex all
of Belgium.
The Belgian example is an admir-
able parallel. for something Of the
same ancient jealousy exists between
the Lithuanian and the Pole, who are
~racially and linguistically nearer kin
than the Fleming and the Walloon. but
have ancient grudges and contempo-
rary riNalrieS. Ii Germany succeeds in
creating these two separate states both
will be in the end her vassals and her
victims. And her policy is the policy of
both Russia and Austria in the Bal
kans for half a century; both sought
to keep the Balka states weak and di-
vided by mutual je~alousies. that all
sian treatment of Bulgaria and Aus
trian treatment of Serbia both rest
upon the same essential doctrine.
So much for the German policy. Now,
what does the German proposal mean
in terms of immediate fact? First OF
state joining h old Russo-German
frontier north of the Niemen m oc-
cupying all the territory between the
Baltic on the west, the Gulf of Riga on
the north. and, on the east. the line Of
TIE Petrograd-W Warsaw railroad: final
ly, he southern boundary might o
ccivably be the Niemen river. This
would mean including the Russian gov
ernments of the Courland. Kovno,
wilma, Livonia and at least portions Of
Grodno and Suwalki.
This new Lithuania would have an
area of some 10000 square miles. con-
tanning a population of approximately
1000. 900. less than 5000. 900 Of these be-
ing Lithuanians n more than 1,00O,-
900 Poles. This would be a state ruled
by a race, itself in h Re minority. a state
which could not exist without the pro-
lection Germany would supply for a
price. In a word, this new state would
be a vassal of Germany, INC German
control Of the Baltic shores would ex-
tend almost to the mouth of the Gulf
Of Finland; that is, to the door of
PetrOgrad.
Aim to Enslavs czechs.
Now what of German Poland? This
would be a state consisting of Russian
Poland, with upward of 10000, 900 of
people, to which might be added a por-
ton of Grodno and a fraction Of Vol
hynia, making in all a state Of about
the same size as Lithuania, but with
a population approaching is, 200. 900.
But this state is to be directly added to
Austria and Joined with Galicia, / n
which live some 100000 Poles and
1000, 900 Ruthenians. BY this move the
Poles, who hOld the balance of power
in Austria. would be eliminated from
Austrian politics. German control would
be assured and the Czechs-that Is. the
Slavs Of Bohemia and Moravia-would
be helpless before their German mas
ters.
! Moreover. the capacity of Austria to
rule such a state, numbering nearly 49,
000. 900, three-Quarters Of them Poles,
Ii unbelievable. And in her own time
Germany would follow the course she
adopted with Schleswig- Holstein. con-
quered from Denmark with the aid Of
Austria, and finally added to Prussia
by q successful war against her for
mer ally. In . word. Germany would
temporarily assign to Austria territory
beyond Austrian capacity to hold and
ultimately take 1t herself. For it must
be recognized that, without free access
to the sea. this torso Of a free Poland
serviency to the nation holding all the
sea front from Pernau to Stettin.
On the other hand. 1t is beginning
to be clear that there are grave doubts
in Germany as to the a~dvisability Of
giving Poland v e this semblance of
Observation-Disclosures il not even
suggested in the German plans-and
there Is a growing junker demand that
some other and less dangerous solu-
ton be found. some solution that will
not awaken dangerous aspirations / n
the hearts OF 1000. 900 Poles who are.