The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 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-
ton still is Polish. To the south of
map Poland is Galicia, an Austrian
province. Its 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 a true demo-
cratic state-are Polish The same
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 OBJ.
stacle between German scheming and
Russian dlsorganization.
The second reason Is the Baltic.
Even before Russia collapsed that
body of water was becoming a 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 It's
own entryway to the trade Of all
northeastern Europe.
1.-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 Teutonlc
pressure toward domination of the
COO Acio Minor and tho DarcGoy
gulf. will remain acute. What solid
ti-German barriers will stand there?
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.
Roumania or both of them avail
against Germany, with her compact
sixty-five million population?
Effective Barrier Seen.
"But add 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
non-German states with a population
Of sixty-one million liberal democrats
"a mass and spirit with which asplr-
ing autocrats and bolshevist vision
aries alike must reckon.
"For these three purposes-to save
Russia and Asia from entertainments !;
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 Po-
land is the one natural and trustwor-
| thy peace structure. 1t is vital"
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