Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14

YAfLOAW.-1UG
IA ance which has broken out
NV in Eastern Galicia and at
tracted general attention i
the world has double i'm
portance-first, as it raises again the
question of the Ukrainian minority in
Poland, the largest single ethnic prob
lem Of the new republic, and, secondly,
as it again opens the larger issues of
minorities generally, which is, beyond
all else, the major postwar difficulty
Of Europe
AS to the Eastern Galician aspect,
one touches here the familiar difficult
ties due to mixed populations. Taken
as whole. GaliCia has population of
approximately 5000, 600, SOC, 900 Pol
ish, 100000 UkrainianS and 100000
Jewish. But whereas Western Galicia
is solidly Polish, with only a slight
Ukrainian minority and a relatively
small Jewish element Eastern Galicia
Is hopeless hodgepodge.
In Eastern Galicia, however, the
Ukrainians are a decisive majority, ap-
proXimately two to one. Nevertheless,
the capital of old Galicia, Lwow COR
Lemberg), which is in the heart Of
Eastern Galicia, has a 80 per cent
Polish population and there is a clear
Polish majority in several of the east
ern countries, notably in Tarnopol. But
the Ukrainian situation is strengthened
by the presence of more than 1000, 900
of their race brethren in the adjoining
districts of Volhynia and PoleSia, in
which they constitute clear and even
overwhelming majority. Thus there is
in Poland a more or less compact
Ukrainian group of more than 1000 900.
Across the Russian boundary in all
the region from the Pinsk marches to
the Black Sea and extending east to-
ward the Volga is mass of UkrainianS,
numbering 35,000,0o0. who constitute
one of the Soviet republics and under
Petlura fought for complete indepen-
dence of Russia after the revolution.
For the moment Ukrainian nationalism
has been submerged in the Bolshevist
wave, but its eventual temperance
seems assured.
More Numerous Than French.
Again, more than 100000 Ukrain-
ianS live within the borders of Rumania,
in Bessarabia and the Bukovina, while
another 500 900 inhabit the eastern tip
of Czechoslovakia. Here, then, is a
compact mass of Ukrainians, number
ing well above 10000, 900, more numer-
Gus than either the French or the
Italians. occupying a larger area than
either France or Italy, an area which
includes the best wheat area in Europe.
unihcation of all the factions-Polish,
Rumanian, Czechoslovakian and Rus
sian.
Moreover, just as Western Galicia
was the center from which Polish ma
tionalism operated before the World
War, Eastern Galicia is now the similar
center for Ukrainian nationalism, LwoW
playing the role Of Cracow. What the
Ukrainians of Galicia desire Is no. i'm
ysaf lN.ff
p degree of independence which will
enable them later to become the lead
erS in the eventual liberation of all
their race brethren. Their immediate
enemy is the Pole, who naturally seeks
TO assimilate and absorb this great
alien element, but their eventual foe IS
Soviet Russia.
Polish policy would be furthered enor-
mously by a breakup of Soviet Russia,
following a secession of the Ukraine,
and that explains Polish support Of
Petlura. In case of any serious Ukrain-
ian revolt. Poland and Rumania would
probably support the rebels, as first
France and then Prussia supported the
Italians against Austria. The price for
both would be Ukrainian recognition of
existing frontiers, as Italy ceded Savoy
and Nice to France.
On the other hand, it is obviously
sound Russian and German policy TO
support the Ukrainians in Galicia, thus
weakening Polish domestic unity; while
Soviet policy also necesSitates violent
repression of Ukrainian nationalism
within Soviet frontiers Thus Moscow
and Berlin are engaged in helping the
Ukrainians in Eastern Galicia with
money and by playing up every local
disturbance in that area. The Poles,
on their side, are just as earnestly seek
inc IN fOrvard the IJkrainian SeDaTatiSt
movement in Russia.
Czechs See Future Assured.
Finally there are the Czechs, who are
not friendly to Poland and who see
their own future assured. given their
precarious position "a small Slav group
In the German ethnic sea- only If they