Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-20
POLAND-L|THUAN|A
ISSUE REFERRED To
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Agree TO Suspend All Hostilitics
Pending. Inquiry and
Decision.
IS EFFECTIVE IN
PREVENTING WAR
ny Associated Press 10 Every Evening

Paris, Sept 2O.--poland and Lithuania
have agreed to suspend all hostilities,
pending an inquiry and decision Of the
ISSUES at stake by the council Of the League
Of Nations, IL was announced here this
morning.
Paris, Sept 20.-The League Of Nations
through its intervention in the Aland
Islands question between Sweden and
Finland has proved its right to live az an
effective means OF preventing future wars
growing out of international disputes, said
Hjalmar Branting, Prime Minister Of
Sweden yesterday.
II will not use the word war but,
The situation between Sweden and Fin
land was tense" Premier Branting de-
clared. "The Council Of the League,
through its cautious but prompt action,
had dissipated the feeling and Sweden
believes the Council will settle the mat
ter To the satisfaction of both countries.
Sweden has complete confidence in
the League as "A means Of preventing
future wars, and proof Of this lies in the
fact that we unhcsitatinpiy placed our
case IN its hands. believe the action Of
the League has taken ON the Aland Islands
question furnishes proof to the world
that the League. even in its present state,
Is an efficient world court for hearing
international difficulties and forestalling
conflicts between nations. All that the
League needs To make IL a most effective
and certain instrument Of reducing future
wars To the absolute minimum ls the
participation Of tho United States, Sweden
and the other nations Of the world await
the entrance Of America with anxiety
and the kcennst interest
Gefcrring to Sweden's position con-
cerning the Aland Islands. Premier Brant-
ing pointed out that Sweden never would
give up the islands, which he declared.
are essentially Swedish. Sweden has sug-
gested a plebiscite To prove her claim,
the Premier said, but the Council has not
vet decided what means If will employ,
and three commissioners viii make an IN
vestigstion.
Premier Brantlng expressed the belief
that the commissioners report vii recon-
mend return of the islands 10 Swedish
sovereignty Their inquiry will disprove
the Finnish contention that the majority
of the islanders are Firms, Premier Brant-
ing asserted, and the ISLANDERS themselves
have expressed strongly a desire To be
joined with Sweden
NJ Enekell. Finnish Minister in Pans.
declared today that the League of Nations'
conclusions on Saturday, when the Council
of the League decided il had the right TO
act as arbitrator between Sweden and FIN
land in the Aland Islands controversy and
announced rs intention of appointing q
commission OF three to investigate the
question, were based on inaccurate prem
ises. inadmissible by Finland.
Acceptance oi the leagues arbitration
came in a most dramatic manner at
the public meeting Of the council today.
The delegates and spectators seemed pes
simistic as TO the probability Of an agree
ment being reached, when Ignace Jan
Paderewski, Polish delegate to the League
of Nations, made stirring speech in which
he said Poland desired TO be In complete
peace with Llthuania and had full con-
fidence that Lithuania also desired peace
add poland lithuania warsaw sdate -
The advance was begun four days ago.
The Poles, fighting their way eastward,
have reached the line of the lower Sbruch,
capturing Tremboyla, Tarnopol and Bro
dy.
Further north they took the fortress Of
Dubno after heavy fighting and are ad-
vancing In the direction Of the fortress
of Rovno, the capture of which is expected
shortly.
Riga, Letvia, Sept 20.-After a two
hour conference yesterday afternoon be-
tween NJ Dombski, head Of the Polish
peace mission, and Adolph Joffe, chief
of the Russian soviet delegation, the
opinion was expressed TO the Associated
Press by M. Lados, secretary of the Polish
mission, that there is little chance of a
cessation of the Russo-Polish fighting until
preliminary peace terms are agreed upon.
Action at the conference, which viii en-
deayor TO reach an agreement on armis-
tice terms and formulate treaty of peace
between Poland and soviet Russia. viii be
controlled largely by the military situa-
tion, according to views expressed here.
The favorable military situation Of the
poles at present, which makes their po-
sition more secure, and the delay in the
arrival of the Polish delegates here,
coupled with the deliberateness Of the
procedure, have created the
impression that the conference may be
long drawn out Until the Poles are able
to establish line which can readily be
defended it is considered probable in some
official quarters here that Poland will not
agree to a cessation of hostilities.
M. Merimwitch, Lettish minister of
foreign affairs, will open the peace CON
ference tomorrow with an address of well
come, to which Dombski and Joffe will
The presiding officer will be NJ.
Dombski, it being his turn to preside under
the terms of the agreement reached at
Minsk.
Yesterdays conference was held behind
closed doors at the Black Head House.
erected as a club for bachelor merchants
i'll the fourteenth century. M. Joffe drove
to the conference in a limousine which
belonged to the former Emperor of Russia,
while NJ Dombski arrived in dilapidated
one-horse vehicle.
Constantinople, Sept 20.-Cavalry
forces of General Wrangel, the South
Russian anti-Bolshevik leader. have driv-
en- back the Reds on the Oriekhov front,
it was announced here yesterday. The
Bolsheviki have retreated beyond TAX
man.
Warsaw, Sept. 19.-Bolshevik forces
have been driven out of eastern Galicia
by general Polish advance along the
southern front.
FACTORY FIRE ENDANGERS 500.