Evening star., 1925-04-14

the middle of the Nieman River. at
1lislt. one was Alexander 1, Car of
Russia, the other was Napoleon Bona
parte, victor in the battle of Fried
land. The two mOnarchs met on
neutral ground to discuss the fate
or empires. Alexander was the first
royalty who had deigned to recog-
nize Napoleon as an equal of EN-
perors. The czar was idealistic as
We'll as autocratic. He would have
all Europe free-if it would exercise
its freedom according to his will.
What is Europe?" calculated
Alexander. I'VE are Europe He
was even more liberal than the
grand monarch, who exclaimed:
The state! 1t is myself,'
In the conference of Tilsit, it was
assumed that to partition Europe
according to the will of its rulers was
legitimate and proper. If Napoleon
had had the imagination which his
tory has since suggested, he might
nave enlisted in the dismembered
Poland an army of millions, who
would have made his invasion of
Russia tell a different story from that
OF its tragedy. Today, the France,
which Bonaparte led, but which failed
to make friends of the Poles, is the
main hope of the present reunited
menaclng neighborS on her east and
west. Self-determination of peoples
as to their forms of government has
superseded the dictum of the old
time monarchs, who boasted in vain:
I'VE are Europei"
x X X X
Will Germany and Soviet Russia
repeat the tactics of Frederick the
Prussian and Alexander the Russian?
VIII they again partition Poland?
If SO. they must first conquer France,
the ally and supporter of Poland.
But more than that, they must con-
front a desperate and ng-suffering
people who know what it means to
be conquered.
Poland is fifth in Europe in popula-
tion-practically 2S.0OO,OOO. and is
said to be gaining a million a year.
She is two-thirds as great as France.
Poland and France combined are
greater in numbers than Germany
and Austria, and probably greater in
organized strength and military re-
sources than Russia. Poland claims
that she alone can mobilize 1900, 900
men-almost as many as the United
States had under arms in the World
great industries, but is rich in agri-
cultural resources, so that in war it
would be self-sustaining in food, while
France stands ready to supply mill
tary material and officers.
VIII Poland again be partitioned?
X X X X
The war minister, Gen. Siborski,
answers:
Nothing is more horrible to us
than the thought of war, but when
threats reach us at the same time
from Berlin and Moscow, when all
the press of a great country like
England talks gayly about making
our country the subject of interna-
tional bargaining, we are obliged to
think of our future. The world must
know that the day any one touches
one inch of our. territory all Poland
will rise up and fight without mercy"
* X x 4
In addition to France, Poland is
allied with Rumania and Czecho-
slovakia. France has new premier
NJ. BRAND, who, in all his former
six or seven administrations at the
head of the French government, has
been recognized as Great Britain's
friend, with probably stronger inf1u-
ence with the English rulers than
has any other French statesman.
While the crisis may appear upon
the surface to hang upon the mur-
| der or execution of two Russians and
| two Poles, the great game of empire
| is playing as large a part in main
tanning or disturbing the peace of
Europe as it did when a Serbian as
sassin, or patriot, killed an Austrian
prince and precipitated the World
War.
ACopyrlghts ie25ehx Pani Ye Colllsa.A