Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-26
GERMANY AND RUSSIA HOLD
KEY TO POLAND PROBLEMS
Internal Strength Now Needed for Favor
able Position in Foreign Affairs,
Alliances Vital.

the strain of bad relations. Negotia-
tons have begun and were on the point
of success when they were sasrlf1ced 10
an accident-the murder Of VoikoH,
Soviet ambassador in Poland. Nov they
may begin again. The chief obstacles
appear to be Poland's unwillingness TO
corcede that the present Russian re-
gime is permanent and fear that pact
with Russia might violate Poland's i'm
portant commitments under the league
and with France.
3 Negotiations for G Foiish-Russian
trade agreement.
Poland wants freedom Of transit
through Russia fer goods destined to
important new markets in the Near
East, especially in Persia. Russia wants
machinery and credits. Some agrlcul-
tural convention would also be part OF
the scheme. Negotiations began in
Moscow for this trade agreement, but
again broke down on account of an
accident. One Of the Polish ENJOYS
interceded for a Polish prisoner in
what the Russian government consid-
cred a strictly domestic matter: the
envoy had to be recalled and no new
one has yet been sent.
Lithuania Sore Spot.
1t is interesting to note that at
Geneva in March Poland was the first
ountry to approve publicly OF Com
missar Litvinoff's second disarmament
scheme.
Indirect issues between Poland and
Russia are many. There is the matter
of Lithuania. for instance; the Wilma
| quarrel, which has run a poisonous
course for years along the Baltic.
Russia has announced that it will
regard NV -
Lithuania's territorial integrity as an
unfriendly act; this added new virus
| TO the Wilma poison, and quite possibly
| VIII defer any agreement indefinitely.
/ AS long as Lithuania has Russian sun
| port, 1t is not likely to step down in
Its refusal to restore normal relations
| with Poland: and as long as a war
| With Llthuania means a war with
Russia, too why Poland won't 90 To
| war. In other words, Russia's protec-
ton OF Lithuania appears to stiffen the
deadlock enormously and this in turn
mas certainly not helped to improve
Polish-Russian relations.
i, another issue between the powers is
lhe uKralne-the Ukraine being thai
vast region with well define ---At.--
alisIn OF It's own under the 90 -,,,
OF Two other nations, Russia a-- -
! land. But the Poles feel easy or TINS
matter. They feel sure that the C.rai-
mans hate them less than thev
nate the Russians, and that any Rus
sian propaganda among the Ukrsi
mans In Poland is bound to fail. Rus
sian Influence over the White Russians
IN Poland is similarly mininized and in
fact ignored
In general it may be said that Poland
Wo14o view an independent Ukraine
W.tn good deal of ympathy-provided
tnat it was an INDEPENDENT Polish
ukraine. But this is 60 far removed
| from practical politics that no actual
! Polish propaganda is expected in Kiev
/ and Poland would Willingly forget All
about the Ukraine if instead it could
gam normal and satisfactory relations
with friendly Russia. On the other
( nano bolshevik propaganda at Lwow
/ 70 detach eastern Galicia from Poland
/ is active--in fact rife.
Near East Is Balance.
Poland IS turning with a good deal
Oh activity to TIE Near East. to balance
Russian activity in the border states.
| Fer instance:
a. TIE Polish legation az Ang0ra is
to be raised to an embassy.
| D. The Persian foreign minister re-
Gently. visited Warsaw for long, con-
! hteatiai visit.
c: Poland did its best to give a new
t1r-H 70 An1anu.lah of Afghanistan
ara last year sent special political
, mission to Eabul.
d. Ee,et.ons between Poland and
Turkey have recently been very close,
Poland invited Turkey to the disarr1-
amsnt conference.
Finally. It may be said that what
Po.and Ecces mostly is that Russia
VIII some Cay decompose. Polands
frontiers may be Justly described as
somewhat swollen. Nevertheless Poland
sees vague future vision of a detached
White Russia, new grand duchv OF
Lithuania and an autonomous Ukraine
stretching TO the Black Sea--all in a
loose Polish federation. This is tn
dream Of irridescent Poles. And q
MSrShal PilsudSki.