New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-26
BoLsheuists 7 ern1s
By Frank H. Simonds

now is to make Poland powerless to
defend itself, to associate itself with the
Western world.
Equally useful it obviously is to
stimulate confusion and quarrels in all
other nations. Thus the Bolshevists,
rot seeking to gain territory as such
and nationally, but seeking to conquer
whole countries and attach them to the
Bolshevist chariot, agree to respect the
linguistic frontiers Of Poland, and even
to concede more territory to the Poles
than Lloyd George would insist upon.
But what difference how much territory
is Polish if Poland, entire, is Bolshev-
ist?
The real purpose of the terms of
peace which the Russians plan to i'm
pose upon the Poles is to prepare the
way for Bolshevizing Poland, and the
end Will be attained if Poland is totally
disarmed. 1t will be attained the more
promptly if the arms taken from the
soldiers are distributed in hands which
will use them against the Polish gov
eminent under the inspiration and pro-
lection of the Bolshevists themselves.
Seen in their true light, the terms
served upon Poland have double in
tent: They would render Poland de-
fenseless, as a step in the process OF
Bolshevizng, and they would encourage
the British Labor party to continue its
refusal to permit Britain to lend its aid
to the Poles. They conform, superficial
ly, to the Georgian conditions, they
allow Poland the color of independence,
but in fact they destroy the independ-
enco. by setting up Polish Bolshevist
state, while they carefully avoid making
Poland directly an adjunct OF Russian
Bolshevism. Bolshevsm being an inter-
national affair, Poland is not annexed
by victorious Russian Reds but it is
Bolshevzed
And the Bolshevist maneuver does
not end here. From Kovno comes the
frank announcement that German Po-
land, restored to the Poles at Versailles,
is to be treated as German territory.
Again a double maneuver: The delib-
crate effort to enlist German aid and
to arouse as Bolshevist champions all
the so-called liberals who have criti-
cized the Polish aspect Of the Paris
settlement. Is it too much to expect
that few weeks hence we may have
Bolshevist insistence upon a plebiscite
to decide the question of Alsace- Lor-
rane, plebscite supervised by Rus
sian and German agents?
Bolshevist success can be achieved
only ii the Western world is perna-
nently divided. This division can be as
sured only if the Bolshevsts deliberate
~ pander to one faction in the national
politics of each of the Western nations.
To-day the whole Bolshevist campaign
is directed at exploiting the difference
between labor and the balance OF the
British community. But it is not less
directed at exploiting the differences be-
tween French and British points of
view. which have been growing in the
last two years.
Polish peace terms are an admirable
basis for vancouver Every thoughtful
person knows that the real issue is
whether Poland shall be permitted to
continue under its own form of govern
ment or be Bolshevized. 1t is not the
question of whether the Polish frontiers
are fixed at the Niemen or the Narew.
On the whole, it would be better for
Poland and for the world to have Poland
robbed of certain provinces, reduced in
area, than allowed an increase in terri
tory but deprived of actual existence