The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-05
FOUR STATES
ARE CREATED
BY TERMS OF
CONFERENCE
Races Once Under Alien Rule
Will be Made Into Indepen-
dent Republics Map
Drawn by Council.
FORM new PROTECTION
BY FRANK n. SIMoNDS.

BY FRANK n. SIMONDS.
Last week discussed the western
frontiers of Germany. indicating that
the Allies had substantially agreed
that Germany should surrender Alsace
Lorraine and the Saar coal district
TO France outright, and that she would
further have to consent to the crea-
tion Of Rhenish Republic on the left
bank Of the Rhine. The permanent
military frontier and the temporary
political frontier Of Germany on the
west is thus fxed at the Rhine. Since
that time very great decisions have
been practically reached, not merely
with respect of the eastern frontiers
of Germany, but also as to the per-
manent boundaries Of Ave states
which are either to be created, ex-
panded, or in the case of Hungary,
greatly diminished. These decisions
give us a chance to see something of
what the map of Europe is to be
after the peace Of Versailles and 1t is
these changes which am going to dis
cuss now.
The problem before the victors In
the present war was to create out OF
the nationalities rescued from German
and Austrian tyranny or having es.
capped from the Russian chaos real
states which should have future
part in the preservation OF peace IN
Europe and should achieve the un1hca-
ton of races whose servitude has
been a permanent menace to the
peace of Europe.
Races Under Allen Rule.
In August, 1914, and in all the Pc
riod before that, stretching back to
the decisions Of the Congress OF Vien-
ma a century ago, three Slav races, the
Poles, the Czecho-Slovaks and the
Jugo Slavs, have been condemned to
alien rule while a fourth, the Rouma-
nian, although in the latter half OF the
century 1t achieved partial liberation,
has been in fact q creature OF the
Hapsburg monarchy. When Germany
and Austria assailed the Western pow.
ers they were able to make use OF
the man power and the industrial pow
er of more than 100000 Of these
subject races. To rescue these masses
Is therefore an essential step to rob
bing Germany of the opportunity to
come again.
Each of the four peoples, the Poles,
the Roumanians, the Czecho-Slovaks
and the Jugo Slavs have an independ'
ent history of their own In some fash
ion. The partition Of Poland did not
begin until 1772, and as late as l1so
there was Poland, and even after the
last partition Of that year Napoleon,
in creating the Grand Duchy Of War
saw, revived Polish hopes and In a
certain measure Polish liberation. AS
a cosequence Of this, Poland gave the
great Emperor at least one Marshal OF
France, and many Of his best troops.
The Congress Of Vienna abolished
Poland in fact despite the fiction
written into that document, but from
1915 until the end Of the world war
the story of Poland has been ghast-
ly tragedy. The Polish people have
been divided between Austrian. Prus-
sian and Russian rulers. In the last
war they were condemned to fight
against each other and 1t was not un-
III this war broke that there was the
smallest promise OF restoration OF
Poland.
but today the Allies who have con-
uuered Germany have been compelled
10 recognize that no element in the
future peace Of Europe can be more
important than strong and stable
Poland, at once a barrier to German
expansion into the east and to Bolshe-
visit CONQUEST in the west. Actually,
poland is to be the buffer state be-
tween the Germans and the Bolshe.
vists. and It Is the hope of Western
civilization that the Poles will be able
to build permanently and solidily un
der the guarantee of the League OF
Nations and to become within gen
Grafton the greatest Of the small pow
ers Of Europe.
Sea Coast Problem.
At the moment when the Allies IN
Paris began their work the Polish
problem seemed almost insoluble. On
the east, Poland was invaded by the
Bolsheyists, on the south 1t was at
tackled by the Ukranians, on the west
the Germans still sullenly held to theil
own Polish provinces. Even at the
present moment the Poles and the
Ukranians are fighting. and there has
never been any truce between the
RoIsheyists and the Poles. Moreover
it's been absolutely impossible undel
existing conditions not alone to senc
Allied troops to Poland, but even tt
dispatch thither Polish divisions IL
France.
In addition to all these practica
problems, the Conference OF Paris nae
to face the question whether Poiant
should or should not have sea coast
To create a state of 20,000,0OO of peo
pie, mainly Polish. with workable
frontiers, was a relatively simple
problem, but between the Poles OF thi:
block and the Baltic there Is mar
row facade Of German population
stretching from Konigs burg to Dant
zig. a population Of perhaps 2,5O0.OOl
Teutons and more German than al
other Germans. If this population was
surrendered to Poland there was
bound to be protest on the part o.
Germany that the self-determinatio1
OF these people had been prevented
On the other hand, II Poland were
denied her outlet to the sea through
Dantzig, which was once her sea gate
she would remain In economic servi
tude to Germany. The third possibili
(Continued on Pace 1en)