Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-17
POLAND'S idol"
SEEKS ALLIES AID
Jewish Question Difficult Of
Adjustment, Says Gen.
PiIsudski.
PRILUcKI DEFENDS RACE

By the Associated Press.
WARSAW. Sunday, December 15.-
Gen. Joseph Pilsudski. the military
head of the Polish government and
the popular idol of Poland, spoke
freely today Of the situation in this
country.
'"The Jewish question is most diff
cult for Poland" he said. "and it will
need great effort and sacrifice on the
part Of both Poles and Jews to reach
a solution. One of the best proofs of
our tolerance toward the Jews may be
found in the fact that they were per-
mitted to participate in the recent
election.
"A special commission Is fnvesti-
eating the alleged pogroms at Lem
berg. 1t has been established that
the first act Of the Ukranians after
occupying that city was to release
prisoners from the jails. These pris-
oners began to pillage the city, and
disorders naturally arose.
Met by Hot Water.
when Polish patrols entered the
Lemberg Ghetto they were dred upon
from windows and hot water was
poured upon them.
"At the beginning of the trouble the
forces Of Polish regular troops In
Lemberg were unable to cope with
the situation, but when reinforced,
restored order and placed in Jail fif-
teen hundred persons. many Of whom
ofy,ia al 4
1.-The government of Poland should
be recognized by all the allied pow
ers in order to deal properly with
the situation in Poland" Gen. Pilsud-
ski added. Il am a strong admirer
e1na Of Ameriea; ne lea. It was my good for
it was only for few days during
jump across the continent"
Was Sent to Siberia.
Gen. Pilsudskf is opposed by some
groups on the ground that he is a
socialist. but he says he is a demo-
crat. When only nineteen years old
he ws arrested at Wilma, in Lithuania,
his Birthplace, and sent to Siberia,
and his persecution by the Russian
government has endeared him to
many Poles. His ancestors belonged
to the nobility, but his long associa-
ton with those who opposed Russia
has caused some prominent Poles to
declare that he is unsafe to conduct
the government.
Gen. Pilsudski. while he is the mill
tary head of the government. signs
all government DEGREES and is con-
sidered the civil head, also. He con-
ducts the business of the Polish gov
ernment in a suite of magnifcently
od
month ago. by the German governor
general, Won Beseler. One month
after he returned from solitary con-
finement in German prison he was
able to expel the German governor
general.
Pri1uch Outlines Situation.
Noah Prilucki, leader of the Jew
ish nationalist party, said to the cor
respondent:
THE trouble between the Poles and
the Jews is the outgrowth of the in
disposition of the Poles to meet our
demands in the light of President
Wilson'S declaration.
Jewish nationalistic aspirations
took form nine years ago, being
stimulated by the Russian revolu-
ton. After the present war broke
freedom. but friction between the
Poles and Jews began again. When
German occupation came the Poles
accused the Jews of cooperating
with the Germans. owing to Geman
promises. The Germans permitted
suspended at Warsaw. to reappear;
allowed US to open our schools, and
gave certain liberties to both Poles
and Jews. It was then that Warsaw
elected its first municipal council
Nationalist Party's Aims.
TN this. council begsn the forma-
ton of parties which now exist. Our
nationalist party seeks autonomy for
the Jews, recognition by the Polish
state. with home rule; the right to
have our own schools and libraries
and the privilege of using Yiddish
in the schools, but to study Polish
history and the Polish Language.
I'VE have no objection to the Polish
nag, but we wish to have. the right to
regulate matters affecting Jews. We
have no desire to interfere in foreign
diplomatic matters and we wish TO
vote with the Poles on all public mat.
ters, including parliamentary cleo
ttons.
Regarding the accusation that we
made money during the war by food
speculation I may say that this is
no truer than other charges against
us. Those who did make money were
the rich Jews, not the poor people.
Our newspapers have. always opposed
Our poor suffered hun
ger the same rs Christians.
Opposed to Bolshevism.
The Jews here are largely social
lists, but are opposed to bolshevism.
Also. unlike German socialists we
are not ipternationaltsts. It 10 not
true that Jews acted n spies for the
ceruaaas. It might be remarked that
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