Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-04-23

First, there 10 the famous FCHsn
to the Baltic through the
former German province OF west
Prussia. The granting OF this ter
ritory to Poland by the Versaiiies
is often criticized on the
ground that It separate the German
province Of East Prussia from the
rest Of Germany, and thus creates
an unnatural situation which Ger.
many in the long run will never put
up with. The arguments In favor
of the corridor" are mainly: That
the population there is predomi-
nantly Polish; that. the Fourteen
Points had promised Poland free
and secure access to the sea-: and
that it was a question of balancing
the interest Of two or three million
Germans in East Prussia in having
land connection with Germany
proper against the interest of
u million people in Poland in
having assured communications with
the Baltic and the outside world.
While defending the corridor" the
speaker was not so convinced OF the
Justice Of the decision as to Upper ST.
lesia made by the Council of the League
secured only 40 per cent. of the total
by far the most valuable part Of this
disputed district-perhaps the richest
territorial prize awarded since. 1918.
She obtained three-fourth Of the coal
production, nearly all the lead and zinc
minics, the larger part of the industrial
district. The principle adopted by the
Council of the League-that of bal
ancing minorities," leaving about as
many Germans under Poland as Poles
under Germany-is a principle which
here worked to Germany's detriment.
while, If it had Been applied by the
Versailles treaty to the regions far
north, Germany would have gained
much better frontier.
On the southeastern side OF Poland
lies another danger zone. Eastern Ga
licia. Out Of the five and one-half mill
lion people here, the "Ruthenians" or
Ukranians make up about 60 per cent,
the remainder being Pones and Polo
nized Jews. The Polish claim to this
rich territory is partly historical
Eastern Galicia has belonged to Po-
L. nd since the 14th century-and part
ly it is based on the fact that the Poles
not only make up the ma jority in the
cities and in many of the rural dis
tricts, but also furnish nearly all the
intellectual, political and business lead
crShip that this region possesses. At
all events, the RuthenianS have num-
bers on their side. The Allied powers
long hesitated over this problem, If
they finally decided to leave the terri
tory to Poland. one may presume that
it was largely because there seemed to
be no other practicable solution. The
only alternatives We're to set up East
crn Galicia as an Independent state
which would have meant civil war per-
manently inaugurated; or to hand over
the territory to the Bolshevills. which
might not have seemed the sure means
to make it happy and prosperous. 1t
to bet seen whether Poland can
win the loyalty of the Ukranian major
ity in Eastern Galician, and thus justl-
fly her possession of the province.
A fourth holly disputed region has
been the Wilma territory. While the
racial situation here is traordinarily
confused and difficult to unravel. it
docs appear probable, on the basis of
recent censuscs and of nearly all the
elections that have been held here, that
the bulk of the population feels itself
to be Polish and prefers to go with Po-
land. 1t is true that Wilma was in
past centuries the capital of Lithuania,
and it may be that the native popula-
ton in this region was originally of
Lithuanian stock; but if the question
is to be settled on the basis, not of
historical or anthropological claims,
but of present conditions and of the
present speech and sympathicS of the
population. the Poles appear to have
the better Of the argument. Since 1920
they have also been in possession of the
Wilma territory. and last year, the con-
that fcrrifnrV
voted it's incorporation in Poland.
To sum up,-the western boundaries
of Poland were fixed by the Versailles
treaty and by the award of 1921 in
Upper Silcsia: the eastern boundary.
including both Wilma and Eastern Ga
licia in Poland. was originally fixed by
the treaty of Riga with Soviet Russia
in 1921. and finally sanctioned by the
Allied powers through the Council of
on March Is. 1923.
Announcement has been made that
the final lecture in the course Will be
delivered by Professor Manley Q. Hud-
son of the Harvard Law school at an
hour TO be announced later.
Professor Hudson graduated from
William Jewell College. Liberty. Mo,
in 1906, from which he received the de-
gree of Master of Arts the year follow
lltS. dlltI NIilIIi Ilt StubiSu a. VIC 'Aci
ward Law school, where he received the
degree of LII. Is. in 1910 and the degree
of 5. j. d. in 1917.
He was assistant in history at 11ar-
ward and Radcliffe in 1901-1910; profess
sor of law at the University of Mis-
souri, 1910-1919 and Size 1919 has been
a member of the faculty of the Harvard
Law school.
In 1917 he became attached to the Of
flee of the solicitor of the department
of state. 191T-191S to the United States
inquiry on the terms of
peace; 191S-19 special assistant depart
mcnt of state: 191S-19 attached to the
law division. American
to negotiate peace: 191S-19
of tho Paris peace conference
of commission on ports, waterways
and railways, commission on new states
and protection of minoritics: commits
sion on the reply of the German sounter
proposals; since 1919 legal secretary of
the secrctariat of the League of Ma
tons: legal adviser to International Ia
Dor conference, Washington 1919, and
Genoa 1920.
He is member Of the American Bar
Association, American Society of Inter-
national Law, International Law Assoc
citation, Missouri Bar Association and
Il a SiUtOa frafcrnjt1-