The Washington herald., 1921-01-02
Leagues First
MoUe in Wilma
Has Doubtful Honor in
Intervention by
Armed Forces

'iS NOuOANi hOhOr OI oeng the hrSt city 10
which the league of nations has dispatched
an international force. Though claimed by
Poland and Lithuania, the city and district
of wilma were awarded to the latter state
by the Peace Conference. Feeling between
both races, which were fairly evenly repre-
sented in this area, has been very bitter
but organized hostilities did not occur nm
til after the repulse of the Bolshevist inva-
sion of Poland when the Polish general
Zeligowski, emulating D'Annunzio, IN
Fiume, seized wilma and organized the Cen
tral Lithuanian government in opposition TO
the established Lithuanian government at
Kovno.
While the Polish government has dis
avowed any responsibility for Zeligowski's
action, it is, of course, well known that
Poland IS IN perfect sympathy with his
aims, and his troops consist largely of
former soldiers of the Polish army. As the
preparations for the plebiscite under the
leagues commission go forward, actual
armed combat has practically ceased and
the parties to the controversy are devoting
their entire energies to the circulation OF
charges of contemplated fraud and illegal
activities which are practiced by their op-
ponents to influence the result of the pleb-
iscite.
The City of Wilma is situated some $50
kometers northeast of Warsaw and some
Is or So ldlometers due east from Kovno
To reach Wilma from Warsaw one must
first go to Ida, the headquarters Of the
Second Polish army, to obtain passes. No
attempt IS made TO pretend that there are
no relations between the Polish army head
quarters and Wilma. Train service from
Ida, though extremely slow, is fairly fre-
quent, and there are never less than two
trains day from this town. These trains
one discovers, carry, among other things
military stores and even as important ma
terials as Polish seroplsnes, which are
transported on fat cars.
In outward appearance Wilma IS but little
affected by the wars which have been
waged about it and the various military
occupations to which it has been subjected
There are few marks on the walls of the
splendid cathedral caused by rife FIRE, but
there is no general destruction of buildings
and devastation which one might expect in
a town which has been the center of so
much warfare.
The city, however, which in normal con-
ditions has a. population of some 10000,
is now somewhat depopulsted, especially by
the intellectual and well-to-do classes 1t
is said that the population has been reduced
one-third by the departure Of these people
and fight of some 10000 Jews, who are
said to have fed to Kovno after the sp-
proach of Zeligowsds Polish troops. 1t is
alleged, however, that other Jews from
Ida and other places have come to Wilma
for the purpose of taking the place and
guarding the property of those members
of their race who have left the city. Now
that train service has been resumed many
of those who fed are returning, and even
those who were persuaded to leave their
homes and settle in Russia in 1915 and
1916 are beginning to come back.
4bs+h hove hee7 yEraCpd fhe
cessive military occupations, and the fight
from wilma of great many of those who
were the leaders in political and industrial
activities, have resulted in the closing OF
factories of which there are many in Wilma,
and general paralysis Of the economic lite
of the city Deprived OF any means OF
earning money for the necessities OF life,
great many of the inhabitants have been
faced with actual starvation, and suffering
from illness incident to undernourIshment
has been very great
The cost OF food is, of course, rising
rapidly. Black bread costs 20 marks
pound and potatoes 3 marks pound, but
the supply OF these commodities IS so
limited that even if they could afford It,
great part of the population would be un-
able to procure them As It IS the poorer
people are subsisting chiefly on caboages
Strangely enough IN the lace OF this acute
shortage II Is pOSSlUlC 10 Uug lump SNSs4
at 100 marks a pound, which cannot be OBJ
tanned at anv price in Warsaw Further
more. the cafes and conhseries offer for sale
cake and pastries. The manufacture and
sale of these luxuries, however, has been
prohibited by Gen. Zehgowsld That there
are for sale in Wilma commodities which are
unobtainable in Poland, is accounted for by
the fact that closer business relations have
always existed between wilma and kovno
and other cities than with Warsaw or other
Polish cities.
In Wilma as in the case Of nearly all the
parts of Europe whose normal life has been
disorganized by war and subsequent con
ditions, the children and the aged have
been the ones to suffer most. During the
Lithuanian occupation an attempt was MADE
to institute child feeding under the d1rec-
ton of a committee upon which all nation
alities were represented. While the Inten-
! tions of this committee were the best, its
members had had no actual experience IN
ild-feeding operations, and their attempts
to raise funds by public subscription were
almost complete failure
=
| After the committee became fully con
| vinced that its efforts would not secure the
desired results, delegation was sent 10 IN
| terview the American Relief Admins trsuon
representatives in Warsaw, bearing with
| them an assurance from Gen Leligowsh
that any child-feeding operation would re,
ceive his full support, and supplies imported
| for that purpose would be free OF Az requi-
sition by his government. He stated tur-
| ther, that he would approve anybody, re
| gardless of their nationality or race who
could initiate and carry out a child-tecdmg