Evening star., 1919-03-25

in officers to make resistance at the
frontiers of Russia and to throw
bolshevism back upon Moscow.
We Did Nothing.
But this was four months, ago, once
>more We did nothing.
AS consequence today Paris is in
formed that the bolshevists have
practically conquered the Ukraine.
The handful of Greek and French
troops sent to assist the volunteers,
without material or without assur-
rance, have been left to escape, while
the volunteers made common cause
with the bolshevists
Rumania, the best single bu1wark
we have in the east, has been para
1yzed because of a quarrel between
Rumania and Serbia over a tiny NOR
sci of territory. a quarrel which the
Paris conference has not yet been
able to compose. The single effective
Ukrainian force is engaged in a cam
paign to drive the Poles out of Lem
berg.
Treatment of the Poles.
The Poles and Czechoslovas, who
together should constitute a barrier
on the north, are at odds over TeS-
chen, 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. I'M
der the impulsion of Lloyd George. is
<at the moment engaged in depriving
the Poles of any adequate access to
the sea. lest there should be Ger
Fman dissatisfaction in the future.
Finally the quarrel between the
r,Jugoslavs and the Italians continues,
land still another of those people who
should be our allies in the east
sagainst bolshevism- IS disintegrating
gunder attacks which the Paris con-
sference permits to continue.
Situation Summed Up.
In sum. this is the situation:
| We had on the eastern frontiers of
Russia and in the south of Europe
salmost a hundred millions of pecple
who were our natural allies, who
swere the best possible barrier against
bolshevism, who needed only our ma
eterial support and assurance of our
recognition of their ultimate demands
for the future, not merely to check
bolshevfsm east of the Niemen and
the Dneister. but to throw it back
upon Moscow itself.
Substantially. We have permitted
these peoples to disintegrate and be-
come themselves material for boIshe-
vlsm at home. Instead of erecting a
barrier against this flame coming out
of Russia, we actually assisted in
Transforming these margin states into
lnfammable material
We can no longer safely count upon
the Poles. the Czechoslovaks. the Ru-
manians and the Ukrainians as an
adequate or even powerful obstacle
TO bolShevik advance. and we have to
consider now the possibility that boil
shevism will in the next few weeks
sweep into all of them and conceive
ably overwhelm all of them
We know that there is coming
ooishevlk attack. We know that
great offensive is being prepared by
t po,snev1sts which may at any mo-
Ludendor1s gigantic offensive broke
upon the British just a year ago.
"Thanks to Our Own Folly.v
We know. too. that there is not in
Poland. thanks to our own folly. any
a9eauate power of resistance.
We have thus sacrificed our first line
OF defense. We have not only sacri-
need it. but We have risked the pos
sioliity OF seeing our natural allies
iorced INTO the ranks of the enemy.
IN this time, what of GERMANY
The notion that Germany conld 90
over 70 boishevism was held by the
Wnoie world to be preposterous at the
nonent when Germany abandoned the
re- ~. IN Two separate occasions since
r.
many nave succeeded Temporarily in
restraining the elements of disorder
which borrowed the coIors and idsas
OF ooishevism. but for four months We
nave been unable to make even a nrae
iiMInary MI lead of peace with Germanv
w we nave continually held before
tne German people the extent of
punishment which we Intended 70 ;n
nict upon them. We have openly dis
cussed week after week the fndemni-
we intended to take from them. the
provinces we intended to deprive then,
oI. the ships we meant to seize. and
nave inculcated in the German
mind the idea that we proposed to
destroy the future of Germanv: and
ling. 0one hoth-
What Has Been the Result.
What has been the result? Had We
imposed upon Germany in Novemhar
SUBSTANTIALLY the terms which we
mean to impose upon her in AprfI or