The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-01-11
Poles Fighting the Germans on
the West and the Advancing
BoIsheWki on East.
CALL ON ALLIES FOR help
Lenlne's Forces Meet Disastrous De-
feat at Perm, but Capture Ufa-
President Wilson Visits Rome
Secretary Daniels Pro-
gram for the Greatest
Navy,
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

So far as fighting is concerned, the
absorbing news is coming from Poland
just now. The Poles, having enthusi
astically welcomed the head of their
new republic, Ignace Jan Paderewski,
the famous musician, are following his
lead against the Germans on the one
side and the Russian bolsheviki on the
other. They are determined to add to
their state the province Of Posen, Dan
! zig and other parts of Prussia, and the
government at Berlin is equally deter
mined that they shall not lay hands on
German territory. The result is q
series of conflicts, with varying re-
suits. AS this is written a report comes
that Polish army of 10000 men is
marching on Berlin and that Gustav
Noske member of the Ebert cabinet
in charge of military affairs, has or
dered the Fifth German division to adj
vance to meet the Poles.
| The Poles entered Frankfort on the
Oder, so miles east of Berlin, and also
Beuthen in Prussian Silesia, and
Bromberg, in the province of Posen. In
the city of Posen the Poles occupied
! the fortress, disarming 10000 German
soldiers, and the fighting there has
been almost continuous. Many Jews
are said to have been slain.
Nd
| The German authorities admit the
Polish question is serious and that it
will be difficult to prevent the estab-
lishment of free Poland. The Poles
I are masters of most of the towns and
have cut all means of communication.
1t Is on their eastern borders that the
Poles are having the worst time. There
they are contending not only against
the bolshevik armies in their sweep
| through Lithuania, but also against
the Ukrainians, who are disputing with
the Poles the possession of the south
ern part of Lithuania. General Pill
| sudtky commands a rather small army
Of loyal Poles, and General Halter,
who commanded the Poles in France,
| mas iahuCO at l|uhAlS Will a DOuy VI
troops; but they are long way apart,
with hostile armies between them.
There Is considerable demand that the
allies extend quick and strong aid to
the Poles, since the establishment of
| Poland as buffer state not only would
keep Germany from grabbing the Bal
tic provinces and eventually control
ling Russia, but also would deprive the
Germans of most of the coal deposits
on which they rely. The bolshevist
menace and the industrial disorder in
| Poland make it impossible for the
Poles to await the settlement of their
problem by the peace congress, say
their leaders. Most of their factories
We're destroyed by the Germans and
the thousands of Poles now sent back
by Germany are clamoring for food
and employment and in some places
are taking the law into their own
hands and plundering their former en-
ployers,
-@-
hdIoly the DolSleNlhI nave DUH lOSl
and won in eastern Russia. Their
chief loss was at Perm, in the Urals
which was captured by General Gaida
at the head of Czecho-Slovak and 81
berian forces. The bolshevik Third
army was virtually destroyed and Mix
OLAF Lenine, the bolshevik premier,
who was directing operations from an
armored train, narrowly escaped cap
ture. Gaida completely surprised the
bolsheviki and captured $1,000 men
5000 railway cars, 100 field guns 1000
machine guns and much other equip
ment. Ten regiments were annihilated
and the remainder of the enemy driven
across the Kama river.