Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-05-07
ENGLISHPAPER
SCORES POLISH
STATE AFFAIRS
New Government Has Inflated
Finance and Practically
Ruined Itself, Is Claim.
MILLIONS GO FOR ARMY.

LONDON. May IA slashing attack
upon the business administration and re-
construction efforts of Poland is con-
tanned in the Manchester Guardian,
which reflects the views of British bush
ness men who have endeavored to carry
on commerce with Poland despite all diff
f1culties.
The chief charge is that the Polish
government has been printing paper
money too fast and not building It's
budget on sound principles, while max
ing little effort to get industry under
way as it should be.
he'issue of Polish paper money today
amounts to eleven billion marks, the
Guardian says, equalling s2,2O0,000,0OO at
pre-war values.
But there has been a terrible slump
in the Polish mark, which is worth two
for a cent.
The money Of only two countries
Austria and Russia-is worth less than
that of Poland.
The Guardian regards the Polish gov
eminent as hopeless, since half the mem-
bers of the diet are peasants and sixty
five of them illiterate, while the Polish
premier is an avowed Socialist
SPENDS TOO MUCH
MONEY IS CHARGE.
The Guardian charges that Poland Is
spe 1ding too much money-such as 1t
is-on the army.
In October, 1919, the Polish war Office
spent 470,000.000 marks, in November
571 900 900, in December 900000,000, and
In January last one billion marks, be-
sides loan of 130,000,0 600 marks spent in
Paris on new army equipment.
In his recent budget speech, the Polish
minister of finance, NJ Grabski, estimates
! ordinary expenditure for the coming year
at eight billion marks and the extraordi-
nary xpendituTe-chiefy for the army
at nine and one-half billions, while the
normal state income would be one and
half billion marks, leaving a deficit ~
I sixteen billion marks.
4 NJ. Grabski proposes to meet part OF
this by an internal tax levy to bring six
billion marks, but the Guardian points
out that most of the country's money Is
in the hands of the rich peasants whom
none dare to restrain"
ut seems safe to assume" says the
Guardian, chat the total expenditure OF
the Polish state during the coming year
will amount to more than twenty billion
+ marks, although nothing has been ear
/ marked for meeting the debt to be taken
over from Russia, Germany and Austria.
FUNDS EXPENDED
ON MILITARY.
Almost all the money is spent on the
army, which for the last year has been
conquering ethnically Russian territory
for Poland; only 2 per cent of the 1919
/ expenditures went for education. al
/ though more than half the population is
nliterate; oily l per cent was spent on
public health, whilst the country is
threatened by the most awful of cpl
denies, and only 2 per cent on agricul-
ture, on which depends the future of the
country"
The Guardian points out that Poland
has a vast army Of unemployed, there
being 235, 600 men iobless in Russian Po-
land, 10000 in the district of Warsaw.
10000 in the district of LODI while some
SOC, 600 men from Russian Poland alone
are in the army. In addition there are
thousands of men who work on part
time Jobs at home. This is especially
true of the Jewish population, which is
kept alive by the money and subsidies
supplied by the American Jewish dis
tTibudon committee"
SEES PEACE AS
ONLY REFUGE.
"Poland's economic situation is such
that immediate peace alone can save II,
II II can be saved at all" says the
Guardian. "But peace is very unlikely,
II at all possible. whilst Poland calls
on Russia to surrender to her territory
three times the size of Poland with
J a population Of 100000 inhabitants.
of whom not even 100000 are Poles,
but about 100000 are Russians"
The Qua rdian says the Jews would
have. revolted long ago against the gov
eminent but the Jews do not dare 70
revolt, for the attention of the Poles
I Nad Enrt
excuses.
Friends of Poland assert the Guard.
J lsn's picture is slightly Overdrawn, since
} after the armiStice the Poles had first
to wrest their country from the Germans
and then erect q wall-as suggested by