The Washington herald., 1921-02-07
POLISH-RUSSIAN
PEACEEXPECTED
TO BEPERMANENT
Rumors to Contrary De-
cried as Negotiations
Near End.
special cOrespoudsnos to The Hsr.ld.)

special cOrespondssos to The HsrsId.)
Peace negotiations between Poland
and the Soviets, which have been in
progress for several months, are to
be concluded, We are told, within
week or two. ofieisls of both
countries raise their voices in a
chorus OF .dsniaI of any rumors
which assert that the peace thus
established is only temporary and
that the spring will, see the Red
armies marching against Latvia and
Esthonia, against Poland, against
Roumania, or against all Of them.
These rumors, the origin of which
is presumably German. have been
very damaging to the efforts of the
Poles to obtain foreign credit, and
10 counteract their effect the Poles
nave made vigorous propaganda to
establish confidence in the perma-
! nence Of the Russian peace. Now,
almost on the eve of signing the
russian treaty, Marshal Pisudski,
chief OF the Polish state. accompa-
MED by Prince Sapieha, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, makes an official
visit to Paris for the apparent pur-
pose OF getting France to join the
Poilsh Roumanian alliance against
Bolshevik Russia.
Each Fears Russia.
At the same time the Polish For
eign Minister reiterates his belief
in the peaceful intentions of the
Reds but intimates that any move
| against Roumania will be looked
upon as a hostile move against Po-
There Is a certain inconsistency in
going forth to seek help while pro-
Tossing there is nothing to be afraid
Of. The Interpretation which ia
sure to be put on Pilsudski's visit
to Paris will not make it easier for
the Poles to secure foreign loans
Poland and Roumania have a COM
mon cause in the fear that sooner
or later Russia will demand the re-
turn OF territories formerly Russian
which have been acquired by these
two nations and which contain a
large Russian population,
FROM Roumania Russia will de-
mand the return of Bessarabia and
from Poland that territory east ~
the Curzon line which was acouirad
from the BOlsheviks by the treaty.
OF October IL, 1920. The Russian n
Constituent Assembly which recently
met in Paris and is now seeking
recognition, has announced that this
territory ceded to Poland contains
several millions Of Russians and is
considered by Russian liberals to
have been annexed by force to
constitute a source of conflict and
to create a menace to the peace of
Eastern Europe.
RumbIinS in War Clouds,
These war clouds have been on
the horizon for a long time and
the visit of Marshal Pilsudski to
Paris has served only to make them
appear nearer and more ominous
Yet this, it would seem, is hte
thing which it is to the interest of
all concerned to avoid. The world
Is well aware how desperately all
the nations involved need peace If
they are to escape greater disasters
than those with which they have
aireadY been afflicted, and it seems
lhSoncelVable that the long negotia-
tions at Riga are actuated by no
sincere purpose and that the peace
which is to be signed is only a
truce.
The present rulers of Russia may
not be sane, but they cannot be ig-
norant of the effects of a new war
on their hopes of resumption of
trade and recognition. This ges-
ture of the Polish government may
be only for its effect on its eIector-
ate, but even so, it is a dangerous
expedient