The Monticellonian., 1919-01-03

farthest south then Posen. then West Prussia with it's Baltic port of Dant- zig-all are Prussian provinces now. They once were Poland. The popuia- tion still Is Polish. To the south Of map Poland Is Galicia, an Austrian province. Its chief city is Gracow, the ancient capital of Poland. other cities are Lemberg and PrZemysl. The pop ulation of the province is predomi- nantly Polish. To the east, in Russia, lies Volhynia. That, too, was part or Poland once, and today. although the peasant population of the region is Ruthenian, its civilization and almost all its middle-class population-its professional men and merchants, the intelligent, educated citizenry who are the necessary pillars of q true demo- cratic state-are Polish The same thing Is true to the north, in Lithu= ania, which also was once part of Poland.
 Three Reasons for Action.
 "There are three reasons" Mr DmowSki continued, why the recon struction of national Poland is so vital an issue.
 "The first, already touched on, is the necessity of setting an impossible boundary to Germany on the east. Po- land Is the only country So situated, geographically as to be able to pro vide this service, the only natural ob- stacle between German scheming and Russian disorganzation
 sFhe second reason is the Baltic. Even before Russia collapsed that body of water was becoming q Ger man lake Now that Russia is gone Germany is the only nation of large i population having Baltic ports. Give reconstructed Poland again her an eient outlet to the seas through her old port of DaHtzig and the company of democratic nations will have its own entryway to the trade of all northeastern Europe
 The third reason is the breaking up of Austria, which is as serious men ace to permanent peace, unless pro- yided against with intelligent fore 1 sight. as even the Germau-Russian 1 boundary situation. Leave central Europe a group of small, weak. half developed nationalties. and the Bal kan question, which has all along been largely a question of Teutonic pressure toward domination of the 1 Black sea, Asia Minor and the Persian | gulf, will remain acute. What solid anti-German barriers will stand there2 i Bohemia - the new CZecho- Slovak state? But that will have only twelve million people Restored and recon stituted Roumania? She will have at least fourteen million citizens and around her will stand Hungary. Bull garia, Russia. What could Bohemia. Reumania or both of them avail against Germany with her compact siXty-five million population?
 Effective Barrier Seen. But add a national Poland and the situation changes You have then to l the east and southeast of Germany cutting her off from Hungary, Bul- garia and Turkey, three thoroughly nen=German states with population of sixty-one million liberal democrats "a mass and spirit with which aspir- ing autocrats and bolshevfst vision aries alike must reckon.
 For these three purposes-to save Russia and Asia from eneroachments :; to preserve the freedom of the Baltic, to end forever the Balkan question and the possibility of il fresh Ham burg Persian Gulf obsession in those worshipers of mental straw men and ancient tribal gods, reconstructed Pc land iS the one natural and truStwor- ! thy peace structure. It is vital" -~~~>~~-~~~~~~-~~--~-~~-o-~ s-~--0@oo