New-York tribune., 1920-08-08
The Othcv View of Poland
Regarded as a Quarclsonle, I'M
periolistic Nation Seeking
crritoru
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: One should not be hypercrit-
lcal of the veracity of newspapers. But
when unfounded statements, due at
best to ignorance, are used to incite
popular feeling to war, lack of veracity
becomes the greatest moral crime. I
refer directly to your editorial, "The
Test which appeared in The Tribune
of August s.
For over two years France and Eng
land have been levying war against
Soviet Russia. They used Tschai-
kowsky, kolchak, Denikine, Yudenitch,
Petlura and Wrangel FINALLY they
urged Poland to attack the Bolshevik
government. Yet in your editorial it
would appear that Soviet Russia has al
ways been the aggressor and the Allies
sinned against. When, of its own ac-
cord did Russia attack any nation.
great or small? The very countries
You mention in your editorial as
being friendly to Poland -Latvia
t'sthonia and Lithuania- have been liv-
ing at peace with Russia. The Soviet
did not even give aid to the Hun
garian Soviet. Ukraina chose between
Czarist Denikine and the Bolsheviki
As for poor, helpless Poland which,
according to your editorial, was forced
! by Russia to invade Russian terri
tory, when did it live at peace with its
neighbors ever since its inception as
a government? 1t began its independ-
eAce with an invasion into East Prus-
sla, Germany being then game for any
one to shoot at. 1t had scarcely got
OF its legs when it drove The Ukraini-
ans out of eastern Galicia and appro-
priatcd Lemberg and large district
about the city whose population is pre-
dominantly Ruthenian. Having mo-
mentarily satisfied their ambition in
tnat direction, the Poles turned north
and drove Russians and Lithuanians
out OF the purely Lithuanian city of
Wilma and the Russian cities Of Minsk
and Dvinsk. Then they turned their
attention to the southwest and moved
belligently toward the Germans in
Silesia and the Bohemians in Teschen.
with whom they fought actual battles
until persuaded by the Allies to remain
quiet at least in that corner. Having
quarreled with all of its neighbors,
Poland decided to turn east again.
1t attacked Russia
1t is for this peaceful Poland that
your editorial wor:a have us go
to war again. Its war of pare ag-
gression you call war in aid CT
Ukrainian nationalists, meaning, I
suppose, Petlura, whose position in the
Ukraine can be compared only to Villas
position in Mexico
Compared to Poland's record of pug
racity the Bolshevik government ap-
pears a vertable dove of peace. It is
a. peace with Georgia. Finland, Latvia,
Esthona and Lithuania
Faw thinking men like Bolahevism
Bolshevism is tyranny, and no think
ing man likes tyranny unless he him
self happens to be the tyrant But
that is no reason fer prevarication
ignorantly unintentional or recklessly
premeditated. To base upon such
fabric an argument for war betokens
gross disregard of morality and hui
manity as great as that displayed by
any Prussian miltariat We fought
one war for democracy and wor it.
1t resulted in democracy for the van
anished, but in an orgy Of imperialism
for the victors, Xcopting. Of course,
ourselves. Evidently The Tribaae ha
not learned its lesson. for here it IS
urging US to go on another quixotic
expedition. Really such idealism
(Nilsonan, tool in those who rail- at
impracticable idealists would be laugh
able if it appeared a Bit more inno-
cent ARTHUR MASON LICKE.
Brooklyn, Aug 5, 1920.