Omaha daily bee., 1920-08-10
Polish Situation Regarded as
"ExtremeIy Grave" byU. S.
Officials-..PIa to Issue
Statement Soon.
DENY SENDING NOTE TO
FRENCH GOVERNMENT
Wilson Expected to Express
Views on Failure Of League
of Nations to Take Action---
May Urge Settlement
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.

Washington. Aug. 9.-"Extremefy
grave" was the Official charaeteri-
cation Of the Polish crisis here to-
day. concurrently with the receipt
OF London dispatches expressing
fears that Europe is on the verge
OF another great war. Ia.
1t also was stated officially that
before many hours have passed"
the administration will set forth the
position of the American govern
ment in regard to the Russo-Pol'sh
war, and the adoption Of measures
to bring it to an end aud to save
Poland from destruction.
Whether this pronouncement will
be made in the form of statement
to the public, a note TO TIE allied
powers. or an answer to the note
addressed by Poland TO the United
States. was not indicated.
The State department said that
the Polish note had not been re-
ceived. and denied the cable report
from Paris that note had been re
ceived by France from the United
States.
Wilson Preparing Statement.
The statement Of the American at
titude in connection with the Polish
crisis is being prepared by the pres
ident, and other officials professed
to be ignorant OF its purrort. The
general expectation IN official cir
cles, however, is that the president
will stress the necessity of oreserv-
ing the independence OF Poland.
recreated BY the allied and asso-
ciated powers at Paris in 1919. and
of maintaining territorial integrity
of the little republic within the
boundaries Slecreed by the same
powers. The western boundary was
less formally skctched BY the allied
supreme war council. and it was this
eaestrn line whc!, Poland exceeded
in its offensive against Russia. ~.
dertaken. according to the Poles, ~
a defensive measure.
The president is also expected to
take stand in opposition or any
dismemherment OF Russia. pending
the establishment Of a Russian gov
rrument deemed representative os
the Reussian people. Against that
day the allied ard associated nas
fions. in his opinion, ought to act
as trustees of Russia for the Rus.
sian people. His refusal to recoe-
nize the soviet government is
founded on tie contention that it is
an autocratic and despolic regime
which usurps power bv eAercion OF
the helpless majority of he people.
May Urge Settleii.ent.
In line with this reasoning, tfN
president might reasonably be- ex-
rected to declare for a settlement Of
the Russo-Polish war on the basis
of RECOGNITION OF the eastern boun-
dary Of Poland laid down by the
supreme council. Under the terms
CT such a settlement the hotshev'ki
would be reonired to withdraw to
ethnographic Russia and the Poles
required to remain within ethno-
grantic Poland
: How 10 accomplish this or any
other settlement safeguarding Poland
without employing military force. is
the question OF the hour. with the
soviets daiIv driving closer to War
saw. and there will be unusual in
terest in what the president has to
.sav on this point. particularly with
reference TO the question of the
United States furnishing part of the
forces required.
There also will be great interest
in what the president may or may
not say with reference to the duties
Of the league of nations to stop the
Russo Polish war. He never has
made known in any public way. his
view Of the failure OF the league to
take cognizance of this breach of
pesce despite the precise procedure
laid down by the covenant for deal
ing with war and threats of war.
Colby Sidesteps Question.
r. Secretary of State Colby was ask
ed today if he understood why the
league had taken no action to stop
Russo-Polish> war.
He counterM with the challenge TO
show that the league had taken no
action.
He confessed, however he had no
information OF any action but deeIin-
ed to offer an explanation. This oc-
casioned some surprise in as much
as other administration officials con-
tend the Russo-Polish was is part
Of the war with Germany and is pro-
perly being dealt with by the allied
supreme council, instead of the
league OF nations which is intended
to start with clean slate after the
settlement Of the world war.
European dispatches reporting
popular British and French opposi-
ton to sending troops to aid Po-
land makes it more and more APP
parent that the leagut. had il acted,
could have looked only to the Unit
ed States to furnish an army ade-
quate for the purpose, but was un-
able to requisition American aid in
the absence of American member
ship i'll the league.