Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-24
Wire Military
Officials at
Front.
MEETING PLACE
TO BE SELECTED
Bolsheuiks Occupy
Grodno After
Hard Fight.
TIA Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LONDON. July 24.-The soviet gov
ernment of Russia today notihed TO
land that the soviet army command
had been ordered Immediately to De-
gin negotiations for an armistice' IL
is announced in a wireless dlspatch
from Moscow today.
The following telegram was dis-
patched by George Tchitcherin, Rus-
sian soviet foreign minister. to Prince
Sapieha. the Polish foreign minister,
at Warsaw, at lis o'clock TINS
morning:
Text of Telegram.
The Russian soviet government mas
given orders to the supreme command
of the red army to commence lmmeol-
ateIy with the Polish military COM
uand negotiations for the purpose OF
concluding an armiStice and Prepar-
ing for future peace between the IVY IVY
countries. The Russian command VIII
advise the Polish command as 10 the
place and date for commencing ne
gotiations between the mlltary COM
mands of the two sides
Another message. signed by NaSsi.
LEFT and Khvostchinsky. for the chief
headquarters staff and the reVolu
tionary military council. was sent 10
the higher military command in war
saw, marked "Very urgent" and saying;
Message to High Command.
.~The supreme command OF the RED
army has received the order OF the
soviet governpent TO enter INTO ne
eetiations with the Polish mllltary
command on the questions OF an
armistice and peace between Russia
and Poland The supreme command
will send representatives furnishes
with full powers to place whlch VIII
be indicated to you by the c9nmano S
Of the Russian front, who will inform
YOU of the place and the date "neh
the Polish representatives VIII De in-
vited to attend"
Russia's reply to Poland's application
for armistice negotiations brings IN
sight a possible solution OF one OF tne
most serious crises which Europe as d
whole, and the allied nations IN par
ticular, have had to face since the
conclusion of the armistice Win the
Germans in November, 1918.
The official world of allied Europe
has been stirred to its depths and un-
disguisedly alarmed over the sweep OF
the soviet armies through territory
held by the Poles to the very borders
of Poland proper, with menace to
warsaw and the virtual wiping out OF
Poland as a nation looming up to the
allies as possibilities. if measures were
not taken to head them of by giving
efficient and speedy aid to the Warsaw
government
Uncertain as to Germany.
Furthermore. the close approach of
the Russians to the German border
gave additional cause for uneasiness:
there existing great uncertainty ana
apprehension as to the effect touch
ing of German and soviet frontier
lines might have upon the political
future of Europe.
The situation was becoming rather
alarming to the allies at the time the
Spa conference was in session. early
this month, and it was decided then
that steps should be taken to bring
about peace between RUSSIA ana fo-
land. il possible
Poland was advised, on the one
hand, to endeavor to make peace with
the Russians, while on the other the
Moscow government was informed
the invasion of Polish territory proper
by the soviet armies. Great Britain
took up the armistice negotiations
first, in an effort to bring the soviets
and Poland together, but the soviet
government made it clear that it was
not inclined to accept British inter-
vention. but demanded a direct ap
plication from Poland. Meanwhile it
was indicated in the allied capitals
that military aid for the Poles would
be forthcoming if the bolshevik cam
paign were pressed too far.
Poles Agree to Plan.
The action the allies desired of Po-
land, however. was finally taken by
that nation. which Thursday sent an
a,mistice application to Moscow and
effected d cabinet reorganization.
bringing the socialist element more
tc the front.
The reply sent by the soviet govern
&c frtri of bof
cation. Poland had fought bravely to
hold back the tremendous bolshevik
push. and the nation as a whole was
uniting in great defensive move
ment. but her greatly extended line
had been stretched to the breaking
Point under the soviet attack by what
appears to have been her ill-advised
spring offensive, and there seemed to
be no prospect that until aided she
would be able to stem the soviet tide.
As for giving Poland aid. the en-
tente powers, while evidently decid-
iEg to do so. if forced by direct ne
cessity. were. quite as evidently re-
luctant 10 take military action short
of such necessity, and there seems
every reason 20 believe the reply of
the Moscow government will be joy
fully welcomed in the allied capitals.
May Fail Yet.
There remains the possibility. of
be opened Will not result Satisfac-
torily- 1t may be recalled that Poland
and soviet Russia previously have en-
gagged in negotiations for the ending
of hostilities but that the pourparlers
came to nothing because of a hitch
over the place of meeting. the Poles
desiring point near the battle line
and the soviet insisting upon some
spot far removed from the scene of
hostilities.
The Russian government. in its
notes today, appears to be reserving
to itself the selection of the place OF
meeting. and it remains to be seen il
this issue will again prove a STUN
bling block in the negotiations.
Reds Occupy GrOdnO.
LONDON, July 24.-Occupation OF
Grodno. eighty miles southwest OF
Wilma. is announced in the officia
statement on fighting operations re-
ceived by wireless from Moscow to-
day. The statement says:
Our troops occupied Grodno July
%. We have started to force the
river Niemen.
In the Slonim region (seventy
miles south of Grodno) we have