The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-05-19
LLOYD GEORGE
BARES Menace
British Premier Tells Commons
That the Poles Defy
Treaty.
FEARS A WORLD IMBROGLIO
Scores Polish Insurgents for Action in
Upper SiIesia-Says Allies Should
Permit Germans to Restore
Order.

London, May 16.-Prime Minister
Lloyd George, in dramatic speech
in the house Of commons concerning
the Upper Silesia mbrogIio, declared
the action of the Polish insurrection-
lists was a complete defiance of The
treaty Of Versailles.
81 think it is right | should speak
quite plainly" Mr.. Lloyd George said,
because, if these things can happen
and we take no notice and do not deal
with them with that stern Justice
which has characterized the attitude
OF this country in all its dealings
abroad, it is going to be fatal to the
peace of Europe. If that is disturbed,
/ do not see what is going to happen
TO Europe.
81 am alarmed, am frightened that
unless some confidence is restored to
the world, the consequences may be
of the most terrible character"
Mr.. Lloyd George said there were
two ways of dealing with the Silesian
situation. one was that troops of the
allies assist in restoring order. II was
not for him to express a military opin-
ion, and he did not insist on this part
of the program, but he was entitled to
insist on an alternative. Either the
allies ought to insist upon the treaty's
being respected, or they ought to al
low the Germans to do So the prime
minister continued.
Mr.. Lloyd George declared the treaty
of Versailles was the charter OF Polish
freedom, and that she vas the last
country of Europe who had the right
to complain about the treaty. Poland
did not win her liberty, the prime min
lister asserted her liberty was due to
Italy, Great Britain and France.
There is not a letter of the treaty
that does not mean young British
life, that does not mean nearly two
French lives, and there were hundreds
of thousands of Italians" the prime
minister continued.
Mr.. Lloyd George cited that the
Poles were divided in the war, half
of them fighting with the Germans.
"They fell in German uniforms" he
declared, land shot down Frenchmen,
British and Italians who were fighting
for their freedom.
81 see korfanty Oeader of the Polish
insurrectlonists) has said that the
Poles in Silesia would die rather than
surrender. If they had thought that
earlier, when the battle for Polish free
dom was being fought there would
have been fewer British, French and
Italian lives lost But they only think
of it when the Germans are disarmed
and helpless.
1.-THE Polish government has re-
pudiated responsibility, and | am
bound to accept that statement as
representing their views. But it has
happened once too often"
The prime minister recalled the set
tlement with Lithuania, to which the
United States, France, Italy and Great
Britain were parties.
wilma was occupied by regular
Polish troops in defiance of the al
. lies" he said. "They were asked to
retire, and they said:
"'We have no responsibility for it.
"The same thing is happening now.
The same disclaimer of responsibility.
Arms passing from Poland and officers
crossing her frontiers make it very
difficult to feel that those populations
of responsibility are anything but
purely verbal"
Mr.. Lloyd George pleaded for the
upholding of the treaty both for the
sake of honor and for safety and Sc
curity.