Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-22
Polish Russian
Peace Conference
Begins at Riga

Riga. Sept. 20.-(By The Associated
Press) Medieval gloom marked the
opening Of the Polish Russian Soviet
peace conference here this afternoon.
The gray day shed dull light
through the Cathedral-like windows
OF Black Head House. where M
Meirmwitch, Lettish minister OF For
eign Affairs. welcomed the RUSSIAN
Communists who are struggling 10
perpetuate the Soviet government and
the Poles who are seeking to establish
firmly democratic government on
the ruins of the old Polish kingdom.
Catherine the Great. in gorgeous
military uniform riding astride
white stallion, looked down upon the
little groups of men in drab attire,
! bent upon settling the dismember-
ment of the. great Russian empire
Nicholas H., and several other
! Cars. as we'll as Charles XII. ana
Charles XII. of Sweden. also watched
the proceedings from heavy gold
| frames lining the Assembly room or
the ancient Merchants Guild which
laid the business foundation 1or riga
formerly Russia's second Baltic port.
Some of the Bolshevists objected org
inalIy to conducting the negotiatlonS
among the pictures OF imper1aIislN
rulers, but cool-headed associates
silenced the protests and the decora-
ton of the historic room renamed I'M
touched.
St Maurice, the Moorish patron
| saint of the guild, appears every
where in the decorations. Coal piack
statues of the Moor, clad onl! III
loin cloth, stand all about the ouiid-
ing. Hir curly head. bound with red
! sash and ornamented with great golo
! ear rings. is woven into the drapery,
! and an categorical picture represent
. ing the Moor comforting his blessing
/ upon Riga and establishing her com
! mercial greatness is the central
panel of the ceiling frescoes in the
! conference hall.
Captain Evan E. Young, the Amerl-
! can commissioner in the Baltic states.
/ and Colonel Holladay. the American
| military attache. attended the open
| ing conference as guests OF the Lat
! Wan government.
Welcoming the delegates. NJ. Meirin-
witch expressed his belief that peace
would soon crown the work of the Ri
ga conference---.a peace which will be
! a solid peace based on the principles
/ of justice and true democracy"
! "OnlS these principles he added
! can effect and maintain peace. 1t
| can never be lasting unless based
upon respect for the free national
+ rights of governments"
! NJ Dombski, head of the Polish dele
| cation, expressed heartiest apprecia-
ton of Latvia's hospitality, saying:
| Even if peace is not effected. the Pol
! ish delegates will always remain under
great obligation to Latvia.'
NJ. Joffe, the Russian Soviet lead
er. responded, saying that he was
! confident peace would be arranged.
! A short adjournment was then taken
to inspect the credentials of the dele
cations and to ascertain whether
they were credited with plenipoten-
tiary powers.
! The delegates today received mes
sages from Kalawarya Saying that
the Lithuanian and Polish commits
sions there to fix the lines behind
which the Polish and Lithuanian
armies would retire, preparatory to
a settlement of the boundary dis
putes disbanded without an agree
ment. This would be unfavorab BILE to
the Riga peace negotiations as the
! Bolsheviki are backing the Lithuan-
ians and the Poles will be somewhat
handicapped as long as they are
fighting the Lithuanians. Efforts are
being made to open negotiations at
Riga for settlement of the Lith-
uanian Polish boundary dispute. but
there has been no definite reply to
LetVia's offer to act as mediator.