The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-26
CRISIS NOW
AS SERIOUS
AS DANGER
FROM HUNS
Bolsheviki Are Menacing Sc
curity of Entente as Ger
mans Did Year Ago When
They Crossed KENNEL.
REPEAT WAR MISTAKES
BY FRANK n. SIMONDS,

Copyright, 1919. by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate>
PARIS, March 26.--We have tust
passed the anniversary Of the great
military crisis Of the recent war, when
Germany almost triumphed in the at
tack of March 81 toward Amiens. We
know that the German success was
due primarily to the absence Of unity
OF command on the allied side, and
that supreme disaster was only avoid
ed because in moment of utmost
peril the allies turned to Foch.
After four months of armistice and
the peace conference, we are in a
certain sense reaching a situation
strangely and unpleasantly reminis-
cent of last year. The absence of
unity Of command in the peace con-
ference in the last four months has
made possible a new offensive, the
extent Of which is still undisclosed,
but the menace of which is daily grow
ing before all eyes. This is the peril
OF Bolshevism.
Real Danger in BoIshevism.
With such information as reaches
US from America comes no hint of the
extent to which the Bolshevism dan
ger Of Europe Is appreciated. There
seems to be in America a certain calm
confidence that Bolshevism is a thing
incapable of passing the Atlantic, just
as there is in Wilsonian circles here a
belief that Bolshevism will surrender
without condition the moment 1t finds
itself in the presence of the league of
nations actually organized Whether
Bolshevism could Cross the Atlantic
or not must be problematical. That
Bolshevism may arrive at the channel
or even cross 1t into Britain within
the next year is at least believed by
many serious people in Paris and out
of It.
As for the notion that the league of
nations carries any remedy for Boil
shevism, this is simply preposterous.
Bolshevism is. as much as it is any
thing. an attack on the theory and
system of private property. 1t is
purely and simply communism. 1t is
our political and economic theory in
the western world. 1t seeks to gov
ern the world by masses of the least
skilled labor. 1t is systematically
killing all men Of capacity and ability
in Russia. 1t wars on nationalities,
on patriotism, on all that we have
been accustomed to regard as organ
lied civilization. It's only liking for
the league of nations is based on the
conviction that the league of nations
will disarm exactly those forces which
might otherwise resist Bolshevism,
and so far this Is an accurate conclu-
sion.
Decisive Measure Avoided.
Now, what exactly is the situation?
In the first place. Europe and America,
in the presence Of domestic opposition
resigned the policy which might have
involved the expenditure OF some life
and some treasure, but would have
meant a decisive battle against Boil
shevism by the allied armies. The
first proposal that we should carry
the war into Russia with our own vic
torious armies was vetoed by all the
governments Of the great powers in
the alliance, because 1t was recognized
that the people Of none Of them would
consent to sacrifice which would have
TO be made-sacrifices in men and in
money. The people Of the victorious
nations said: I'VE have suffered
enough. We are exhausted and we
will fight no more"
There was, then, a second line of
policy. 1t lay within our power to
support the Ukrainians, the Rouma-
mans, the Poles and the people of the
Baltic provinces, who had a sense OF
nationalism more or less strongly de-
fined, who had in the case of the Uk-
rainians, a system of private property
and small peasant holdings, endan-
gered by the Bolshevist program. We
might have limited Bolshevism to that
Muscovite faction of Russia which on
ly in the last two centuries has added
to itself the people of the fringes.
The Roumanians, the Poles, the f,
Lithuanians and the Ukrainians asked
nothing better than allied support in
money. in material and in officers, to
make resistance at the frontiers of
Russia and to throw Bolshevism back
back on Moscow. But this was four
months ago. Once more we did moth
ing. AS a consequence today Paris is |
informed that the Bolshevists have !
practically conquered the Ukraine, the
handful of Greek and French troops |
sent to assist the volunteers, without |
material or without assurances, have |
been left to escape, while the volun-
teers made common cause with the |
Bolshevists.
Roumania is Paralyzed.
Roumania, the best single bulwark |
We have In the east, has been paral- |
yzed because of quarrel between |
Roumania and Serbia over tiny |
morsel of territory, a quarrel which |
the Paris conference has not been |
able to compose. The single effective |
Ukrainian force Is engaged in a cam
paign to drive the Poles out of Lem |
berg. The Poles and Czecho- -Slovaks |
who together should constitute a bar
Iier on the north, are at odds over |
Teschen. and we cannot make up our
minds to give the Poles, not allied |
troops, but Polish troops. who have
fought in France. Moreover the peace |
conference under the impulsion of
Lloyd George is at this moment en-
gagged in depriving the Poles of any
adequate access to the sea for fear
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