The Wahpeton times., 1919-01-02

farthest south. then Posen, then West
Prussia with its Baltic port Of Dant.
zig-all are Prussian provinces now.
They once were Poland. The popula-
tiOn still Is Polish. To the south of
map Poland is Galicia, an Austrian
province. It's chief city is. Cracow, 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 of
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 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 contipued. "why the recon-
struction Of national Poland is so vital
an issue. H
'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 oh.
az oclo hofuyoon Nor,,oo, coho,oso~ .~A
Russian disqualification.
'"The second reason is the Baltic.
Even before Russia collapsed that
body of water was becoming Ger
man lake. Now that Russia Is gone
Germany is the only nation Of large
population having Baltic ports. Give
reconstructed Poland again her an.
cient outlet to the seas through her
old port of Dantzig 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-
vided against with intelligent fore.
sight, as even the German Russian
boundary situation. Leave central
Europe group Of small, weak; half.
developed nationalities, and the Bal
kan: question, which has all along
been largely question of Teutonic
[pressure toward domination of the
Black sea. Asia Minor and the Persian
gulf, will remain: acute: What solid
anti-German barriers will stand there?
Bohemia - the new Czecho- -Slovak
state? But that will have only twelve
million people. Restored and recon
;stituted Roumanias She will have at
fleast fourteen million citizens :. and
around her will stand Hungary, Bull
garia, Russia. What could Bohemia,
Roumania or both of them avail
against Germany, with her compact
sixty-flve million population7
!. Effective Barrier Seen. -f+'t
N"Bdt add d national Poland and the
situation changes. You have then to
the east and southeast of Germany.
cutting her off from Hungary, Bull
garia and Turkey, three thoroughly
nom German states with population
Of sixty-one million liberal democrats
la mass and spirit with which aspir-
ing autocrats and bolshevist vision.
aries alike must reckon.
"For these three purposes-to save
Russia and Asia from encroachments
to preserve the freedom of the Baltic :
to end forever the Balkan question
and the possibility of 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"