New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-18
Poland Is Seen as the Createst
Obstacle to Future Plans
of the German People

sources OF propaganda, paciism, ars.
tation, must be concentrated =.
keeping Poland weak. "If wa suc
coed in keeping Poland down. it Will,
mean enormous gains for US. In thu
first place, Frances position on III.
Continent is, in the long run, untec
able. Second, the way to Russia i.
then open. That is, even for blind
man, Germany's future"
Aimed at Poland
Now, if one chooses to 20 bac.
over the recent tangle to the still,
recent past, it will be seen that from
the beginning it is against Poland
that there has been revealed all the
so-called liberal criticism Of tho
peace terms. When Poland was con-
coded Danzig and wide corridor ths
agitation among the so-called 9TH
erals in Great Britain was so gresA
that Lloyd George insisted on nm,
rowing the corridor and putt,,e
Danzig under the league Of nm.
tions. Poland was to have Iypper
Silesia, which was Polish by race
and contained the great mineral de-.
posits Of the East, but in its fiua,
form the treaty subjected the cues.
ton to plebiscite, and the Ger
mans have been organizing that
plebiscitc.
The French perceived early that
a strong Poland was essential to the
balance of power in Europe. French
policy has aimed to make Poland
strong, and nobody has stated the
reasons for this policy more clearly
than Erzberger. But what has been
the consequence? Liberal papers in
America and in England have teemed
with denunciation Of the French
Continental policy. "French lx-
perialism," sFrench Desire to Erect
a Balance OF Power System in Eu-
rope" have filled columns daily and
weekly in British liberal newspapers
and in American magazines.
It has been an essential circum-
stance in the German plan to re-
sumo the attack upon Western civ
,ifization; that France, weakened ma
terially by the war, should be
stricken morally by Al1i.d criticism.
The German recogni .es chat if he
can getlrid of France ae can get rid
Of Poland, and German propaganda
has lahred long and patiently in
discred!ting France and in arousing
suspicion and opposition to Poland.
! hsve told my readers many
times in the past months that the
future peace of Europe depended
upon . proper solution of the Polish
question. If Poland were left weak
a resumption Of the German CAM
paign for world dominion seemed to
me inevitable. But Erzberger has
indicated with compelling clarity
far more Significant estimate that
Germany places upon Poland.
Old Influences AT Work
It Is one Of the unfortunate cir
cumstances ever present in the case
Of Germany that she Is able to en-
list in AAglo-Saxon countries very
large influence among so-called lib
erals against those who, for the time
being, interfere with her purposes or
stand in her pathway. IN all the
period before tho war the men who
told Great Britain Of the coming
storm, the hen who pade Great Brit
ain prepare, were assailed by the lib
eral press and tne liberal statesmen
without limit. Since Germany sur
rendered the same influences have
been concentrated against the -oun-
tries AMI tssces that might serve as
barrier against resumption OF
the German attack. Erzberger's let
ter gives the whole scheme away.
Erzbexger's letter shows how little
touched By the war German purpose
has been and how inevirably-now as
in the pass, before the war and dur
ing the war-liberal leaders and lib