The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-04

present war and expressed their pur-
pose at Brest Litovsk.
All is, however, conditioned upon the
erection of a real Polish state. Com
promises which sacrifice the future
will easily spoil the whole and leave
Poland once more a prey to the cupid
ity of surrounding nations. strong
Poland will be q guarantee OF the ex-
clusion OF Germany from Russia, II
,, will be a bulwark behind which Rus
sia can rise again and 1t will remove
from German control the last OF the
subject nationalities and provinces. Tor
the possession of which Prussia and
Germany have dragged Europe through
two centuries of war.
The destruction of Poland was one
Of the most sordid crimes IN all his
tory. For it there was no other de-
Tense than that of the German doc
trine of force. Poland was weak and
shaken by internal dissension. Fred
erick the Great, desiring to join East
Prussia to his kingdom by land routes
and hoping to avoid new attacks from
his old enemies by Turing them into q
project to despoil a neighbor. planned
the first partition.
Held In Slavery.
At the Congress OF Vienna, Alexan-
der of Russia long nourished the noble
idea of restoring Poland under Rus
sian protection. While the held to
sian protection While he held to
when he surrendered it. Poland was
lost although all the sovereigns at
Vienna signed a solemn compact
agreeing to preserve Polish liberties
&c
last shred of liberty, Poland lost be-
fore long and then passed into the
hideous slavery which endures up the
hour when Germany surrendered. In
the last war, now ending, Russian
Poles fought against German and
Austrian Poles. Russian and Aus
and again by destructive invasion.
Today, in some fashion, Poland is
emerging. Russian and Austrian Pol
ish districts have already united,
there is provisional government in
the old capital of Warsaw and Cracow
lis once more Polish. Only the other
day Polish troops entered Danzig and
Poland, and the Polish element is rap
idly obtaining control in upper Silesia.
The great task is virtually accom-
plished, it remains for the western
powers to fix the frontiers, with full
appreciation Of the needs Of the new
state, which is thus created and there
after to assure to it protection in the
future until the dangerout days Of be-
ginning are ever.
That the first years will be danger
Gus must be recognized. A new and
strong Poland will deprive Germany
Of not less than 100000 of people,
two-thirds of them Poles, to be sure, 1t
will take from Germany an area three
or four times as great as Alsace-Lor-
raine with mineral wealth at least as
great. 1t will inflict a wound which
Germany will long resent. although it
will be in fact, merely belated act Of
justice returning to the Poles their
ancient heritage stolen from them by
Hollenzollern might century and
half ago and held from them by brutal
tyranny ever since.
America Shows Sympathy.
President Wilson has already offic-
tally expressed Americas sympathy
with the Poles. Polish liberation is
one Of the soundest of the fourteen
points. The western nations have CIV
en- European sanction to Polish as
pirations. while Polish troops fighting
on the allied side in France and else |
where have contributed materially to |
the common victory, thus renewing /,
the old association when Poland gave
France Marshal and Napolec thou
sands of his best troops We in |
America have to remember koscius-
ko-and not a few other Poles who
fought for us in our own struggle for |
liberty
In all. history there has never been |
a finer example or poetic justice than |
the resurrection Of Poland. Supplies |
of her three old oppressors. Austria |
has disappeared, Russia has gone to
chaos and ruin, Prussia is at the mer-
cy of the great western powers. Beat
en-, mutilated, destroyed in all save
spirit by century and half of
agony, Poland is rising again. as Bel
quinn and Serbia have risen from
bondage far more recent and short
lived. Thus is being indicated again
the vitality of national consciousness,
the Immortality Of races Before
America began it's Independent his
tory at Concord and Lexington in ITS
the fall of Poland was in sight and the
spoliation had been opened by the
partition OF 1772 Yet if America has
become world power. Poland has
lived, and by virtue of this fact. is
now rising to her old estate as one OF
the free nations of Europe. Il
In addition of the Polish problem.
the Congress of Versailles will have
to decide both as to Finland and the
Baltic Provinces: AS to Finland the
decision will be easy; through all the
Russian period. lasting for just over a
century, Finland preserved its char
acter and a semblance OF autonomy.
With the collapse of Russia the Firms
aided by the Germans. sought to
achieve independence. Under Ger
man influence sovereign was chosen
from Germany and Finland seemed
destined to become one more Of the
outlying dependencies OF Germany