Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
NY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

~ ERLIN-At the moment of ar
- irving in Berlin no single detail
in newspaper and public dis
IL cuSsion Is more striking than
that which concerns the still
recent Polish election. In the results
Of this election not only Europe gen.
orally, but Germany in particular, sees
the Polish answer to the Fascist sue
cess of the october election in Ger
many. In this answer there is the
promise, and even more, the threat, of
against the German minority and its
ally, the Ukrainian, within Polish from
tiers.
What the success of the Pilsudski
ticket means here is clear For the
first time since Poland was restored
there is in the Polish Legislature a
coherent majority which is united under
the leadership-indeed. under the die
tatorship-of Marshal Pilsudski. At
least 247 Of the 444 members of the
Sejm will henceforth take orders and
obey orders. There is, for the. time
being at least, an end to the confusion
and paralysis that have marked the
legislative life of Poland for the first
years of its independence.
Between the method of Mussolini and
that of Pilsudski there is a contrast
that Is striking. MuSsolini, heading the
march to Rome, not merely overthrow
the existing Italian cabinet and became
prime minister and master of Parlia-
ment. but proceeded forthwith to abol-
ish the existing parliamentary system
in Italy and substitute new order, a
new sort CT parliament, and. in fact, a
complete and untrammeled dictator
ship.
PiIsudski's Method Stated.
Ever since the coup d'etat of June,
1926, when PilsIdski seized power, he
has been striving, by contrast, to legal
ize his dictatorship under the existing
form Of government. Having seized
power by a military operation the
marshal has been endeavoring to get a
parliamentary recognition of his rule.
Always, too, he has failed. In the cleo
ton of 1928 he could get but 14o seats
out of 444, and for nearly three years
he has been unable to get any legisla-
ton through the Sejm.
Polish political life has resolved it
self into a never-ending battle between
the marshal and Parliament. But the
marshal has steadily believed that the
people we're on his side against the
Parliament. Therefore, he has re-
Trained from any attempt to overthrow
the republic, to destroy its institutions,
and has continued his battle to obtain
popular Endorsement.
To obtain this Endorsement he de-
liberately resorted in the recent cleo
ton to many illegal expedients. The
leaders of the opposition parties were
thrown into Jail, the tickets of hostile
parties in districts where their major
ity was assured were invalidated. In
regions where the presence of racial
minority insured a hostile majority re-
sort was made to tactics that aroused
protests alike on the part Of Ukrainian
and German elements.
Effect of German Election.
What the outcome of this illegal
method employed to obtain a legal
status might have been but for the
German election and the Fascist eXplo-
SIGN remains problem. On the whole,
business, INDUSTRY and finance in Po-
land favored the marshal, and the same
is true of the larger sgrarian elements.
But by contrast the Socialists and the
peasants, who we're inclined to support
the marshal in 1928, were this year
solidly arrayed against him. And be-
fore the German election even the
marshars friends viewed the contest
with anxiety.
The anxiety was shared by all friends
of Poland, because it was perceived
that the marshars chief reliance was
upon the army, and there seemed very
real possibility that if he were defeated
in the election the old soldier would at
last be driven to adopt the system of a
military dictatorship enforced by the
bayonets of the army. which is devoted
to him. Such a division of the country
could only spell confusion and eventual
disaster.
All this situation changed almost
overnight when the German election
campaign began. First, cabinet min
lister, Treviranus, speaking for the mod
crates, proclaimed the need of a revision
of the eastern frontiers of Germany,
and, secondly, the Fascists, with their
more violent program to this end, tri-