Evening star., 1926-05-27
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL J. COLLINS.

In nj. The President was powerlesS
Again Pilsudski and his legion came
to the rescue. Marching upon War.
saw, 1t battled with the forces Of the
government. the losses on both sides
aggregating 500 killed and hundreds
wounded but Gen. Pils,Idski was tri.
umpha Mt.
The Polish constitution provides
that in case President dies or re.
signs, the marshal of the Seim
blouse Of Representatives, shall be.
come acting President" and the two
bra nches Of the Diet-the Senate and
the Sejm-shall unite to elect Il presi
dent Of the republic. That election
will occur May 81.
II Is generally expected that Gen.
piis,,dski will he elected President.
but he first dema nds that the powers
OF the President shall he enlarged. so
that the President with his cabinet,
will he able TO govern the country
with greater independence Uf the pet.
~ factions.
The Constitution can he amended
by IL two.thirds vote Of the members
present In combined session of both
bra inches Of the Diet, provided not
less than half Of the total elected
members 10 present. The next Diet
following an election, may revoke the
change by three-tifths vote, provided
half Of the total membership Is pres.
ent. The changes dema nded hv Pill
sudski are based upon his q assumption
that parliamentarism has broken
down I'm Poland az we'll as In Italy
and Greece. and that the country's
safety depends upon the rule Of "a
strOng man."
The United States Is interested In
observing orderly developments In
Polish government. quite aside from
our altruistic interest in the peace and
prosperity Of all nations. Poland owes
us SIS. 900 900. which debt was funded
In 1924. to the satisfaction Of both
parties.
The change Of the presidency ia Uses
the question as to whether it was
brought about without revolutionary
cOmpulsion. The resis ma ton was OBJ.
tanned in the night by Marshal Rataj
of the Sejm, who thereby beca me the
constitutional successor as acting
President" Gen. Pilsudski was not
present when Wojciechowski acceded
to Rataj's demand for the resigna.
ton, PiIsudski's forces were in pos.
session of the capital, but on that
question as to whether the resigna
ton was given under duress or vol.
unfairly may rest the recognition of
tions. especially by the United States.
The United States has for years
discouraged cOups d'etat on the
Western Hemisphere by refusing to
give recognition to any government
that comes into power by revolution.
but, so far, has never exercised that
discrimination as to Europe. Uncle
Sam Is a godfather over American n
peace. but makes no such claims as
10 the rest Of the world.
Ii we refuse to recognize the Pill
sudski revolt. and Pilsudski should
become President next Mondal, how
will we collect the next installment
of the $17S,000,0 900 due us, and funded
In 1924?
Our State Department has not taken
any position as to the Pilsudski legiti-
macy. All his acts, outwardly, have
sthe ,semb1ance Of constitutionaiity.
The test is expected in case Parlia-
ment should refuse to change the
Constitution to suit Pilsudski's ideas,
and he should become, not President,
but dictator. The present Parliament
or Diet was elected in 1922 for five
years; 1t cannot be dissolved until 1927
without it's consent.
Pilsudski being asked last Tuesday
what he would do in case Parliament
elected a President not satisfactory
to him, he replied significantly, "We
shall see what we shall do when we
come to that
An aide ended the interview with.
when Pilsudski is President, he Will
give another interview.
Copyright. 1926. BIZ Paul '. Coiiins.,