Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-03
POLES ON
MARCH TO
BERLIN IS
REP0R TED
Polish Government Orders Its
Troops to Mobilize; Condi-
tions in Posen Are Con.
sidered Grave.

London, Jan. 2.-Polish troops
have entered Frankfort-on-the Oder
so miles east of Berlin, says Berne
dispatch to the Express, which ADDS
that the Poles have occupied Beu.
then, in Prussian Silesia, and Brom.
berg. in the province of Posen. 6e
miles northeast of the Posen city.
Copenhagen, Jan. "A Polisl,
army of $4,000 men is marching on
Berlin, according to dispatch re-
ceived0 here quoting rumors at the
German capital.
. Gustave Noske, member of the
Ebert cabinet in charge of military
affairs, is said to have ordered the
Fifth German division to meet the
Poles.
Events in Posen are assuming a
grave character. according to ad-
vices from Berlin. Large parts OF
the province are in the hands OF
the Poles and Polish troops have
crossed the frontier at Skalmieryee,
town southeast of Posen and 62
miles northeast of Breslau. Ger
man troops there must. it is stated,
retreat in the face OF superior
force of the Poles.
1t is also reported that the Polish
government has ordered the mobili-
cation of all Poles.
'- Poland in Despair. =
. London, Jan. 2-Poland is in des,
pair owing to the invasion Of Lob
shevist troops and the apparent in
difference of the western powers to
the plight Of the country, according
to a Warsaw dispatch to the Mail.
"Telegrams are sent begging in-
tervention by the allies" the dis
patch states, but no reply comes.
The Poles. admit the imnensity OF
the numerous problems absorbing
the allies, but complain that they
do not receive the least sign of at
tention or a word of guidance.
The correspondent says the situa-
ton is made worse by internal dis
order in Poland. Factories in all
the" industrial towns have been de-
stroyed by the Germans and thous-
ands Of Poles who were sent to
Germany during the war are return
ing and there is no employment for
them. They are taking the law into
their own hands and terrorizing
their former employers. compelling
them to give them money. ~
Lodz is in the hands of the red
guard, which has shot some of the
officers of the regular troops. The
government, headed by Joseph Pill
sudsky, is weak, the correspondent
says.
On Tearing Raid.
Geneva, Jan. 2.-The Polish army
marching toward Berlin has as its
objective "a tearing raid into Ger
many" according to the Polish
agency at Lausanne. The infantry
is we'll armed and is supported by
artillery and cavalry. The infantry
already has occupied important rail-
way centers, including Kreuz-
Driesen 'and Poznau, and has cap
tured a large amount of railway
stock with little resistance. The
Germans are rearming demobAized
soldiers and fighting is expected, al
though some of the demobilized
troops are refusing to serve.
Fighting in Posen.
Warsaw, Jan. 2.-(By Associated
Press. Fighting has continued at
various points in .Posen, between
Polish and German troops in the
last few days. The fortress, of the
city has been occupied by the Poles,
while more than 10000 German SOL
diers have been disarmed.
The Sixth German grenadier regi-
ment has refused to surrender and
now is surrounded in a barracks
within the city. The entire Polish
population is reported to be aiding
the Polish troops. They include
boy scouts and young women.
The fighting is ofea house-to-
house nature and there is no &C
curate estimate of the number
killed and wounded -r
Ignace Jan Paderewski, who ar
rived in Posen several days ago.. is
delaying his departure for Warsaw
in order to have a conference with
German delegates from Berlin.