The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-07
Now Nearly 100000 in Polish
Army in Silesia.
ICzechO-SlOvaks Join Poles in
Plebiscite Revolution.
GERMAN HELP ACCEPTED
ArmOred Train Sent to Frontier
Taken by Commission.
Italian Troops Have Lost Forty
Killed-Many Wounded.

Oppeln. May German requests
that the frontier between Germany
and Silesia be opened and that all po-
litical prisoners held by the allies in
Upper Silesia be released have been
granted by the interallied commission
here.
Decision whether the use OF Ger
man government troops would be per-
mitted in Silesia and whether the
Polish frontier would be closed was
expected early today. An armored
train was run from Breslau to kreuz-
burg, about thirty miles northeast OF
here. by Germans last night. and was
turned over to allied authorities there.
Dared Poles to Shoot.
The allies accepted the train, in
view of the reports that the Poles
planned to attack Kruezburg today.
When Rosenberg was taken by the
Poles a British major who was acting
as control officer there was arrested
by a Polish leader, who was formerly
a police officer under command Of
/ the major. The Polish leader ordered
that the major be shot and ordered a
squad of five men to execute him.
AS the squad took its place. the ma
jor said, You do not dare to shoot"
whereupon the Poles lowered their
rifles and refused to fire.
Situation Grows Tense.
The situation in this city, which has
been growing appreciably more tense
has been made more serious by the
arrival of hundreds of refugees
Many have been severely wounded
and have excited the people with stor-
les of alleged Polish brutality. The
refugees augmented by residents of
| Oppeln held silent demonstration
yesterday afternoon, parading up and
down the principal streets and past the
administration building. allied officials
frankly expecting an outbreak. say
they would be unable to cope with an
\ insurgent German populace.
Prince Hatfield. German delegate
on the interallied commission declared
yesterday that every effort was being
made to hold back the Germans but
that the danger was increasing hourly
We have asked the allies to in
crease their forces here" Prince Hatz-
field declared. From 10000 to 40
| 600 soldiers are needed and needed
badly, if the most serious situation is
to be avoided. We fully realize what
the consequences of a fight between
| the Germans and French soldiers
would be and we will spare no efforts
to stave off an incident which might
| lead to war and would certainly cause
widespread fighting among German
civilians and Poles
He added that according to German
information, there are at least sc. .0ee
They are declared to be led by former
Polish army Officers and well disci-
plined.
French Urge Speed.
| Paris. May THE allies have sent
| to the allied high commission in Up
I per Silesia an urgent request to act
energetfcally in the suppression of the
Polish uprising in that district using
| the allied troops for the purpose
They also urge that the commission
report as quickly as possible on the
settlement of the boundaries between
Poland and Germany
French circles appeared much con-
cerned today over news received of the
arrest by fifty Germans who had
crossed the frontier, of Captain
| Deblois, of the French army. control
, Ter of the district of Ober- -Glogan. The
/ Germans took Captain Deblois to Neu-
stadt.
Czccho-sIovaI1s Join Poles.
Berlin, May 7.-Czecho- SIovakia
was reported today to have added fuel
| to the international confla grafton now
raging in Upper Silesia.
A Vienna dispatch stated that
Czecho- -Slovakian troops in great
force. had crossed the Upper siiesian
| frontier. making the fifth nation in
volved in the struggle arising out Of
| the recent plebiscite.
Polish Forces Growing.
The Polish insurgents. who kindled
the spark by occupying the territory
awarded to Germany in the plebiscite.
/ were yariously reported to number
from 10000 to 100000 under COM
nland of Korfanty.
The Italians. who are the only
members of the allied occupationary
! force to offer resistance SO far. lost
! forty Killed in action to scores of
wounded.