Evening star., 1919-10-12

a wedge between East Prussia and
the main bulk of German lands. put
some hundreds of thousands of Ger
mans. minority, be 1t understood
under Polish rule, and undid the work
of Frederick the Great and his success
sors In the east. And every sensio.e
Englishman also understood that If
this arrangement were imposed upon
Germany it would require British as
we'll as French troops to maintain II
and would abolish all hope of any
permanent return to international
amity.
An Incomplete Pact.
BY contrast, the Polish arrangement
was not only an act of Justice. but
grudging and incomplete act. Poland
did not receive all the lands stolen
from her by Prussia in the several
partitions. She did not receive Dan
zig, to which her claim was far
stronger than the Jugoslav claim to
Fiume, which has upset the whole
! equilibrium of the world. II some
thousands of Germans were placed
under her rule. not less than 3,5OO.ooO
were given to CZechoslovakla with
out any debate. Moreover. the Ger
mans in many instances were the de-
scendants of colonists sent into Pol
ish lands by the Prussian conquerors.
To protest at giving the Sarre basin
to France and at the same time argue
against giving Posen or West Prussia
to Poland Is to fly in the face OF all
logic and all consistency.
Yet the truth was not less plain. was
openly expressed by Americans In
Paris. finds its echo in many Amerl-
can journals now, that 1t was unwise
to return Polish lands to Poland be-
cause 1t insured future war, perma-
nent German hostility. But on the
same basis any return Of stolen prop
| erty can be criticised and all applica-
tion Of the right of self-determination
becomes dangerous and even inadvisa-
BILE. To do justice to Poland was to
create permanent source of German
resentment, but was II therefore wrong
to do justice? 1t is in the Polish de-
tail that the so-called liberal argu-
ment, criticism. limps most awk-
iwardly.
The reason is patent. American lib
! eralism derives its inspiration and
more of its ideas from British lib
eralism. But British liberalism is far
| more practical. To commit Britain to
\ a policy of maintaining the integrity
| of Poland against permanent German
menace seemed a wholly undesirable
venture in many quarters, some Of
which had openly advocated British
vaded and the destruction of France
threatened. AS a matter Of policy the
| criticism Is incomprehensible. as a
| matter Of ethics 1t is hardly defens-
ible.
| Against Eastern Terms.
! Yet everything which has happened
,aoap< ,o,opfbc {pdicotau
many. bowling to the western deci-
sions. holds herself rigidly against
the eastern terms. She Is doing every
\ thing rs make the plebiscite in upper
| Silesia a farce, she Is holding on in
Danzig and even in the Baltic prov
inces. Every expression which comes
from Germany indicates that the COM
mon thought of all Germans is to re-
! wise the eastern settlement at the
earliest moment, to destroy the Po-
lish Kingdom. to do it even at the risk
of another world war.
But the Polish question is not SIM
pie and single. France has undertaken
Poles. The Polish army is officered
by Frenchmen, 1t has derived it's
spirit from the French. For France,
for French safety in Europe, it is an
important circumstance that Germany
should have on the east a powerful
II the German should set out on his
old pathways again. A Polish state of
80 100000 of inhabitants. solidly al
lied with France, Is a very real in
surance against German aggression.
But at this point French and British
Inize the necessity to stand with
France in any German assault upon
the west. The eastern frontiers of
Bilgium and France are the eastern
frontiers of Britain. But II Britain is
ready to stand with France and
for France at the Rhine, she finds
herself less willing to stand with
France and Poland on the lower Wis
tula or the upper Oden. She sees with
real anxiety and open protest the de-
velopment of a French continental
policy which aims at protecting those
states, particularly that Polish state
called into existence by the treaty of
Versailles. but forever dependent
upon outside aid for existence.
American liberals, taking color from
British. who are echoing this note
with increasing insistence. They are
accusing France of militaristic and
imperialistic policies. But why?
Mainly because France is seeking to
guarantee the INTEGRITY of Poland, of a
Polish state created under the
application OF the very principles en-
Enthusiastically affirmed by the liberals
Of the world one year ago. Yet it was
, these same liberals who, in defiance of
their principles. succeeded in persuad-
ing Lloyd George to use his influeIee
to have the neck of the new Poland
narrowed SO that there could be no
question that Germany could encom-
pass it with her fingers. Poland was
the plain product of their principles,
but today they renounce the conclu-
sion which followed inevitably upon
their premises
That we shall have war one day
over roland seems to me certain. ]
cannot conceive Of any powerful ma
u iContinuad IN, Eo,i,.foo1fi, Tor-o