Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-22
PEACE HOPES DARK
ASPOLESAND REDS
ASSEMBLED RIGA
Soviet Expected to Refuse
Polish Demand That Troops
Be Disarmed.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, September ,22.-Polish
forces have commenced nm Onen-
sive in the region Of Grodno, ON
the northeast Polish front, accord
ing to an omcial statement issued
yesterday in Moscow and received
here bx wireless.
The statement declares the Poles
have advanced along n front thir-
ty-three miIeA I'm length. Large
numbers Of troops being engaged.
Pierce sighting ID proceeding, 1T Is
said.
RIGA, September 20.-The prospects
did not appear bright today for
speedy peace between Poland and
soviet Russia resulting from the con-
ference to be opened formally here
tomorrow. The indicated refusal of
soviet Russia to disarm, as the Poles
are expected to demand, seems llkely
to be the chief stumbling block.
The bolshevik delegation, it is
forecast, will insist that Poland must
disarm with the exception of a small
defensive force. as Poland would be
at peace with the world when she
signed an armistice with the Moscow
tives point out. The bolsheviki, how
ever, insist that they are at war with
Gen. Wrangel, France, and the United
States, which makes it imperative.
they declare, that they maintain
war footing. Great Britain is omitted
from this classification by the Rus-
slams, as it appears they no longer
her.
The presence of the American tor
pedo boat destroyer Broome in the
harbor. of Riga has caused the SOVIET
delegates to make some inquiries
from the eLtvian government.
Gloom Enshr0uds Meeting.
Medieval gloom enshrouded the
opening Of the Polish-Russian soviet
peace conference this afternoon. The
gray day shed a dull light through the
cathedral-like windows of Black Head
House, where the Lettish minister of
foreign affairs welcomed the Russian
communists. who are struggling to
perpetuate the soviet government, and
the Poles. who are seeking to estab-
lish firmly a democratic government
on the ruins of the old Polish king
dom.
A painting of Catherine the Great,
in gorgeous military uniform. astride
a white stallion, looked down upon the
little groups of men in drab attire.
bent upon settling the dismember-
ment of the great Russian empire.
The delegates received messages
from Kalwarya saying that the
Lithuanian and Polish commissions
comforting there with the purpose of
liking the lines behind which the
Polish and Lithuanian armies would
retire preparatory to a. settlement of
out having reached an agreement.
This would be unfavorable to the
Riga peace negotiations, as the boil
sheviki are backing the LithuaniS ms,
and the Poles will be somewhat handi-
capped as long as they are fighting
made to open negotiations at Riga
for a settlement of the Lithuanian
Polish boundary dispute, but there has
been no definite reply to Letvia's offer
to act as mediator
Conference Is Short.
Welcoming the delegates, NJ. Meirm-
witch expressed his belief that peace
would soon crown the labors of the
Riga conference-'a peace which will
be a solid peace based on the princi-
pies of Justice and true democracy"
M. Dombski, head of the Polish dele
CATION, expressed heartiest apprecia-
ton Of Letvia's hospitality, saying:
"Even if peace is not effected. the
Polish delegates will always remain
under great obligations to Letvia."
M. Joffe, the Russian soviet leader.
RESPONDED, saying that he was conf
dent peace would be arranged. A
short adjournment was then taken to
inspect the credentials of the delega-
tions and to ascertain whether they
were credited with plenipotentiary
powers.
After a twenty-minute recess the
conference was resumed, passing on
the credentials of both delegations
and adjourning until the next meet
ing, which will be arranged privately.
The sixth session of the conference
was in striking contrast to the Minsk
gathering, which began without for
mality in a dingy building, the white
walls Nf which were decorated with
grotesque pictures of Lenin, Trotsky
and Marx, the delegates merely bow
ing as they seated themselves around
the table and beginning their confer
ence without any display of the usual
diplomatic courtesies.
The Riga conference opened with a
formal. even almost friendly, ex-
change Of courtesieR,