Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-06
PoLANp's WAR
The Manchester Guardian Re-
CARDS the Present Conflict as
Disastrous Both to the
Reborn Nation and
to Russia

Reborn Nation and
to Russia
THE most serious factor in the ap-
l. palling economic situation Of eastern
Europe is the Polish Russian war. 1t
seems daily more probable that this war
will be continued by Poland against
the openly expressed advice of England.
The Poles have justified their steady
advance into foreign territory by claims
which cause most indignant surprise
among the peoples concerned. Briefly.
the Poles declare that they consider
that they have n right to the frontiers
which were theirs in 1872. 1t is
claim to a population of nearly 30,0O0,-
600 sOuls--that is to say, to n popula-
ton nearly three times as large as the
population of Poland itself at the be-
ginning Of the war. It includes, Incl
dcntally, Lithuania, White Russia, the
bulk Of Lctvia, and stretches far into
the Ukraine.
NOR is 1t as IL any considerable pro-
~ portion of the population within
these frontiers we're Polish. The fol-
lowing governments of the old Russian
empire are those concerned: Livland,
Kurland Kovno. wilma, Grodno. Su-
valki. NitchSk. Minsk. Mogilev. Kholm,
Voynsk. Kicff, Podolsk. OF these.
Poland has an ethnographical right to
Khom alone. In not one single exam
ple of the remaining governments do
the Poles number even % per cent.
The population of these nine govern
ments in 1909 was 90 2.G04 900 persons.
and in 1916. 27,1o6, 400. In 1911, of
this population 1912 per cent were
Russians, White. Great or Little: i.GI
per cent were Poles, 13.43 per cent
wcrc Jews and S.4S per cent belonged
to other races.
The Poles, however. may be basing
their claim on something other than
although that is the prin-
ciple to which most civilized nations
refer such disputes. If they base their
claim on landed property and not on
the Poles have n slightly
better case. though even so very weak
one, especially against a revolutionary
country where great land owning has
come to an end.
Tn to the close Of the first half Of
the nineteenth century the great land
owners of the governments of Nitebsk,
Mogilcv, Minsk, Nolynsk. kief and
podolsk were almost exclusively Polish.
The great Polish landowners began sell
ing their estates when the emancipation
Of the peasants deprived them of their
serfs. In 1900 they still held about
half their old properties.
DUT we are now in 1920. and during
- the early years of the twentieth
century the Poles continued getting rid
IF their estates. On January !, 1902,
Just over % per cent of the estates in
these governments were Polish. In
Nitebsk government. 2I.S ner cent: in
Minsk. 34.4 per cent; in Moglicv, 1913
per cent in Kieff, 15.5 per cent; in
Podolsk. 81 per cent, and in Nolynsk. ~
Der cont. These percentages continued
% fall until the outbreak of war in
1914.
Perhaps, recognizing the frailty Of
heir rights alike on the basis of prop
'rty and on the basis of population, the
Poles may found their claims on some
Jew principle or on the very old one
hat any one has right to what he can
get. no matter how. Naturally, they
will not Immediately claim all these
PROVINCES for themselves. The poorer
provinces Of the north will pass per-
laps nominally into protcctorate states
lnder Polish patronage. White Russia
md Iithuania have been named as
states in which in this way Poland will
axe friendly interest.
DUT the Lithuanians. who alone have
J. had chance of being publicly
lcard on the subject, used the leIsins
Ors conference chiefly as tribune from
which to expose Polish tactics and to
protest against Polish CncrOaChmentS.
It is said that they oven went so far as
to propose an alliance Of the other bOr-
Ter states for mutual defense against
Polish imperialism. The assistance of
he border states will hardly serve Po-
and as an excuse. She may claim to
% reaching out the hand of civilization
20 save these provinces from the eco
lomic ruin Of Russia.
A IL this, besides much else, must
n have been in tho minds of English
statesmen when they advised Poland to
make peace. not war. and told her that.
whereas they would assist Poland il
,he We're attacked by Russia. they
would not assist her in aggression.
Aggression by Russia against Poland
las long been impossible. since Polish
-roops along their whole front are hun
lrpds Of miles from Polish territory.
and it will be remembered that Russia
n her desire for peace actually pro-
1Osed n line approximate to that held