Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-16

Wilma, April 26.-(By The Aasociat-l
ed Press. )-General <Lucien Zeligow-
ski, who still deies the League Of Ma
tons and who last fall. marched into
the Wilma district at the head. OF 90
00O or more Polish soldiers and pro-
claimed himself dictator Of central
Lithuania, IL a. great believer in the
old time proverb that possession is
nine points in ten when 1t to,
law. International or otherwise.
For seven months the general has
been supreme in the occupied country
its military commission Of control,
has been endeavoring to act as medi-
ator in the territorial dispute between
Poland and iithuania.
The general looks upon league
members /, who have visited the dis
trict as intruders. On the other hand
the league representatives apparently
view Zeligowski in the same light and
have refused to deal direct with the
general. all negotiations pertaining to
a settlement Of the Wilma affair from
the one side being carried on through
the Polish government in, Warsaw,
the Zeligowski soldiers in the mean
time holding onto tbs foet. c
81 am a Pole, and Wilma 10 my
home" General ZeliEowski said to
the correspondent. II was born in
Wilma. Most of my soldiers are ma
tives Of Wilma or adjacent territory.
Our for being here are simply
these:
In 1919, when Poland was attack
ed by the Bolsheviki, I went to wal
for Poland, together with thousands
of other Poles from the Wilma district.
For two years we fought the Bolshe-
Wiki, who in the meantime had occu-
pied Wilma, robbed and destroyed our
homes and committed atrocities upon
our relatives and friends. Eventually
and the Soviets. and then many con
fiicting reports regarding Vilna's
fate.
1T was some weeks after this that
I decided to take action myself. know
ing my men felt as I did in the mat.
ter. / resigned my commission as q
general in the Polish army by tele-
graph, took command Of the Wilma
Polish troops and occupied The coun.
and we've been here ever since, ane
naturally we feel perfectly at home
at we are at home, and I don't know
Of anything which is strong enough
to pry US out"
Much Disputed City.
From the time OF the ancient stat.
of Lithuania when Wilma was thu
capital, of that state, Wilma has beer
a much disputed city. In the grea'
war and during the struggle between
Poland and the Bolsheviki. Wilma wa,
a much sought prize and changed
hands many times. Within the las
few years Wilma has had streets nam
ed in four different languages at va,
rious intervals. Since Wilma was occu.
pied by Zeligowski troops, names ia
nous In Polish history have adorned
the street corners, replacing Lithuan
ian names put up after the withdraw
al Of the Bolsheviki. In 1915 Wilma
was. occupied by the Germans VIII.
apparently had hopes of remaining
and Kaiser Wilhelm strasse,' anG
Bismarck strasse." and various 9th,
er German names replaced the Rus
Sian street signs.
In the spring of 1890. when POLAND
Was ut var with the Soviets. Lithuanis
made a separate peace with the Boil
shevikl and the treaty signed ii
Moscow gave wilma. al that time ioc.
cupied by the Bolsheviki to the Lith.
t1aniars. News Of the signing Of thi.
treaty created a stir throughout Pc.
land which considers the wilma dis.