Evening star., 1921-02-20
French AND POLES
SEE ALLIANCE NEAR
Poland Will Take Place of
Russia in Forming Euro
pean "EquiIibrium.'
PRINCE SAPIEHA IN PARIS
Expect to Form Political, Military
and Commercial Agree
ments.
by PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

! mentS.
| BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
| By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
| Copyright, 1921.
! PARIS February 1s.-With the re-
turn to Paris of Prince Sapieha, the
iFolish foreign minister the conclu-
sion of a Branco-Polish alliance des-
tined undoubtedly to play an i'm
portant role in Europe seems to be
definitely in sight. The final accord
/ will comprise four parts:
| 1. A political declaration which will
( be published.
| 2. A military agreement
| 3. A commercial agreement
4. A special petroleum agreement.
| 1t is now possible to give for the
! first time more or less definite details
of this long projected alliance The
political declaration will proclaim
Franco-Polish collaboration, thus con-
firming what is already an accom-
plished fact. Indeed. since the six
teenth century Frances constant pol
| icy has been to seek in eastern Eu-
rope support first against the house
| of Austria and then against Germany.
Francis I inaugurated this so-calfetl
eastern system by his alliance with
the Turks. Until the middle of the
eighteenth century Poland was the
pivot Of this combination. the aim
of which was to take the Germans in
the rear by grouping under the
! French aegis the powers bordering
on Germany. notably Sweden. Poland
| and Turkey.
The disappearance of Sweden as
political power, the decadence Of Tur-
key and the partition of Poland. coin
Gliding with the rapid rise OF Russia,
caused France to seek at St Peters
burg the support no longer available
in Warsaw. Louis XIV inaugurated
this new policy. Napoleon realized it
for a brief period and the third re-
public brought it to completion be-
tween 1893 and 1898 with the Russian
alliance.
Russia having now temporarily van
! ished from the political and military
map of Europe, France is seeking to
| confide to Poland the part heretofore
played by Russia in the maintenance
of the European equilibrium In Au-
gust. 1920. France made a partial ap-
plication of this system. on the one
hand furnishing the Poles with means
of defense against the bolsheviki and
on the other by warning Germany
that a French attack on the Rhine
would be the French reply to a Ger.
man attack on the Vistula.
| Political Aims.
The political declaration will note
the identity of the political aims of
1 Tic l"o ScNtl ana assert that
! they VIII support one another in GER
| tain definite cases. The military
! negotiations concern the application
| of this agreement. There is no pro-
| posal for an official military alliance
which moreover, could not be realized
| so long as Poland's eastern frontiers
are not definitely fixedLan so long as
! Polands army remains in it's present
embryonic state. For the time being
| Poland can provide only the human
! material. Moreover, France considers
that the military power of Poland
can be successfully exercised only
when the safety of the flanks
and communications has been as
sured by agreements with the Ru-
manians and the Czechoslovaks.
! relations between Warsaw and Prague
nave been somewhat strained
| Inc milltary conversation now un-
der way in Paris have limited
bearing: They concern, first. the or
Ranization and eventual extension Of
| the French military mission to Pc
| land; and. second. the furnishing Of
war material with which to euuip the
Pollsh army. The commercial agree
ment has required prolonged discus
| sion. The object is a double one tba
first being to facilitate EXCHANGES
| between France and Poland and the
| second to insure as far as uossihja
the security of French enterprises
| especially in the textile mills estab.
| lished in Poland.
DiMcnIty in Commercial Projects
| Several difficulties have RETARDED
the progress OF these negotiations
! The Poles desired to associate viii
| the commercial treaty'the floating of
a great loan which the French n5ar-
| ket is not now able to bear. This d.
mand accordingly has been dropped
| On the other hand. France demanded
n nrf in
| be reserved for the French teYti,a
mills This demand has been prantaa
| Finally the Poles felt that the ouan"
| tity OF goods France wanted the rjrh+
! 70 export to Poland was too large
| France replied that if Poland wishad
| to build up her industries she wnnId
| require machines and must open her
| frontiers to them. An Understandable
satisfactory to both parties is exe
| pected in the near future.
The Petroleum Question.
| Ihe petroleum question is a compli-
Gated one. The French have in
vested nearly 1000, 200, 900 francs
(normally s2oo.o0o.oOO) in the Polish
OH helos. fart of this investment
dates from before the war. but since
1919 the French seem to have ho,,nS.
large number of British holdings j.,
/ London, where they seem to 81,
| less confidence in Po1ands economio
future than they have here
| However. the dislike of fore;en
commercial Enterprises recently man
ifested in Warsaw, particularly bv
the SOCIALISTS, Is SO great that MANY
French investors have now hepun ~
doubt whether these Oil wells can he
worked profitably by foreigners
Some have even begun to sell their
| Polish shares to German companies
financed in Holland. Considerinp
these sales as injurious to French
sinduence in Poland, the French gov.